Looking at British Sephardic Jews who seek Portuguese citizenship post-Brexit: A grounded theory visual arts-based research approach

Abstract

This study investigates how Grounded Theory (GT) can be intertwined with arts based practice in order to give artists a more rigorous methodological basis for generating theories. This approach is examined via a case study exploring the recent phenomenon of British Sephardic Jews who are applying for Portuguese citizenship in unprecedented numbers since the 2016 UK referendum initiating Brexit. This has been possible since the Portuguese and Spanish governments approved legislation addressing a period in their histories when Jews were expelled from the peninsula. There is limited research available on contemporary British Sephardic Jewish communities and no research on the effects of these recent national policies. Grounded Theory is occasionally used to evaluate art based projects; this is the first time GT and Visual Grounded Theory Methodology is used as an integral part of the creative process. The structure of this project is guided by arts-based research design. Similar multimedia installations include; Grada Kilomba's "Secrets to tell" and Melanie Gilligan's "Crisis in the Credit System". This interdisciplinary analysis aims to deepen the possibilities of socially engaged multimedia practice and our understanding of how Sephardic Jews are making sense of Brexit.