Transnational Modern Languages: Exhibitions for impact

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Since its inception in 2014, Transnationalizing Modern Languages (TML), one of three large grants in the AHRC's Translating Cultures scheme, has been conducting research into the communities of the Italian diaspora. The research concentrates on cases representative of the geographic, historical and linguistic map of Italian mobility: Italian communities in the UK, the US, Australia, and South America; colonial settlement within Africa and the Mediterranean; migrant communities within contemporary Italy. The focus of the research is on the forms of representation (journals, newsletters, literature, life stories, photographs, collections of memorabilia, rituals and festivals) that have been produced by these communities and which exemplify the extent of their transcultural nature.The project has engaged with cultural associations, schools, policy makers and individuals in an exploration of heritage, cultural memory, and educational practices. Intensive engagement with diverse collaborators has illuminated how linguistic and cultural identity are cultivated and expressed across the globe. The project has developed methodologies aimed at embedding the awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity within educational practices, from primary to higher and adult education. Within Higher Education the project is drawing on its primary research to produce a new transnational framework for the study of Modern Languages as a disciplinary field.An important element of the project is the organization of two exhibitions, one at the British School at Rome (October - November 2016) the other at the Italian Cultural Institute (December 2016 to January 2017). Through the use of photography, audio and visual recordings, art installations and other material, the exhibitions display examples of people's experiences from across the globe and show Italian culture in transnational perspective. The exhibitions show the evolution of the project, its range of methodologies and the principle of co-produced research that lies at its core.Impact follow-on funding allows the exhibition to be mounted in augmented reality at CO.AS.IT in Melbourne, at the Calandra Institute in New York, and at the Italian Cultural Institute in Addis Ababa.Mounted in different sites across the globe, the exhibits do not simply offer a visual display but a demonstration of the evolution of the research project, its methodological framework and the principle of co-production that it exemplifies. They produce a dynamic research tool that shows how work on the transnational can be accomplished within Modern Languages. They demonstrate the complexity of interaction between researchers and curators and the nature of the work that the collaboration gives rise to. The exhibits, with associated publications, exemplify how research and curation interact to address issues of pressing topicality. They visualize the research and collaboration processes at the core of TML practice, making them accessible to broader audiences.Working closely with the institutions where the exhibits are staged, the project team will organize a series of events around the exhibitions: these will include events with artists and writers; visits from local schools; events with migrant communities; meetings with representatives of educational authorities and with policy makers. The exhibits will draw on the work of local artists and will display visual and artistic material with significant local connections. The exhibits will not only disseminate the research of the project but foster new opportunities for the development of educational impact of the project.