GREAT NEWS! Dr James Hodkinson, School of Modern Languages and Cultures, has been awarded a substantial grant by the Warwick Impact Fund to continue his collaborative impact project. Not only is this a shot in the arm for the ongoing Two Chairs Creative Writing Competition, but it also means that James can plough ahead with his collaborations with local artists.

James will be working with local community arts group Soul City Arts,, based in Birmingham, in particular with British-Bangladeshi artist Mohammed Ali MBE and British-Iranian artist Mohsen Keiany. This team will engage with local community throughout 2018, conducting discussions, debates and interviews. These community voices will feed directly into a multi-media art installation which will include painting, light, sound and language to create an immersive environment. The installation will also seek to capture the responses of audience visitors and incorporate them into the experience. The installation will happen at various midlands gallery venues, as well as some open urban spaces, later in the year - and is likely to be on the move!

James said: “It’s so good that the university is seriously investing in this project - not just for me, but also for the whole region and its diverse communities. Only by working in a true collaborative way with the public can we really find a way of connecting what we do as academics with their lived experiences. Coming off the back of last week’s fantastic news that Coventry will be UK city of culture 2021, which will help extend the reach of my project, this marks a step change in my work. I’m awaiting next year's developments with baited breath!"

Since 2015, James's work has brought over £50 K into the School, drawn from both Warwick's Impact Fund and the Public Engagement Fund.