The PolMig team has been conducting the first phase of fieldwork in Malawi, Kenya, Liberia, and Ghana, kicking off 2026 with new perspectives, enriching encounters and research data. Interviews were primarily conducted with migration and theatre experts in all four countries. Additionally, two pilot theatre workshops were carried out in Kenya (April 2026) and Ghana (May 2026).
Fieldwork in Malawi was conducted between January and February 2026 and a total of 14 interviews were carried out by Sophia Stille. The research work spread across multiple locations including Lilongwe, Zomba, Blantyre, and Dzaleka Refugee Camp. In Liberia, fieldwork concentrated on the Monrovia region and was conducted in March 2026, resulting in a total of 25 interviews carried out by Franzisca Zanker and Sophia Stille. In Kenya a total number of 20 Interviews, four Focus Group Discussions and a three-day Theatre Workshop were carried out in Nairobi by Edwin Mutyenyoka and Constantin Herburger. Lastly, fieldwork in Ghana is still ongoing until the end of May, where numerous interviews and a theatre workshop have been carried out by Jamila Hamidu. We want to thank our partners and collaborators in all four countries who helped us with their knowledge, expertise, and networks to secure a good access to our fieldwork localities.
Reflecting on our experiences, the research aims of PolMig have concretised in terms of locations, research questions, and migrant communities we will focus on. Several fieldwork brainstorming sessions have shown how dynamics of belonging and political agency speak to each other, but also how contexts differ. This exchange lays the groundwork for our first publications we will work on during the next months.