Graffiti in Chios, Greece, 2016. Credit: 2016 © Maggie O'Neill.
“Arts have a frontier role in building knowledge. We have to come to terms with the dilemma of ‘difference’ without feeling threatened by the Other... Engaging the creative process through the Arts brings meaning to humanity” – Rex Nettleton
The mass movement of people across borders has been one of the defining features of the 20th century and 21st century. And yet there continues to be an astonishing lack of accountability and responsibility by governments and states for their part in the production of the world’s refugees. In an age of globalisation, sovereignty is vigorously asserted at the borders of nations. Increasingly restrictive immigration policies instigate the humiliation and social marginalisation of people seeking asylum as well as those who have lived in the UK for a lifetime and call it their home. Research into migration can play a vital role in exposing the cruel and destructive impacts of those policies both in the UK and across Europe. But it is vital that researchers avoid causing migrants any distress in the process. If not treated with care, research can run the risk of being tokenistic, voyeuristic and reinforce power imbalances in the interests of gathering research data or images that are representative.
