Spoken Worlds Diaspora Manifesto

To live every day in-between languages is to confront one's history and vulnerable present continuously. We want to raise awareness of the conditions and effects of the diaspora and migrant experience and highlight the significance of bilingualism in communication and artistic practice. We believe in the need to transform the way diaspora and immigrant art is collected, exhibited, and interpreted, paving the way for a more inclusive and culturally rich society. To effect change, we advocate for:

● Decentring the methodology of collecting, exhibiting and interpreting diaspora and immigrant art in museums and galleries. This decentring entails more in-depth research of the context of the artwork or the artist; examining relevant sources, even the ones written in the artists' native languages; and initiating 'national museum acquiring programmes' which ensure the relevance of British collections and allow for micronarratives to emerge.

● Co-production, commissioning and collaboration with diaspora and immigrant artists on comprehensive exhibitions which aim to break stereotypes and empower diasporic communities. Adequate funding and training for cultural professionals from diasporas in Britain must accompany these initiatives.

● Allowing the English language used by artists and creatives to be porous and still be treated as relevant and important.

● Make use of this little dictionary with terms of academic/social sciences provenance to ensure accessibility: xeno-racism, microaggression, micronarratives.

● Recognising the value of a ‘left-behind memory’, we propose the establishment of a dynamic online infrastructure that invites contributions from individuals, ranging from personal memorabilia to interviews like those found in Spoken Worlds.

● Facilitation of regular debates, informed by the newest and relevant academic research and the reality of migration numbers in the UK.

The creation of this manifesto stems from our shared belief, as the five co-curators, that language encompasses political and social dimensions. We strive to inspire a shift in the methodology of collecting, exhibiting and interpreting diaspora and immigrant art in the UK.