Creative translation pathways for exploring gendered violence against Brazilian migrant women through a feminist translocational lens

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper explores how research on gendered violence among Brazilian migrant women in London has been translated through a range of creative engagements. It argues that these can challenge traditional forms of knowledge production, and advance intersectional feminist struggles through a logic of translocation. Yet it also challenges homogenous artistic encounters through developing ‘creative translation pathways’ which delineate different configurations of how researchers, artists, and participants using varied art forms . The paper focuses on two ‘creative translation pathways’ that capture different interpretative framings around the same research project. The first reflects a curatorial perspective through Gaël Le Cornec’s verbatim theatre play, Efêmera, which foregrounds her interpretation of Brazilian women’s stories adding a metatheatrical dimension to strengthen the narrative and connection with the audience. The second is a co-produced collaborative engagement, We Still Fight in the Dark, with community drama group, Migrants in Action, based around experimental workshops to produce an audio-visual film and installation where survivors’ perspectives and well-being are paramount. While both creative translation pathways reflected translocational feminist goals in raising awareness around gendered violence with a view to transform them, each had tensions around the individual, collective, artistic and therapeutic logics in the process of knowledge production.