Two researchers receive Public Engagement Seed Fund

Families with a migrant background in The Netherlands usually want to integrate into the new country and preserve their own culture and values. As families spend more time in The Netherlands, their home language is gradually replaced by Dutch. However, research shows that multilingualism can be beneficial for children's emotional well-being and learning performance. Lucia Chisari and Mirona Moraru's team therefore organises workshops for the parents and carers of multilingual children with a migrant background living in The Hague South-West. Through the workshops, she wants to convey to parents how valuable the use of home languages can be. 

Researchers categorise the world in order to understand it better, but this pigeonholing also has drawbacks, especially for the human being placed in such a pigeonhole. Based on the work of researcher-artist Bart Lutters and psychiatrist Floortje Scheepers, the exhibition "More than your Label!" shows visitors at UMU (Utrecht University Museum) that every human being is a unique, multifaceted, colourful collage that cannot be reduced to a pigeonhole. Using collage portraits, visitors are encouraged to reflect on questions such as: how do I see myself? And how does this relate to how others see me? The exhibition appeals to visitors' imagination and shows them how art methods can be used in research and self-reflection.