Preston's Europeans: Italian lecturer at UCLan launches ‘Voices of Lancashire’ project to celebrate immigrants across the county

Lara Momesso from Italy, a senior lecturer on the University of Central Lancashire’s Asia Pacific Studies programme has launched a project celebrating immigrants in Lancashire, both for what they bring to the county but also for how they allow Lancashire’s districts to be seen in new lights.

Originally from a rural commune called Oderzo, with a population of only 20,000 people, Lara came to Preston five years ago, to work as a lecturer at UCLan, and in February, she launched her ‘Voices of Lancashire’ project, inspired by her own experiences in the city.

The project came about when Lara discovered Crowdfund Lancashire earlier this year. The scheme offers Lancastrians the opportunity to develop their own cultural or sport project, and if they crowdfund 50% of their goal amount, Lancashire County Council covers the rest.

Lara commented: “When I went to the first meeting, I thought this is an interesting opportunity, what could I do? I then said well, I already work on podcasts for the Northern Institute of Taiwan Studies at UCLan, I'm also Deputy Director of the Centre of Migration, Diaspora and Exile at UCLan, and I am an immigrant here myself so why not put all these features together and develop a podcast series of interviews with immigrants who now are in Lancashire.”

Currently still searching for funding, Voices of Lancashire will interview 12 immigrants from across the county’s 12 districts, posing the question Lara herself is often asked about Preston, “How come you are here?”

Lara, who lives in the area with her husband, said: “My main aim is to display the different stories that immigrants in Lancashire have as there are different kinds of immigrants. In the last few years, there has been a substantial debate about refugees, and these are part of those immigrants, but there are also other kinds, like me, living in this region, who would be happy to share their story.”

Lara came to Preston as part of her research career, following her passion for global studies, feminism and migration. Having completed a PhD at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, she travelled around the world for her research, before settling in Preston as a lecturer.

She is now integral to UCLan’s School of Humanities, Language & Global Studies, being a senior lecturer and module leader, as well as founding and co-directing The Centre for Migration, Diaspora and Exile, and the Northern Institute of Taiwan Studies, at the university.

Whilst Lara’s project allows immigrants to talk about their experiences in Lancashire, it also explores another way in which they contribute to their adopted homes, by attributing new meanings to a place.

Lara added: “We immigrants are part of Lancashire, we have turned it into our home, so the project explores Lancashire from the perspective of immigrants who have completely different experiences from the people born here.”

In Lara’s case, her presence in Preston allowed it to become a homely city, one providing “stability, permanence, and a job position which offered career development”, as it may do for others who come to the city for work.

Lara explained: “Preston is an important part of my life because my previous 20 years were full of mobility, I stayed in a place never more than one year, and I was tired of that lifestyle. When I arrived in Preston, there was a shift in my life from nomadic to stable.

“One of my first purchases as soon as I had my own apartment was a big, heavy rug. It took forever to carry it upstairs but to me, it represented this shift from little, inexpensive stuff to something more solid and that's what Preston ended up representing.

“The way you look at a place depends on which glasses you're wearing, and the fact that Preston allowed that stability which I was searching for meant, to me, it was the most beautiful place in the world.”

Lara’s arrival in the city also demonstrates Preston’s welcoming attitude; although she only moved here in 2017, she had previously been living in the South of England, and says “you see a difference in the way that people approach ‘the other’ in the North.”

Lara explained: “I remember the very first thing that happened to me when I was on the train to Preston, it was almost empty, and I was sitting in a corner on my own looking outside and this woman came on the train, sat next to me and started chatting. In other cultures it is quite common, but in the UK I was not used to this, and that really represents the way people are in Preston, they are open to others and will have a conversation with anyone.”

Despite Lara’s welcome reception in Preston, the final aim of Voices of Lancashire is “to promote intercultural exchange and awareness within this county”.

Lara explains “When I promoted it on different networks, on one network, I received quite negative feedback, which made me think that something like my project is needed. One person said ‘why do we need this? We already know everything about the immigrants who come here, they arrive, stay in hotels, and become a burden on taxpayers’, so repeating the story that immigrants are here to steal money, get benefits and abuse the system, and I felt well this is not me and it is not the people I know, and I know more immigrants than most people. I never replied to that guy, but, if I go ahead with the project, I'll reply and say maybe you do want to know our different stories and the different contributions we give to this place.

“It is important to break down those stereotypes. The way to make bridges is by sharing stories, thoughts, and emotions, and when you do, those strangers very often become more similar to you because at the end of the day, what they do is not very different from what someone that was born here can do.

“We write academic papers which most often stay within a very limited circle, but hopefully this project will have broader dissemination, broader impact.”

To donate to Lara’s project or to follow its updates, visit the Voices of Lancashire crowdfunding page.