Translation Zone(s): Linguistic Hospitality
Translation Zone(s): Linguistic Hospitality – part 1. of performance at the Translation Studies Annual Research Forum, Birmingham Centre for Translation, The University of Birmingham 15th May 2017 by [Still from video by Johrah Al-Homied]. Performance and script by Heather Connelly. Translated and performed by Gabriela Saldanha (Uruguay – Spanish) Balsam Mustafa (Iraq – Arabic), Dunya Ismael (Iraq – Kurdish), Vicky Kaisidou and Sofia Malamatidou (Greece – Greek) and Heather Connelly (UK – English).
Translation Zone(s): Linguistic Hospitality is a polylingual script for five languages (Kurdish, Arabic, Greece, Spanish and English) that poetically and performatively examines the relationship between the translator and the translated. A linguistic landscape, where voices, sounds, accents and languages merge and diverge, harmonise, trouble and disrupt. Monologues and dialogues, words, statements and narratives become sounds slip and slide as you attempt to tune in and navigate this familiar yet unfamiliar terrain.
The script builds upon Connelly’s practice-based PhD research, This is me and previous script in English and Spanish developed with translation academic Gabriela Saldanha performed at InDialogue December 2016. It playfully performs, synthesizes and attempts to articulate translation theories and paradigms, as it amplifies the instability of language and induces the dizzying sensation that ‘monolingual’ and multilingual speakers often face in intercultural encounters.
Get involved: The work has been designed to be expanded to include other languages and adapted for different situations (exhibitions, conferences and events) and Heather continues to work on the script and is inviting others to add their languages and translator’s narratives – should you wish to be part of this ongoing process please contact Heather at: heather.connelly@bcu.ac.uk