Citizens of Everywhere, a multidisciplinary project aiming to generate dialogue in response to political shifts in Europe and the USA, launches tomorrow in The Guardian Review.
Led by the University of Liverpool’s Centre for New and International Writing, it will feature a series of short essays.in the Guardian in print and online, as well as in The Conversation – a global news site offering informed analysis of world events written by academics.
The project, which will also seek to open dialogue through public events, workshops and creative engagement with schools, will address a range of issues including challenges to national borders, the free movement of populations and identity, the migrant crisis, globalisation, definitions of citizenship and the role of sciences and humanities in a changing world.
Dr Sandeep Parmar, Co-Director of the Centre for New and International Writing is organising the project, alongside Dr David Hering, Dr Lauren Elkin and Professor Deryn Rees-Jones.
Dr Parmar said: “Citizens of Everywhere directly engages with Theresa May’s recent Conservative Party conference speech, in which she reframes ideas of citizenship in the context of Brexit, by stating that ‘if you believe you are a citizen of the world, you’re a citizen of nowhere. You don’t understand what citizenship means’.
“This project will draw from artists, scientists, academics, writers, cultural organisers and beyond to debate what citizenship means today.
“It will also ask: how do practitioners and educators working in the sciences and humanities respond to the rapidly changing role of the arts and research in times of political turmoil.”
The first essay, which will appear in the January 21st print edition of the Guardian, is written by Booker-nominated novelist, Tom McCarthy and considers citizenship in Ancient Greece. Contributions from Director of the Liverpool Biennial Sally Tallant and writer, Horatio Clare, among others, will follow in print and online.
The first articles to appear in The Conversation will be written by the University’s Professor Michael Dougan, and the Centre’s Dr Will Slocombe and Dr Sam Solnick and, with more to come.
Dr Sandeep Parmar, a Radio 3 New Generation Thinker, added: “Migration, statelessness, war, anti-colonial movements and indigenous rights, racism and anti-imperial movements, human rights and post-human futures and just some of the arenas where we hope this project will generate international discussion.
“We want to broaden definitions of citizenship and develop the idea of the ‘citizen of everywhere’ globally.”
For more information, please visit https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/new-and-international-writing/citizens-of-everywhere/ For updates, please follow @CitizensofWhere and to join in the conversation online use #citizensofeverywhere
