Melina Mallos, a University of Melbourne lecturer in visual art education, will deliver a presentation titled “Communicating Identities in Digital Spaces: Greek Migrant Youth and New Media” at the Greek Centre on Thursday, March 21.
This lecture is part of the Greek History and Culture Seminars offered by the Greek Community of Melbourne.
‘Migrants navigate not just time zones but also languages, cultures, and relationships,” Mallos says, raising a thought-provoking question: “Is the spontaneous influence of new media truly beneficial for migrants seeking to maintain ties to their birth country?”
Through collaboration with eight migrant youths aged 18-24 living in Melbourne, Mallos explored the impact of new media on the identities of Greek migrant youths and its role in fostering a sense of belonging. These collaborative sessions online uncovered the complexities of identity performance and formation within online communities. As the a/r/tographer (artist/researcher/teacher) leading the study, Mallos visually captured their digital journeys through storyboarding.
This approach resonates with her arts practice as a children’s book author, where arranging text and images on a page is central to conveying meaning. Each storyboard she created for the research was a collage of words and photos contributed by the participants, reflecting both their experiences and her own identities.
The global COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on this research. Lockdown heightened the participants’ desire for connection during a time of isolation and prompted deep reflections on their migration journey, the vast physical distance from Greece, and the pandemic’s influence on their future plans regarding careers, social life, and personal interests.
This study highlighted the role of new media in mediating the adaptation to a new homeland and its value in fostering communities of belonging.
Mallos brings a wealth of experience to her research and teaching. Previously, she developed educational programs for educators, families, and schools in Australian museums, including the Museum of Chinese Australian History in Melbourne and the Queensland Art Gallery or Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) in Brisbane. She holds a Master of Education (Research) and a Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education. In 2010, she was awarded a three-month Queensland-Smithsonian Fellowship to explore object-based learning at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Mallos is also the author of a bilingual picture book, Catch that Cat!, in Greek and English. Her doctoral research, conducted during the global COVID-19 lockdown of 2020, delved into how Greek migrant youth in Melbourne communicate their identities through new media practices. She continues to lead arts-based workshops worldwide, exploring identity and belonging with Greek migrants.