Performance workshop – photograph by Tom Kilby
Translation Zone(s)
Translation Zone(s) is an ongoing series of events, projects, art works, texts and activities that brings monolingual and multilingual individuals (artists, researchers, translators, linguists, performers, participants and audiences) together to examine art-and-translation as a transdisciplinary practice. The works use text, sound and the voice to explore ‘interlingual’ translation, and draw upon linguistics, intercultural communication and second language acquisition. The projects are responsive, generative and experimental, the nature, form and format of each event/work depends upon particular context, audience and participants. Recent work incorporating issues of language learning. The role that I play in these projects varies: artist, researcher, provocateur, facilitator, director, collaborator, writer, educator, host and others.
The term ‘zone’, borrowed from Emily Apter (2006), also emphasises the movement inherent within the prefix trans in translation and points towards the precarious nature of translation, which is always in the process of becoming. The projects/events are been loosely categorised into works (performance, texts, installations etc.) and constellations (round table events, interviews etc.) though they often overlap.
Translation Zone(s): constellations is the collective term for the physical ‘zones’, spatial configurations that Connelly devises to expand research into art-and-translation. These nomadic, multipurpose pop up project spaces, events and exhibitions seek to create the conditions for artists, academics and others to engage in the topic, participate and engage in activities, events and discussions that focus on the topic. The format and form of each zone/constellation is determined by its particular context, site, audience, themes, purpose and research questions that it is seeks to examine.
You can find out further information about each project by clicking on the links below:
Translation Zone(s): A Stuttering
Translation Zone 1 (work/constellation) was hosted by the Library of Birmingham takes the form of a live performance and roundtable, it is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), as part of my Cultural Engagement Fellowship at Birmingham City University (BCU) and the Library of Birmingham.
Translation Zone: A stuttering – film still by Tom Kilby from performance in Library of Birmingham 30th April 2016
Translation Zone(s): Constellation Hong Kong
Translation Zone(s): Constellations Hong Kong 2018, Dr. and Mrs. Sze Chi Ching Exhibition Gallery, is hosted by the International Association of Translation and Intercultural Studies (IATIS) 6th International conference, Translation and Cultural Mobility, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong 3-6th July 2018.
The exhibition, performance evening and events has been developed specifically to expand panel 14: Exploring Cultural Mobility through Visual and Performance Art convened by Gabriela Saldanha (University of Birmingham, UK) and Cristina Marinetti (Cardiff University, UK) and include work from established and emerging artists, curators, writers and researchers Bill Aitchison (UK/CN), Emma Cocker and Clare Thornton (UK), Heather Connelly (UK), Johanna Hällsten (SE/UK), Saskia Holmkvist (NO), Rebecca Johnson (UK), Xiangyun Lim (SG), Marianna Maruyama (NL), Manuela Perteghella (IT/UK) and Ricarda Vidal (DE/UK), Thuy Vo (VN), Annie Xu (CN/UK) and Solomon Yu, Jimmy Chan and Eddie Cheung (HK).