It’s time to ‘Rethink the Nation’
Speakers (l-r) James Berresford, Liz McInnes, Dominic Gray, Irna Qureshi and Joanne Harris
Mon, 26 Oct 2015 12:32:00 GMT
Wed 25 Nov – with speakers author Joanne Harris, VisitEngland CEO James Berresford, writer Irna Qureshi, Shadow Minister Liz McInnes MP and Opera North Projects Director Dominic Gray
It’s time to ‘Rethink the Nation’, according to academics organising a free event that is a collaboration between the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), the University of Huddersfield and cultural partners at the Imperial War Museum North at Trafford Wharf Road, Manchester – Wednesday 25 November from 6pm.
They have gathered a diverse range of expert speakers and performers for Rethinking the Nation, including bestselling author Joanne Harris, CEO of VisitEngland James Berresford, writer Irna Qureshi, MP and Shadow Minister for Communities and Local Government Liz McInnes and Projects Director for Opera North Dominic Gray, who will feature alongside Bhangra dancers and a DJ set on a heritage hifi.
Part of a series that marks the tenth anniversary of the AHRC, entitled The Way We Live Now, the event is designed to pick up on questions about the nation we live in from people on the streets of Manchester and Huddersfield. Those questions will be explored from the perspectives of politics, community, visitors and tourism, music and performance, literature and more.
“We hear and read about global migration every day and commentators have some clear ideas about how migration changes Britain,” said University of Huddersfield lecturer, Jodie Matthews.
“We want to explore who we are as a nation, what this national community is that changes all the time. What do our arts and culture say about us? What influences do we draw on? What do visitors expect to find when they come here? How does our landscape affect who we are as a people? And what kind of community do we belong to? We think the best way to do that is to get questions from a wide range of people and have panellists from a number of perspectives respond to them.
The event, taking place in the Imperial War Museum North, will combine music, dance, speech and images, explained Dr Matthews: “In the twenty-first century, competing nationalisms, the increasing mobility of populations and globalisation are causing us to rethink traditional ideas of nationhood. This is our chance to do that rethinking in an entertaining way.”
The debate will explore contemporary issues of national diversity, conflict and power in the context of changes to the idea of the ‘nation’. Covering ground from war to dance and from music to democracy, it will use discussion, interviews and live performances to help us think about the way we live now, with each other, and how we talk about our national lives, histories and cultures.
“We welcome anyone interested in the arts, politics, history, culture and community to come and join us for this conversation and, at the same time, celebrate a decade of work by the Arts and Humanities Research Council,” added Dr Matthews. Places are limited, but can be reserved at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/rethinking-the-nation-tickets-18361693319. The event will also be livestreamed.
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The debate is part of the AHRC Anniversary Debates on ‘The Way We Live Now’, which are exploring central aspects of our human world, the ways in which they are shaping our lives, and how the arts and humanities help us understand our changing world.
