European solidarity and refugee recognition in the context of the Ukraine refugee
“crisis”
by Rob Sharp
This paper outlines the author’s plans for further research on the concept of the ‘performative refugee’, which emerged from his doctoral research. The PhD project examined how those going through the asylum system in the UK experienced projects from UK charities and cultural institutions that promised participants ‘a voice’. Sharp outlines how the forthcoming extension of that work will entail a shift of focus from the UK to a European context, and a particular engagement with those displaced by the war in Ukraine. The project will involve workshops and interviews in Germany and Poland, and workshops with partners including the Imperial War Museum and Migration Museum to develop policy recommendations emerging from the research.
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Abolitionist Book Club working paper
written in collaboration with and on behalf of the Abolitionist Book Club
This paper highlights conversations and themes arising from the Abolitionist Book Club’s monthly sessions in the 2023-2024 academic year. Though originating as a book club, the authors note that sessions moved towards a conception of abolition-as-praxis that challenged their previous focus on text-based epistemologies. The paper gives an overview of each session to date, spanning film screenings, somatic drawing exercises, and knowledge sharing, and an overview of some of the challenges the collective faced in planning their sessions. It ends with an invitation to grow the collective, and some resources (including a playlist and a zine) for those wanting to learn more.
Download full paper here.