In 2018, two researchers from the Department of International Development established the Visual Embodied Methodologies (VEM) network. Since then the network has grown and has hosted a series of collaborations and events. KERN spoke to Prof Cathy Mcllwaine, a professor of Development Geography at King’s, about the VEM network, why it exists and why it’s important.
What is the VEM network?
The VEM network aims to create spaces of knowledge-exchange and research engagements around visual, embodied and art-based methodologies within, across and beyond Social Sciences. We believe that using these methodologies provides potential for co-produced forms of knowledge, opening possibilities to explore otherwise difficult to articulate issues.
We have also developed a VEM+ network revolving around artist-academic collaborations held at the Somerset House Studios in July 2019. Focusing on various aspects of exclusion, these collaborations explore how visual, embodied and arts-based methodologies might transform research practices in the social sciences and generate new knowledge for both the researcher and the researched, particularly in the study of sensitive issues. 4 collaborations were included in the VEM + in 2019:
- Nadirah- Dr Negar Elodie Behzadi, and animation artist Kate Jessop
- Nationalism in the case of Brexit- Dr Pablo De Orellana and poet Mariah Whelan.
- //Undiscernible//- Dr Henry Redwood and artist Vladimir Miladinović.
- The Right to Be Believed – Prof Cathy McIlwaine and actor, playwright and director, Gaël Le Cornec
When and why was the network established?
The network was founded by Dr Negar Elodie Behzadi and Dr Jelke Boesten, from the Department of International Development in 2018. Drawing on the work of other scholars within Social Science Public Policy (SSPP), the network has grown into a jointly coordinated network across the SSPP faculty, including co-coordinators from the Departments of Geography and War Studies, and other members across the College. The aim was to think about researching in a more creative and innovative way especially around sensitive issues such as armed conflict, gender-based violence and discrimination and far-right political ideologies.
Could you tell us a VEM project you have been involved with?
I worked with Gael Le Cornec to create The Right to be Believed, which is a sound-performance installation based on research that underpins the Step Up Migrant Women campaign. This campaign is led by the Latin American Women’s Rights Service (LAWRS) with whom myself and Gaël have previously worked on a project on violence against Brazilian women in London and which resulted in a verbatim theatre play called Efêmera. In this case, Gael and I worked with the stories of the women included in the research report that I wrote with Lucila Granada and Illary Valenzuela-Oblitas (formerly of LAWRS) called ‘The right to be believed: migrant women facing Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) in the ‘hostile immigration environment’ in London’ and from which the title of the audio-visual installation is drawn.
Together Gaël and I chose three stories of migrant women that were outlined in the report and which reflected different aspects of women’s experiences more broadly. We then created a script that linked together the three short testimony extracts and which Gaël recorded. Gaël then developed a performance involving song and movement to capture the themes of violence, entrapment, invisibilisation, disbelief and barriers to seeking and securing support. Each woman’s voice is played in turn as Gaël sings a song and moves between three chairs; in essence, these are three short acts of the performance.
Why do you think art base methodologies are important in research?
These types of methodologies are able to communicate with different audiences who would not normally be aware of the research. They also communicate the actual experiences of issues such as gender-based violence and exclusion in ways that the written word cannot.
Why is it important for you to engage public audiences with your research?
As a group of scholars, we all work on issues that relate to exclusion and marginalisation. We are all keen to make sure that the voices and the issues of those people with whom we work are heard beyond the printed page. The broader aim is to raise awareness and ultimately to try to address the inequalities through some form of attitudinal change and policy-making.
Why is it important for you to engage public audiences with your research?
The network is new and so we do not have permanent funding. A great advance was the appointment of Jayne Peake who now curates the Exchange space in Bush House where we can host exhibitions and events (with VEM and others in the social sciences). It would be difficult to run these without her and the space.
Do you think VEM projects have been successful in contributing towards the conversation around social science research?
We hope that we are starting a conversation around how the social sciences can engage with the arts in interesting ways. There has been a lot of interest so far with all our events sold out.
Do you have an projects currently underway?
Throughout October we have an exhibition of work from the four artist/researchers collaborations around questions of exclusion, stigmatisation, marginalisation, conflict and violence at the School of SSPP. In addition, we have a series of events, some directly linked with the collaborations and others related to them.
To see the full list of upcoming events and to get your free tickets vist http://www.kcl.ac.uk/events/series/vem-exhibition-art-exclusions
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