Exploring Cultural Diversity

Project Leads: Siân Lund

Number of participants: 20

Duration: 4 days

Project Outline:

This project aims to raise awareness of and celebrate the linguistic and cultural diversity at the RCA. By bringing together people interested in cultural diversity and challenging assumptions, expectations and identity, this project will offer a platform to record and understand more about people’s intercultural experiences. The group will include speakers of different languages, cultural travellers, and will welcome anyone keen to explore issues around intercultural communication and understanding. Ultimately there is an urgent need to promote the positive potential for acculturation within such an institution – of mutual two-way transformation which occurs in contexts of cultural diversity, not one-way assimilation.

Timetable:

Day 1 (Monday)
Sharing ideas around acculturation: What is cultural identity? How is change a two-way process? What is wrong with the assimilation method? An activity to challenge assumptions. Plan for days 4 and 5.

Day 2 (Tuesday)
Prepare 4 or 5 different language ‘Writing Stations’ with materials. Prepare questions for ‘Intercultural Experiences’ interviews, including recording materials.

Day 4 (Thursday)
Set up and run ‘Writing Stations’ so that people can walk past and have a go at writing in a different language (e.g. Chinese; Arabic; Thai etc.).
Next to the ‘Writing Stations’, set up ‘Intercultural Experiences’ interview chairs where passers-by can sit and talk about their intercultural experiences

Day 5 (Friday)
Select examples of writing completed by passers by. Transcribe snapshots from the interviews which can be written as posters to be exhibited. Set up the exhibition of written testimony and examples of writing to be displayed throughout the Friday.