Engaging with the general public
Research-inspired photo exhibition
Prof. Sharon Wright, Dr Anna Gawlewicz and Dr Paulina Trevena, worked with Centrala and three critically acclaimed visual artists, Małgorzata Dawidek, Sylwia Kowalczyk and Paulina Korobkiewicz, on a travelling photo exhibition Spaces of (dis)connection: Migrant essential workers.
The exhibition explores how public and private spaces changed during the Covid lockdowns in the UK. Inspired by Sharon, Anna and Paulina's study (conducted with colleagues at the universities of Sheffield and Middlesex), the artists produced uniquely insightful and intimate artwork that was launched in Birmingham, London, and Edinburgh before moving online.
The aim of the exhibition is to inform public and policy attitudes on migrant labour, and to raise awareness of the central role that migrants played during the pandemic and in Covid recovery.
Peace Boat Educator
As part of her research on migration, Brexit and Covid-19, Dr Anna Gawlewicz was invited to participate in a floating educational experience. She joined the Nobel Peace Prize nominated charity Peace Boat to deliver a series of lectures to their 1,000+ passengers. In 2019, Anna joined for the segment from Montreal (Canada) to Greenock (Scotland) and in 2023, from Piraeus (Greece) to Tilbury/London (England).
Across both voyages, Anna's lectures looked at:
- Migrant essential workers during Covid-19
- Free movement in the European Union
- Brexit
- Distinctiveness of Scotland in the context of Brexit
- How migrants matter to cities
The lectures were designed to raise awareness of the critical role that migrants play in keeping societies and economies going globally. Presented in English, they were simultaneously translated to Japanese, Korean and Mandarin.
