Call for Participants: Through the Eyes of LISA
‘Through the Eyes of LISA’: Call for Participants
You are invited to apply to participate in an exciting new community-based research project dedicated to the history and heritage of Lithuanians in Scotland.
CEES/CRCEES Glasgow is pleased to be supporting this work, which is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Creative Scotland.
For students at all levels, this is an excellent opportunity to enhance your CV, acquire research skills and gather material and/or ideas for a dissertation or other research project, while also gaining a fuller appreciation of the history of Glasgow, the West of Scotland and their links to Central and Eastern Europe.
Participation is, however, open to anyone in the wider community. Please feel circulate the Call to anyone you know who may be interested.
Places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis - email info@civicroom.com and let us know who you are and why you would like to be involved.
If you would to like to share any stories or experiences or you have any materials that you would like to have digitized and included in the Archive including, photographs, letters, documents, objects relating to the Lithuanian and Eastern European diaspora in Scotland then please get in touch. If you have a research interest into this area and would like to contribute, then please let us know.
Participation is free, and travel and expenses will be covered.
Further information
Through the eyes of LISA is a collaborative research project with visual artist Marija Nemčenko, Civic Room and the Central Eastern European Studies (CEES) subject group at the University of Glasgow.
The project seeks to reveal hidden narratives of Lithuanian migration and assimilation in Scotland from late 19th century to present day by analysing forms of social heritage. Over a series of workshops from September to December the project will use memories, material culture and media accounts of migration stories collected and communicated through the creation of a new archive.
The first influx of Lithuanians to Scotland began in the early 1880s due to economic factors and strategic recruitment by Scottish industrialists. These industrialists employed agents to directly recruit thousands of workers from within Lithuania and disguised the reality of poor working conditions in Glasgow. Such migrant workers were essential to industrialisation in Scotland, which led to Glasgow becoming second city of the British Empire, although this community has never been credited properly by Scottish institutions.
The project runs in parallel with Marija Nemčenko’s exhibition at Civic Room (15th November - 22nd December). This is the final exhibition in the year long programme ‘Of Lovely Tyrants and Invisible Women’ programme curated by Civic Room, investigating themes of spatial politics, gender and racial hierarchies within imperial architecture in Glasgow.
Other Events in this Series
24th September - Oral History Workshop at the School of Social & Political Sciences, University of Glasgow led by Professor Geoffrey Swain with Marija Nemčenko.
13.00-16.00: 25 Bute Gardens, Room 130 https://goo.gl/maps/JZ32EBwaR3vJNNYY9
Marija will give a presentation of her ongoing research into the Lithuanian diaspora in Scotland. Professor Geoffrey Swain, Oral history expert and former Alec Nove Chair in Russian and East European Studies at the University of Glasgow will give an introduction to the practice of Oral History, including working methodology and best practice. Participants will receive an introduction to oral history and will be supported to conduct and record their own interviews during and after the workshop, as a contribution to the materials for the project.
October (Date TBC) Media History- Research visit to archive or research centre, introduction to archival research and media representation
14th November Through the eyes of LISA, Marija Nemčenko, exhibition preview Civic Room 5pm-8pm
November/December Object History- Archive Creation Participant-led creation of an online archive, collating and digitisation of materials.
Marija Nemčenko (b. 1989, Kaunas, Lithuania) is an artist and creative learning activities facilitator working in Glasgow, Scotland. She received her MFA from Glasgow School of Art in 2016 and BA(Hons) in Sculpture from Camberwell College of Arts in 2013. Despite Glasgow being her base, her working environment shifts between Glasgow, Kaunas and Berlin where she exhibits and devises workshops, discussions or activities. Marija Nemcenko website marijanemcenko.com
Civic Room is a non-profit contemporary art organisation operating between London and Glasgow led by Director Sarah Strang and Associate Curator Alasdair Campbell. www.civicroom.com @civicroom 215 High Street, Glasgow G1 ODU