Assemblage: An Ideas Lab
Assemblage: n. a collection or gathering of things or people; a machine or object made of pieces fitted together; a work of art made by grouping together found or unrelated objects; the action of gathering or fitting things together
‘Assemblage’ was an open-forum ideas lab intended to inspire, challenge and provoke. Facilitated by Agnes Czajka (Open University), and set in the context of Trigger Warning, it explored some of the themes and questions raised by the installation through personal narrative. Participants in the lab were invited to share their stories of migration, integration, identity and belonging (whether positive, negative, poignant or funny) through a 5-minute contribution. Their contribution came in many forms – a personal story, a piece of music, a set of family photos, an artefact – that spoke to their personal experiences of migration, identity or belonging. As the title of the lab implied, we hoped that the contributions would form part of an assemblage that would manifest the stories that underpin our community. Everyone was welcome, whether they contributed or not — contribution could be as simple as listening!
