The conjuncture of globalisation, increased migration and digitisation has created new spaces for communication, social and cultural exchanges and encounters. Both in online and offline environments across the globe, we experience an increase in plurilingualism and multiculturalism. Further, digital technologies have made communication increasingly multimodal as we switch or swipe between images, text, memes, emoticons, sound clips, etc. During the lock-downs or social distancing measures imposed on countries across the globe in response to COVID-19, online platforms have become the primary site of exchange for many of us. However, while there is exponential growth in the possibilities available for cross-cultural communication, divisions between social, ethnic or national groups are growing as intolerance and inequality, xenophobia and extremism are on the rise.
In today’s complex societal ecologies where multiple languages and modalities are simultaneously available for communication, it is vital to develop enhanced literacies capable of fostering individual and community agency and engagement for this highly interconnected but fragmented world.
The role of translation, between languages (interlingual) and between media (intersemiotic), is central to such an undertaking. We are interested in intersemiotic translation as a method of creation and communication, as a method for learning and teaching, collaboration and participation within multilingual, multicultural and multimodal settings. This includes understanding the many modes and modalities that contribute to meaning-making in cross-cultural communication (online & offline), language learning and translation, and embracing the role of individual imagination and artistic creation in education and arts institutions (e.g. libraries, galleries, museums).
This research network brings together scholars and artists with diverse areas of expertise including translation studies, theatre & performance studies, cultural & literary studies, curatorial studies, education, modern languages, teacher & translator training, music and the fine arts.
Our objectives are
- to bring different perspectives and disciplines together to develop a holistic understanding of intersemiotic practices in the language areas of network members.
- to develop a deeper understanding of how intersemiotic practice can be applied more widely in multicultural educational and community settings, online & offline
- to develop tools for understanding and enhancing multimodal communication online
- the pedagogical aspect of this understanding will lead to the development of tools, protocols and ethical procedures for training educators, translators and community practitioners
- to disseminate this practice beyond the privileged domains of HE across multiple strata of society
- to influence arts & education policy with regards to multiculturalism and multilingualism.
Network Phase 1: March 2021 – September 2022
The Network was set up in March 2021 with funding from the Arts & Humanities Research Council UK with members based in the UK, Canada, Portugal, Poland, Spain, Hungary, Italy & Hong Kong (see list of founding members). With our research grounded in theory, we jointly developed practice-based methods for participatory workshops which took place between April 2021 and July 2022 in network countries and were conducted by network participants working in scholar-artist teams. Members of the public were invited to join us in the exploration of intersemiotic translation via creative methods (e.g. writing, performance, artmaking), at participating universities and cultural institutions. We also organised a series of online symposia, public short courses (both online and in person), a travelling exhibition and an international conference. Browse the website to find out more.
Phase 2: Invitation to Participate
We are continuing to work together and have now opened the network to new members. Anyone with an interest in experiential translation is welcome.
- We meet up regularly online: ca 2 meetings a year, organised and run by members. Sessions are relatively short, e.g. 2-3 hours with the first half dedicated to talks/project presentations/ work in progress presentation by members (2-3 presentations of 15-minutes plus discussion), followed by a workshop or longer talk (either led by a Network member or invited speaker).
- We also plan to have an annual or biannual conference in person, organised by members and hosted at an external institution with external funding.
- Membership is free, but members need to be actively engaged. This can take the form of any / all of the following:
- writing a post for our blog
- presenting at one of the meetings, sharing work in progress, leading a workshop or simply listening to what others have to say and contributing to the discussion
- organising a conference (with external funding/support)
- being part of/leading on future funding applications
Members are listed on the website with their names, affiliations (if any), link to their institutional/private website
If you are interested in becoming a member of the Network, please send an email to info@experientialtranslation.net explaining who you are, why you’d like to join and how you’d wish to contribute.
Experiential Translation 