BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Counterpoints - ECPv6.15.18//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Counterpoints X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Counterpoints REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/London BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20230326T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20231029T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20240331T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20241027T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20250330T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20251026T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20260329T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20261025T010000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250621T110000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250621T160000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111658 CREATED:20250616T100322Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250616T132908Z UID:10000523-1750503600-1750521600@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:V&A: Threads of Joy and Community DESCRIPTION:A day of family-friendly workshops and performances to celebrate Refugee Week\, inspired by themes of joy and small acts of kindness. \n  \n“you’re a man now\, boy”   by Isaac Ouro-Gnao\n13:00-13:20 and 15:00-15:20 at the Raphael Gallery\nyou’re a man now\, boy is a dance performance weaving hip hop\, contemporary\, and magical realism into an empathetic experience. Through voice and dynamic movement\, it explores the joy\, the hardship\, and the community found through the healing of mental health difficulties and trauma. \n\n\n\n\n  \nCollaging workshop with Community Arts Box\n\n11:00 – 16:00 at the Learning Centre\nFree drop in collaging workshop focussing on this years Refugee Week theme: Community as a Superpower \n\n\n\n\n\n  \nV&A have curated a day long of family friendly Refugee Week activities\, check out the full programme here: URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/va-threads-of-joy-and-community/ LOCATION:V&A\, Cromwell Rd\, London\, SW7 2RL CATEGORIES:Community & Participation,Refugee Week ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Threads-of-Joy-and-Community.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250620T150000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250620T170000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111658 CREATED:20250521T005742Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250521T005826Z UID:10000511-1750431600-1750438800@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Waymarkers with liz hingley DESCRIPTION:Join us for an afternoon gathering\, inspired by The Portland Global Friendship Group. \nWAYMARKERS showcases hundreds of personal glass prints made in The SIM Project workshops by people with roots in over 40 countries. The project uses the SIM card as a symbol of connection and a creative tool to bring people with different experiences of mobility together. On display for the first time is an elaborate jewellery piece inspired by The Portland Global Friendship Group and the international trade of Portland stone. \nProject team : Liz Hingley\, Egemen Kizilcan\, Frank Menger\, Sofie Boons. \nProgramme on the 20th June: \n3 pm – Tour of The Curiosity Cabinet exhibition \n@ 171 The Strand\, London\, WC2R \n3:45-5 pm – Activities and refreshments \n@ Exchange\, Bush House North East Wing\, Aldwych \, WC2B 4BG \nFree but please register HERE. \nLiz Hingley is an artist and anthropologist. Her interdisciplinary practice is informed by growing up in Birmingham\, a UK city home to over 180 nationalities\, and living across Europe and China. Blending photography\, sculpture and curation with a lot of conversation and exchange\, Liz seeks to illuminate systems and technologies of belonging and belief that connect people around the world. In the process she has authored five books. \nLiz founded The SIM Project in 2017 and has toured it to 8 countries. The growing collection of unique wearable artefacts made by participants in intimate workshops\, materialise and value stories of mobility and belonging through personal digital archives. The project was selected by London Design Festival 2024 and exhibited at V&A\, London. Liz is currently Honorary Artist at Migration Mobilities Bristol and a Leverhulme Doctoral Scholar on the Programme for Interdisciplinary Resilience Studies. She has also held positions at Kings College London (Digital Humanities)\, The Migration Research Centre\, University College London\, SOAS University (South Asia Institute) and the University of Austin\, Texas (Art History). Between 2013 and 2017 she lived in China as a visiting scholar at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences. \nEvent produced in collaboration with King’s College London. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/waymarkers-with-liz-hingley-and/ LOCATION:171 The Strand\, London\, WC2R CATEGORIES:Community & Participation,London Refugee Week ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Waymakers.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250618T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250618T210000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111658 CREATED:20250609T151001Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250609T151001Z UID:10000521-1750271400-1750280400@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Roundhouse Refugee Week Open Mic DESCRIPTION:Welcome to the Roundhouse Refugee Week Open Mic  event! Join us on Wed 18 Jun 2025 for an evening filled with creative performances and showcases \nWith this year’s Refugee Week theme “Community as a Superpower” we are celebrating creativity with various performances by young people from Community organisations in collaboration with the Roundhouse and groups and organisations working with young people with refugee backgrounds – Babylon Migrant Project\, Compass Collective\, New Citizen Gateway\, Young Roots and Phosphorus Theatre. Project supported by Our HeartBeats DJ project. \nThe event is a celebration of diversity and unity and presents the perfect opportunity to come together as a community. \nLet’s make this evening memorable and show support for refugees through the power of creativity and expression. See you there! \nMore info HERE! URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/roundhouse-refugee-week-open-mic/ LOCATION:Roundhouse\, Chalk Farm Road London NW1 8EH CATEGORIES:Community & Participation,Music,Refugee Week ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/https___cdn.evbuc_.com_images_1046422583_2620137984591_1_original.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250614 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250623 DTSTAMP:20260526T111658 CREATED:20250512T062337Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250512T073842Z UID:10000499-1749859200-1750636799@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:You Look as Though You Might Be a Relation DESCRIPTION:As part of the Counterpoints Moomin 80 commissions for Refugee Week\, Gloucester Guildhall presents You Look as Though You Might Be a Relation by Dana Olărescu. \nFull details \nGloucester Docks \n“Hello there!” cried Moomintroll through the storm\, to show that he was not afraid. “Hello\, hello\,” said the sea-troll. “You look as though you might be a relation”. \nA floating installation by socially engaged artist Dana Olărescu invites us to reflect on how we welcome newcomers to our city\, and form bonds beyond blood ties. Throughout the week\, the raft will travel to various locations\, with a special launch and a culminating live performance. Join us as we explore belonging\, family\, and community in new and unexpected ways. \nThe installation has been co-commissioned and co-produced by Counterpoints Arts and Gloucester Guildhall\, made possible by the support of Moomin Characters Ltd. in celebration of 80 years since the publication of the first Moomin story. \nSite 1 – Sat 14 – Tue 18 Jun \nSite 2 – Tue 18 – Wed 19 Jun \nSite 3 – Thu 20 – Sat 22 Jun \nOnto the Water\nDate and time TBA \nNational Waterways Museum\, Gloucester Docks \nFree\, no booking required \nCome down and take a look at the raft installation as we witness it setting sail\, carrying stories of welcome across the water. A one-of-a-kind moment of adventure awaits. \nMoonlit Arrival\nFri 20 Jun\, 6pm & 7pm \nNorth Quay Docks\, Gloucester Docks \nAs the moon rises\, the Moomin raft will embark on its final journey across the docks. Gather by the water and let the melodies of local artist Zariq Rosita-Hanif float to you on the evening breeze\, carried from the raft beneath the midsummer sky. \nFor those who wish to get closer\, a limited number of special tickets will allow you to row out and experience the music up close. Bring your nightlights and join us for a serene and magical farewell as the raft drifts gently into the night. \nMoomin Picnic \nSat 21 Jun\, 12pm – 6pm \nKings Square \nJoin us for a Moomin-style picnic to mark the finale of a fantastic week of city-wide events for Refugee Week\, part of the Moomins’ 80th-anniversary celebrations. \nIn response to Dana Olărescu’s floating installation in the docks: You Look as Though You Might be a Relation\, the day will celebrate community as a superpower and welcome as a core part of our city’s identity. \nEnjoy delicious free tasters\, engaging activities\, and music from around the world. Bring a picnic – and a small welcoming gift for a stranger. \nWelcome Chorus \nSat 14 & Sat 21 Jun 11am – 5pm\, Tue 17 – Fri 20 Jun 12pm – 2pm and 5pm – 8pm \nRed Isaac\, Senior Producer\, Gloucester Guildhall\, said: “As a dock city\, welcoming people seeking sanctuary is built into our story. There is huge pride in this heritage\, and the theme of welcoming people features prominently in the work of communities and arts organisations across the city\, recognising the transformative and rich contributions of all the cultures that make up Gloucester. The story of welcome\, belonging and safety at the heart of the Moomins chime perfectly with Gloucester Guildhall and city’s values. We are delighted to explore and celebrate these important themes in this project with Moomin Characters and Counterpoint Arts.” \nGloucester Guildhall \nWe will transform our Gallery and Chamber Cinema space into a pop-up book-style welcome. Experience an immersive light and sound installation by Squidsoup & Vilk Collective Welcome Chorus which echoes songs of welcome\, belonging and overcoming adversity gathered from communities across Gloucester. Let the soothing melodies and glowing orbs wrap you in a blanket of harmony and comfort in our warm space/snug. \nMoomins on Film \nSat 7 Jun \nGloucester Guildhall \nMoomins On the Riviera (U)\, 11am \nThe Moomins set sail for the Riviera\, where\, after a journey fraught with storms and desert island dangers\, Snorkmaiden is dazzled by the attentions of a playboy and Moomintroll learns that jealousy’s sting is the most painful of all. \nTOVE (12A)\, 2pm \nA captivating drama about the creator of the Moomins\, her iconic talent and her turbulent search for identity\, desire and freedom. \nMoomin ABC \nSat 29 Mar – Sun 5 Oct \nMuseum of Gloucester \nSettle down for an hour to explore the magic world of the Moomins with your family and immerse yourself in the adventures of Moominmamma\, Sniff\, Stinky\, Little My\, Hodgkins\, Snufkin and Snorkmaiden! \nThe Moomin Gift Shop \nUntil Oct \nMuseum of Gloucester \nFind beautiful gifts\, Tove Jansson prints and cards\, official Moomin merchandise\, and limited edition Moomin 80 items at the Pop-up Moomin Gift Shop at Museum of Gloucester\, open Tue-Sun every week. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/you-look-as-though-you-might-be-a-relation/ LOCATION:Gloucester Guildhall\, 23 Eastgate Street\, Gloucester\, GL1 1NS\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Community & Participation,Refugee Week,Visual Arts ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MoominsBoat.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250523T130000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250523T180000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111658 CREATED:20250423T141007Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250502T081037Z UID:10000491-1748005200-1748023200@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Stitch and Care DESCRIPTION:This half day workshop (1-5pm) on Friday 23 rd May with artists Lynn Setterington & Jill Eastland and Oldham Library and is an afternoon of knowledge exchange around textiles\, displacement and mental health as part of Creativity and Wellbeing Week. \nIt takes place at the Fashion and Textile Museum in the studio where Lynn Setterington’s stitched cloths and quilts are currently on display. The session explores how libraries\, smaller museums\, and community organisations can engage audiences using creative outreach to improve and aid mental health. Using the 5 Ways to Wellbeing\, connect\, be active\, take notice\, keep learning & give\, the event is a partnership with Counterpoints Arts and the Fashion and Textile Museum\, London. \nPlease email tom@counterpoints.org.uk to reserve a free place. The event is open to all\, regardless of previous experience. \n1-1.10pm Welcome\n1.10 – 2.10pm Lynn Setterington’s visual talk showcases some of her key projects and partnership work and details how she uses stitch\, textile archives and folk art to create artworks with and for refugee communities.\n2.10 – 2.40pm – Oldham Libraries staff and volunteers talk about creative community engagement work and the value of Speak English classes\n2.40 – 3pm Tea break\n3 -3.50pm Collaborative stitch session\n3.50 – 4.30pm An interactive\, participatory and performative discussion with artist and activist Jill Eastland.\n4.30 – 5pm Q + A – suggestions /ideas\n5 – 6pm Time to look round the  Art of Mankind exhibition \nLynn Setterington is an internationally recognised textile artist. Her work explores contemporary issues and how stitch can be used to commemorate people and communities. Her quilts and cloths are held in many major public museums including the V&A\, Crafts Council\, IQSC and Whitworth Art Gallery. Born in Yorkshire\, she trained at Goldsmith’s College. Her PhD is from UCA Farnham. She a Senior Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University. \nJill Eastland is an activist artist and a survivor of mixed heritage. Her work explores themes of social and climate justice. She favours community based and collaborative working practices. She often employs multiples; to create a more detailed discussion of a theme and she tends to produce open-ended bodies of work\, as well as finished pieces. Her work is often very detailed and can contain elements of realism and abstraction together. Participants will be invited to wear the uniforms of low-paid and precarious workers\, particularly the ubiquitous dark blue tabard. These uniforms mark people out as different and yet at the same time render them invisible. They are often worn by people who are marginalised and discriminated against including Migrants\, Refugees\, Black People\, Women and People who have Disabilities. Together\, we will explore the mental health ramifications of the low pay and poor working conditions that people wearing these uniforms encounter daily. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nTextiles: The Art of Mankind at the Fashion and Textile Museum celebrates the ancient and deep entanglement between textiles\, people and our world. Through the beauty of textiles\, you will encounter human ingenuity that can be traced from pre-history to our digital age. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/stitch-and-care/ LOCATION:Fashion and Textile Museum\, 83 Bermondsey St\, London\, SE1 3XF\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Community & Participation,Creativity & Wellbeing Week,Mental Health,Textiles ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Oldham-work.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250523 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250602 DTSTAMP:20260526T111658 CREATED:20250121T121828Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250501T153317Z UID:10000473-1747958400-1748822399@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Moomin 80 at Southbank Centre DESCRIPTION:“The Door is Always Open” \nJourney into the marvellous world of the Moomins and discover the famous sights of Moominvalley brought to life at Southbank Centre by the Woodland Tribe and their little helpers ahead of Refugee Week. \nVisit the Moominhouse with its collection of paintings and furniture that fill the house from floor to ceiling\, and take a trip to the Pier\, the Bridge and the Bathing House in a special Moomin staycation. \nWoodland Tribe go all over the UK promoting adventure play and child lead building. You may have seen their work at the Tate Modern\, Compton Verney Art Gallery or leading UK festivals like Glastonbury or Shambala. \nThis installation is co-commissioned and co-produced by Counterpoints Arts and the Southbank Centre\, made possible by the support of Moomin Characters Ltd. in celebration of 80 years since the publication of the first Moomin story. \nIt is one of our four public art commissions for Moomin 80 during Refugee Week. \nFeaturing: \n23 – 26 May: The Build (with invited young people)\n27 May – 1 June Moomin 80 Open House : Explore Woodland Tribe’s Moominhouse by the Thames\n27 May – 1 June Moomin 80 Play\, Make\, Dream :Children\, bring your parents\, carers\, grandparents and everyone in between to help out on this big build.\n28 – 30 May From Afghan Valleys to Moominvalley with Nabil Amin : Printmaking to help decorate the Moomin house\n1 June 12 noon\, Moomin 80: Everybody Is Welcome! : Music\, storytelling and a party fit for Moominvalley \nRead more about our collaboration with Moomin 80 for Refugee Week\, featuring four new public art commissions. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/moomin-80-at-southbank-centre/ LOCATION:Riverside Terrace\, Southbank Centre\, London SE1 8XZ\, Southbank Centre\, London\, SE1 8XZ\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Community & Participation,Refugee Week ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Moomin-Blue-House.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250308T170000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250308T200000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111658 CREATED:20250213T152443Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250305T130342Z UID:10000478-1741453200-1741464000@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:About Us! Artists' Scratch Showcase DESCRIPTION:Image by Paul Gilbey\, of Charlotte Gosling performing as part of Awate’s About Us: Scratch Showcase  event\, Southbank Centre\, Refugee Week 2023\n  \nGet a glimpse behind the curtain of creativity as six artists take to the floor to share new works in progress in celebration of International Women’s Day. \nAudiences are invited to give feedback and ask questions in a safe\, communal space to help lift up artists. The performances are interwoven with poetry and hosted by curator and Lead Scratch Artist Awate. \nAll artists chosen for this Scratch Showcase are women or non-binary people\, and two special guest artists perform as part of our futuretense gig series supporting emerging artists. \nThis event is open to all audiences wanting to experience work in its initial stages of development\, and applications to present work were open to artists aged over 18 from a global majority background (or tackling the subjects of diaspora and migration)\, whether you’re a writer\, musician\, dancer\, filmmaker\, designer or anything in between. \nArtists presenting works-in-progress are Oishi Dutta\, Chakira Alin\, Shivani Sen\, Natsuko Yonezawa\, Alex Bertulis-Fernandes\, Torera Sotinwa. \nThis Scratch is hosted by Awate and Ornella Mutoni\, Filmmaker and Counterpoints’ PopChange Producer. \nIn the past we have had films inspired by Greek mythology\, stylists presenting their original textile designs\, stand up comedy\, powerful rap music\, innovative piano performances and short plays reflecting on the trans experience. \nAfter presenting at our Scratch event\, artists have gone on to embark on their first UK music tours\, had their short films presented at the BFI London Film Festival\, secured options from high-profile TV production companies\, started their own regular comedy nights and found lasting connections with other artists in the audience or presenting alongside them. \nThis Scratch Showcase is a collaboration between Awate\, Counterpoints Arts and the Southbank Centre. Book your tickets here. \nAbout artists: \nOishi Roy Dutta (b. 2000) is a multi-medium artist and art-director based between London and New Delhi. Oishi‘s work explores the complexities of human experience in an evolving technological landscape\, examining ocular politics\, ethnicity\, modern myths\, and contemporary “human artifacts.” A Fine Arts graduate from Delhi University’s College of Art (2022)\, she has worked with The Nourishment Project’s opera NIRAKAR\, luxury jeweler Sunita Shekhawat\, and  India Art Fair\, apart from various other creative projects with emerging musicians and fashion houses. Blending visual storytelling with conceptual depth\, she investigates multi-dimensional existence in an exceedingly complicated socio-political landscape. Oishi is currently pursuing an MA in Contemporary Art Practice at the Royal College of Art. \nChakira Alin (she/her) is a writer\, actor and filmmaker from the East End of London\, making work with her production company Quite the Cowboy. Chakira recently completed her latest short film\, THE PILGRIMAGE\, and is currently in pre-production for the SUNNY SIDE UP film adaptation. She is a triple Capricorn. \nBorn and raised in New Delhi\, India\, Shivani is a multi-disciplinary artist\, singer-songwriter\, author and composer whose work weaves together genres\, cultural identities\, and emotions. Her work aims to break tradition-based boundaries and is inspired by a blend of storytelling\, aesthetics\, and spirituality. Shivani has trained in Hindustani Classical music for twenty years and performs regularly in India and London. With her debut release\, Shivani has merged the Indian classical world with indie pop\, and has featured on NTS Radio and on BBC Introducing Asian Network as their Artist of the Week. Shivani is also a poet with her debut poetry book To the Homes that We Are sold internationally and read at festivals and exhibitions and shared in universities in the UK. Today\, she is accompanied by Vishnu Vijayan on the tabla and Theo Archer on the bass. Following their recent performance at the Indian High Commission and at the SOAS concert series\, Shivani Vishnu and Theo are bringing a contemporary rendition of Indian classical music\, with storytelling and poetry enhancing the creative practice. \nNatsuko is a Japanese-Australian live performance director and digital scenographer currently pursuing a Masters in Design for Performance and Interaction at UCL. Natsuko‘s work draws on psychological and sociological research\, along with a deep interest in biomimetic architecture\, to create immersive experiences. Integrating emerging technologies with dance\, physical theatre\, sound\, lighting design\, and architecture\, they craft multi sensory environments that push the boundaries of live performance. Natsuko is fundamentally interested in the complexity of human beings and why we behave the way we do as we all navigate the world in fascinatingly distinct ways. \nAlex Bertulis-Fernandes is a stand-up and writer. Alex won the British Comedy Guide Pro Award for Performance. Alex was a Channel 4 Sean Lock Comedy Award Finalist\, Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year Finalist\, and BBC New Comedy Awards Nominee. Her jokes have featured in The Guardian and The Telegraph. Alex wrote material for ITV’s Piglets\, BBC Radio 4’s Dead Ringers\, The Now Show and The News Quiz\, and for several upcoming films. Alex went viral for her response to being told to “dial down the feminism.” She’s working with Clapperboard Studios on a sitcom set in a psychiatric ward.  \nBy day\, Torera is a lawyer—but when the sun sets\, she transforms into a dynamic dancer\, poet\, and writer. Torera believes in the healing power of artistic expression and is on a mission to make creativity accessible to everyone – from seasoned artists to buttoned-up lawyers in corporate offices. Because art belongs to us all.  With a passion for storytelling through movement and words\, Torera has choreographed and produced a short dance film\, performed on world-renowned stages like the Bloomsbury Theatre\, and is now curating her own Artists’ Showcase on March 15th. Her work blends movement\, poetry\, and sound to create an immersive experience that pulls you deep into her world. In her upcoming performance\, she will explore how romantic relationships serve as mirrors\, forcing us to confront the hardest truths about ourselves. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/about-us-artists-scratch-showcase-3/ LOCATION:Clore Ballroom\, Southbank Centre\, Belvedere Road\, London\, SE1 8XX CATEGORIES:Community & Participation,Multi-Art Form ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/refugee-week-2023-8394.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250114T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250424T233000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111658 CREATED:20250123T002443Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250123T002443Z UID:10000474-1736881200-1745537400@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Our HeartBeats: Empowering Through DJing and Mentorship DESCRIPTION:We’re excited to unveil the next chapter of our transformative initiative\, Our HeartBeats\, spearheaded by Lead Artist and producer/DJ Kensaye alongside Counterpoints’ Senior Producer Dijana Rakovic. Designed to empower individuals from sanctuary-seeking backgrounds\, the programme embarks on its next phase with a fresh curriculum that brings together creativity\, community and mental health support\, and of course DJing skills. \nWhat’s New in 2025\nBuilding on a year of achievements\, workshop & performances and expanding collaborations\, Our HeartBeats will welcome six participants to take part in a bespoke new curriculum. The programme combines DJ theory insights with practical experience\, equipping participants with the skills to carve out their DJ identity\, master technical proficiency\, explore mental health and wellbeing\, producing and the art of collaboration. \nAt its heart\, Our HeartBeats and the refreshed curriculum have been envisioned as a collaborative space. Here\, participants will not only learn but actively co-design the journey. The cohort will play an integral role in shaping decisions\, and working together to ensure the project reflects their voices\, needs\, and creativity. This cooperative approach is key to creating a truly inclusive and empowering experience. \nHighlights of the 2025 Programme\n\nJanuary: A thorough exploration of DJing fundamentals\, including creating unique playlists\, navigating music platforms\, and understanding contracts.\nFebruary: Hands-on workshops at Southbank Centre\, covering everything from beatmatching and playlist curation to crafting performance strategies.\nMarch: Advanced sessions focused on live performance techniques\, audience engagement\, and refining technical mastery.\nApril: A broadcast training session\, led by DJ and producer Gaby D’Annunzio\, guiding participants on delivering live sets and managing radio shows.\nApril: Performance.\nFrom April: TBC a residency at Southbank Centre.\n\nWe continue to collaborate with our partners at Compass Collective\, Babylon Project and Southbank Centre. We are also setting up new partnerships as we speak\, and look forward to working with previous collaborators such as DJ and Producer\, Mahnoor. \nLooking Further Ahead\nOur HeartBeats embodies a vision rooted in sustainability and long-term impact. Beyond equipping participants with DJing expertise\, the initiative aspires to nurture a supportive\, self-sustaining community of mentors. Each year\, programme alumni will have the chance to inspire and guide the next generation\, creating a ripple effect of creativity and empowerment. \nSpotlight on Kensaye\nAs the Lead Artist of Our HeartBeats\, Kensaye brings his extensive experience as a celebrated producer and DJ to the fore. Known for his signature blend of soulful beats and contemporary influences\, Kensaye’s artistry celebrates resilience and creative expression. His leadership offers participants a genuine and inspiring entry into the world of music. \nBe Part of the Journey\nWe invite you to follow the growth of Our HeartBeats as it develops over the coming months. Keep an eye out for updates on performances\, new collaborations\, and more as we continue to practice the transformative power of music\, and DJing. \nTogether\, with our talented cohort of new DJs and our growing audience\, we’re amplifying voices\, building creative and life skills\, and nurturing wellbeing through the universal language of music. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/our-heartbeats-empowering-through-djing-and-mentorship/ LOCATION:Counterpoints Arts\, Southbank Centre and Worldwide Radio CATEGORIES:Community & Participation,Music ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/IMG_5691.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20241215T180000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20241215T210000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111658 CREATED:20241112T183443Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250128T142511Z UID:10000469-1734285600-1734296400@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:About Us! Artists' Scratch Showcase DESCRIPTION:Come to our next Scratch Showcase and support artists presenting their exciting work-in-progress!! \nWhen: 15th December\, from 6pm \nWhere: Clore Ballroom\, Royal Festival Hall\, Southbank Centre\, London\, SE1 8XX \nFree entry! \nCalling all artists and creatives looking for a safe space to share your ideas! Come along to our showcase for inspiration\, connection and encouragement. Scratch is led by Awate. \nWhether or not you’re ready to embrace the name ‘artist’\, if you’re making work or thinking about it\, this event is for you. \nSign up HERE (by 22nd December) to present your work (or work in progress) and engage in discussions with a room full of like-minded artistic experimenters. \nMusic\, film\, comedy\, drama\, improv\, visual art\, fashion and everything in between is welcome: in the past we’ve had films inspired by Greek mythology\, stylists presenting their original textile designs\, stand up comedy and short plays reflecting on the trans experience. \nOur artists are: \nShubhan Iyer / music\nShanmukha Priya Mohan / archives\nali akhtar / fashion\nDavy Lazare / film\nYafei Zheng / theatre\nImisi Peletu -/music\n\nIf you haven’t been to our Scratch event before\, they are exciting\, supportive\, needed networking spaces aimed at artists and people with Global Majority Heritage. Come and witness the developing projects and practices\, offer advice and meet interesting people. \n‘It’s a wholly unique way to connect with your audience; I learned more about how audiences engage with my work at this event than I have for any other performance!’ – Laith Elzubaidi\, writer/filmmaker. \nApplications close at midnight\, Friday 22 November. \nVenue is The Clore Ballroom\, located inside Southbank Centre Royal Festival Hall on Level 2. \nFree entry! \nScratch is led by Awate\, supported by Counterpoints. This Scratch event is co-produced with Southbank Centre. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/about-us-artists-scratch-showcase-2/ LOCATION:Clore Ballroom\, Southbank Centre\, Belvedere Road\, London\, SE1 8XX CATEGORIES:Community & Participation,Multi-Art Form ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/MCH_1VA1675-Counterpoints-RW2022-559.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20241204T113000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20241204T123000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111658 CREATED:20241120T094433Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241120T094433Z UID:10000471-1733311800-1733315400@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Sounds Like Home Choir @ Hoxton Hall DESCRIPTION:Join us for a relaxed performance by the Sounds Like Home Choir. \nWhere: Hoxton Hall\, 130 Hoxton St\, London N1 6SH \nWhen: 4th December\, 11.30am \nNo reservations required. \nSounds Like Home is an international women’s choir meeting weekly in Hoxton. The group was started in January 2024 at the Museum of the Home as a legacy project of Kadir Karababa’s One Song\, a video installation which was created and exhibited at the museum in 2022 that was co-commissioned by Counterpoints Arts. \nSet up by Ellen Muriel\, who also worked on One Song\, the Sounds Like Home Choir creates space for self-defining ‘international women’ of Hackney to exchange\, teach and sing songs they connect and associate with places they’ve called home. \nThe project was commissioned by Counterpoints and is currently supported by the Cultural Hackney Fund. \nRead more about the Sounds Like Home Choir \nIf you would like to speak  further about the Sounds Like Home Choir\, discuss booking the choir to perform at an event\, or have any ideas or information that would be helpful in securing future funding\, you can get in touch with: \nEllen Muriel\, choir leader\, at: Ellen.muriel6@gmail.com \nOr Asha Wilson\, project assistant\, at: Ashaesmewilson@yahoo.co.uk URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/sounds-like-home-choir-hoxton-hall/ LOCATION:Hoxton Hall\, 130 Hoxton Street\, London\, N1 6SH CATEGORIES:Community & Participation,Music ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Screen-Shot-2024-11-20-at-09.42.24.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240907T140000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240907T153000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111658 CREATED:20240905T001631Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240905T001734Z UID:10000460-1725717600-1725723000@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Acts of love and solidarity: Practice sharing with Dhaqan Collective and b-side festival DESCRIPTION:b-side is collaborating on Counterpoints Arts’ second gathering of womxn artists\, practitioners\, researchers\, producers and educators.\n\nHappening alongside b-side Festival\, the gathering’s primary aim is to continue to cultivate values of community-building\, solidarity\, resilience\, and to propose different forms and best practices of supporting and commissioning artists. \nDhaqan Collective’s ‘House of Weaving Songs’ is presented as part of the Festival. Starting with Dhaqan’s intersectional practice of honouring Somali heritage and the role of Somali women\, other practitioners in the Counterpoints Arts’ womxn gathering will contribute to the public conversation by sharing their own practices and experiences. The conversation will convey the urgency of climate justice challenges on the communities we work with; the need to amplify the voices and agency of womxn artists and activists\, working at the intersection of arts\, climate and displacement; explore forms of decolonising\, gathering and cooperating. \ndhaqan collective is a Somali feminist art collective led by Ayan Cilmi and Fozia Ismail. Their practice seeks to find ways of building imaginative futures that support Somali people in the UK and in East Africa to resist threats over our cultural heritage. Cilmi and Ismail are Spike Island Studio holders and Pervasive Media Studio residents in Bristol. \nb-side is an internationally recognised and locally loved arts organisation that both embodies and enriches its place of origin – the Isle of Portland in Dorset. The island is the beating heart that inspires b-side’s work\, but their projects and opportunities extend all over Dorset and beyond. b-side works with and commission artists who are as excited by the bigger picture as the smallest detail. Their current ‘Common Lands’ programme regards Portland as a microcosm to explore relationships to and with land. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/acts-of-love-and-solidarity-practice-sharing-with-dhaqan-collective-and-b-side-festival/ LOCATION:Old Engine Shed Incline Rd\, Grove\, Portland DT5 1DB\, UK CATEGORIES:Community & Participation ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/b-side-53201614480_9bc474498b_c-e1721143628145.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240811T130000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240811T170000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111658 CREATED:20240806T142440Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240808T135734Z UID:10000451-1723381200-1723395600@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Acting with Love & Solidarity at Southbank Centre - with Tasnim Mahdy and Riwa Saab DESCRIPTION:On the final day of Counterpoints Arts’ weekend you are invited to join artist Tasnim Mahdy in a collaborative workshop exploring themes of memory\, archives and re-emerging narratives through cyanotypes – a type of artwork made using the UV rays of the sun to create unique pieces of textiles. \nThen end the day experiencing a performance by Riwa Saab\, reflecting on the life of Syrian singer Asmahan\, whose life and legacy are told through music\, words and movement. \nRiwa Saab is a cross-disciplinary artist who works with space\, sound and words. Through braiding together the crafts of theatre\, poetry and music\, she explores the diasporic experience of building cultural bridges\, unpacks generational and familial baggage\, and creates space for pockets of joy. \nAsmahan: An Unbridled Voice by Riwa Saab is a multidisciplinary performance piece exploring the secrets\, truths and fallacies that get spun into gossip\, the inseparability of art and politics\, and a woman’s insistence on liberation. These themes are unravelled through the journey of Asmahan\, the Syrian singer who reached great heights with her enigmatic voice and captivating presence\, all while challenging the barriers of both colonialism and tradition. \nSchedule\n1pm – 5.30pm: cyanotype workshop with Tasnim Mahdy\n5.30pm – 6pm: performance of Asmahan: An Unbridled Voice by Riwa Saab \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThis summer\, Southbank Centre is collaborating with a range of London-based collectives and organisations to curate the Riverside Stage in response to the theme of our season\, You Belong Here\, enabling these collaborators to welcome different audiences and recognise how they want and choose to belong at the Southbank Centre. See our events pages for the rest of the weekend’s programme. \nImage: Shona Goolab\, Refugee Week at Yorkton Workshops URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/tasnim-mahdy-acting-with-love-solidarity-at-southbank-centre/ LOCATION:Riverside Terrace\, Level 2\, Southbank Centre\, London\, SE1 8XZ\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Community & Participation,Sustainability & Climate Justice ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/MG_8524.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240809T173000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240809T220000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111658 CREATED:20240806T140107Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240806T190335Z UID:10000450-1723224600-1723240800@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Counterpoints Arts: Our HeartBeats at Southbank centre DESCRIPTION:Feel the community beat at a free outdoor event bringing together emerging and established DJs with young refugee DJs\, in collaboration with DJ Kensaye. \nOur HeartBeats is a community club night produced in collaboration with DJ Kensaye\, with a focus on art\, heart and community – and dancing! \nEmerging and established DJs and performers take to the stage alongside a group of young refugees perfecting their DJing skills. Five of the Our HeartBeats project DJs are performing along Kensaye and Cal Jader. \nKensaye is a Paris-born\, London-based music producer\, percussionist and DJ\, with Haitian and American roots. He has a broad musical style\, ranging from Afrobeats\, pop\, dancehall\, reggaeton\, global bass\, hip-hop and neo soul\, and blends those influences to create unique pieces that are both progressive and radio-friendly. \nKensaye produces for major and independent artists around the world\, creating originals and remixes for acclaimed musicians such as Falz\, M.anifest\, Speech Debelle and Homeboy Sandman. \nHe also composes music for cinema and TV\, with placements in a BAFTA-winning feature film\, documentaries\, adverts and a Netflix series. \nCounterpoints is producing Our Heartbeats in collaboration with a number of artists and organisations in our network\, including Compass Collective\, Mahnoor Hussain\, Gabriella D’Annunzio\, also Roundhouse\, Play for Progress and Babylon Project. We have been holding regular workshops with a group of six young DJs\, exploring DJing as an artform\, as well as reflecting on the ideas of collaboration and wellbeing. \nThis summer\, Southbank Centre is collaborating with a range of London-based collectives and organisations to curate the Riverside Stage in response to the theme of our season\, You Belong Here\, enabling these collaborators to welcome different audiences and recognise how they want and choose to belong at the Southbank Centre. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/counterpoints-arts-our-heartbeats-at-southbank-centre/ LOCATION:Riverside Terrace\, Southbank Centre\, London SE1 8XZ\, Southbank Centre\, London\, SE1 8XZ\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Community & Participation,Music ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/kensaye.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240806T200000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240806T210000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111658 CREATED:20240806T174553Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240806T190456Z UID:10000452-1722974400-1722978000@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Mixed Hour on Foundation FM - Our HeartBeats DJs with DJ Mahnoor DESCRIPTION:Tune into Our HeartBeats DJs\, Shaden and Maria\, doing their first ever radio mix\, on Foundation FM. They are speaking with Mahnoor Hussain (@140bpmahns) about our upcoming event at Southbank Centre\, about the Our HeartBeats workshops and they share their ‘favourite radio snack’. \nOur HeartBeats is a new project\, led by Kensaye\, produced by Counterpoints Arts. It is supported by a number of partners\, including Compass Collective\, Babylon Project and Play for Progress\, DJs Mahnoor and Gabrilla D’Annunzio\, institutions Roundhouse and Southbank Centre. The current group of six young DJs have been working with Kensaye\, supported by Mahnoor and Gabriella\, in regular workshops at Roundhouse and Southbank Centre\, learning DJ skills\, collaboration\, performance and strategies for self-care. \nListen on Foundation.fm\, from 8pm. \nFoundation FM is a broadcasting platform\, with a mission to showcase the hottest emerging talent in the underground music. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/mixed-hour-on-foundation-fm-our-heartbeats-djs-with-dj-mahnoor/ CATEGORIES:Community & Participation,Music ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Screenshot_20240806_184131_WhatsApp.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240707T093000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240729T170000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111658 CREATED:20240705T103827Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144312Z UID:10000447-1720344600-1722272400@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:One Song in Medway DESCRIPTION:One Song is a multiscreen video installation\, by artist Kadir Karababa\, about the power of songs that connect us to our roots. \nIt will be exhibited at the The Halpern Gallery at Nucleus Arts\, Chatham from 6th to 28th July 2024.\nThe official opening of the exhibition is from 3.30-5.30pm on Saturday 6th July\, forming part of the Chatham Carnival celebrations. \nhttps://www.nucleusarts.com/halpern-onesong \nThe work examines how songs are carried across borders and continents and yet remain firmly rooted in the places they were first sung. It asks how migrant communities can\, through the experience of singing\, be transported back to the places they left behind. \nCommissioned by Counterpoints Arts and conceived by artist Kadir Karababa\, it has engaged women from the diverse migrant communities of Medway. \nOne Song in Medway is made possible thanks to public funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England\, and with support from Medway Council and Nucleus Arts. \nParticipants were recruited through a series of community workshops across Medway in May and June 2024.\nAmong those taking part were women from Medway based community groups including Medway African and Caribbean Association\, Medway Adult Education\, Medway Libraries\, Luton Primary School and Medway Interfaith Action.\nWorkshop attendees were invited to sing one song that reminded them of the place they first called home. \nA final group of 12 local migrant and refugee women were then filmed to be part of the installation to be exhibited at Nucleus Arts from 6th July. \nArtist Kadir Karababa says:\n“Folk and traditional songs the world over deal with the same universal themes: love\, life\, death\, loss\, connection to place and the earth. \n“By asking women from migrant communities to share their songs\, the piece seeks to make visible the interconnectedness of us all and how\, despite the surface differences of race\, religion\, language and culture\, we are all ultimately singing the same song.” \nGenevieve Tullberg\, for Nucleus Arts\, says: \n“For over 20 years Nucleus has championed creativity as a tool to enhance people’s lives in Medway. We are thrilled to support One Song in Medway\, an artwork which celebrates diversity and stimulates social inclusion\, health and wellbeing. \n“We are proud to have hosted the final workshops that led to the making of One Song at Nucleus Arts\, and now the installation itself in our Halpern Gallery.” \nAdam Bryan\, Medway Council’s Director of Place\, says: \n“Our Culture and Libraries service is delighted to have worked with Kadir and Counterpoints Arts on a project that has brought so many together to share\, connect and sing. This project has allowed Medway’s diverse migrant communities to express themselves and their experiences through art – giving them the opportunity to feel seen and find connection. We look forward to seeing this fantastic installation at Nucleus Arts.” \nTom Green\, for Counterpoints Arts\, says: \n“We’re an arts organisation that works nationally and internationally and have worked with partners in Kent and Medway a number of times in recent years. \n“Kadir’s project gets right to the heart of our interest in connecting people across communities through the arts\, finding the things in common about migration and displacement that can inspire and move us all.” \nAbout the Artist \nKadir’s practice mixes socio-political engagement and personal exploration\, delving into the complexities of identity\, individual and collective memory. He draws inspiration from his lived experience\, as well as from broader cultural and historical contexts. \nThrough a diverse range of mediums including sculpture\, painting\, printmaking\, audio-visual work\, and installation\, he wants to make multi-dimensional work which is unashamedly sentimental and provokes reflection.\nHe is influenced by his multicultural background\, as he was born in London in 1985 and has mixed Turkish\, English\, and Cypriot heritage. Kadir lives and works in Hackney\, London and draws inspiration from his surroundings\, the diverse communities that shape the city and his own family’s story of migration. \nBy exploring the intersections of his queer\, working class\, migrant identities and broader socio-political issues\, he strives to create art that sparks conversations and invites viewers to bridge the gap between the personal and the universal\, encouraging dialogue and understanding in an increasingly complex world.\nAbout Nucleus Arts \nNucleus Arts is the Award Winning flagship arts organisation founded by the Halpern Charitable Foundation. The Foundation was the brainchild of the late Hilary Halpern whose dream was to promote the Arts in Medway and Kent. Nucleus Arts has become the cultural and creative heart of Kent & Medway since it was founded in 2002\, and focuses on affordability\, accessibility and excellence in the Arts. \nCredits\nOne Song is conceived and created by Kadir Karababa\nkadirkarababa@live.co.uk\nkadirkarababa.com\nwww.instagram.com/kadkarababa \nProducer: Vanessa Stone \nWorkshop Co-facilitator and Vocal Coach: Dani Osoba Producer for Counterpoints Arts: Tom Green \nLighting and Camera: Giorgia Young \nGraphic Design: Salina \nSet Construction: Anchor Signmakers \nGallery Manager\, for Nucleus Arts: Genevieve Tullberg URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/one-song-in-medway/ LOCATION:Nucleus Arts\, 272 High St\, Chatham\, ME4 4BP CATEGORIES:Community & Participation,Visual Arts ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/One-song-Kadir-S1-Michi-Masumi-June-2024-10-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240628T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240630T180000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111658 CREATED:20240606T144708Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144533Z UID:10000406-1719599400-1719770400@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Room for Dinner & 3EIB Presents: Room for Us DESCRIPTION:In partnership with London Festival of Architecture and soon to be opened Palestine House\, Counterpoints’ Room for Dinner reimagines the dinner party.\nFood is often intimately tied to the memories of those who have left their homes due to forced displacement and are challenged with having to forge a new life\, while preserving their culture and connections to their origins. An expanded supper club\, collaborative sewing project and popup store hybrid commissioned by Counterpoints Arts will see 3EIB\, Palestinian artists and Hiba chefs envision a convivial space for the interdisciplinary intermingling of culture and heritage that investigates the roles of host and guest. \nOn the evening of Friday 28 June\, a special dinner cooked by Hiba will be served amidst a collaborative sewing project by Ramallah based Nöl Collective. Guests will engage in a sensorial experience which will reframe and personalise the Palestinian experience of displacement and resistance through the eating of cuisine steeped in history against the backdrop of art\, embroidery\, storytelling and performance with contributions from artist Bint Mbareh\, writer Sarin Hasbun and others. Doors open at 6:30pm and the dinner party will commence at 7pm. \nThis event is part of a weekend-long collaboration with Palestine House and 3EIB – 3EIB Presents: Room for Us. On Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th June\, Palestine House will be open from 12 – 6pm. \nThe free\, drop-in weekend programme presented by 3EIB will feature a Palestinian marketplace with home and lifestyle shop el Bustan\, Palestinian independent fashion brands and Arabic literature from bookshop Maqam. View Nöl Collective’s collaborative sewing project and listen to an accompanying soundtrack born of Palestine’s rich sonic history. Play games from Culture Mocktail and enjoy food and drinks from Hiba and Saffron and Honey. \nJoin us for the following workshops:  \nSunday\, 2-3pm:\nChildren’s Poetry writing with Tasneim Ziyada  \nSaturday and Sunday\, 2-5 pm:\nTatreez workshop facilitated by Susan Al-Safadi. \n——————————————————— \nRoom for Dinner is for anyone who supports the Palestinian cause and presents an opportunity to imagine a microcosm of an inclusive and collective future for humanity. It is part of Counterpoints’ London Refugee Week. \nFriday: All proceeds from ticket sales will go towards supporting Palestine House – backed project of supplying safe\, sterilised water in Gaza. \nBOOK YOUR TICKETS HERE. \nSupported by Choose Love. \nSaturday & Sunday: Free entry. \n \nAbout the Collaborators: \n3EIB is a platform showcasing independent fashion brands from the SWANA region founded by Dania Arafeh\, a Palestinian British curator. @_3eib_ \nCounterpoints is a leading national organisation in the field of arts\, migration and social change. \nHiba is a family-owned and run business which brings London the tastes of Palestine & Lebanon. @hibaexpress \nBint Mbareh is a sound artist focussed on the power of communal vocalising. Her research centres on  Palestinian folklore and its current potential for liberatory narratives\, especially in the two fields of mourning/lamentation music and music used to summon rain and to praise water resources.  @BintMbareh \nSabrin Hasbun is a Palestinian-Italian transnational writer. She has always had to mediate between cultures and every day for her is a journey across borders. @SabrinHasbun \nMaqam is a locally owned independent youth-led specialist bookshop and community space in London. @Maqam \nNöl Collective is a fashion label working with family-run sewing workshops\, artisans\, and women’s cooperatives to produce garments in Palestine. @NolCollective \nSusan Al-Safadi is a writer\, community organiser\, tatreez artist and embroiderer\, and a baker. Susan runs Saffron and Honey Bakery. \nPalestine House is a new dynamic home for art\, advocacy\, thinking\, community and conversation in the heart of London. \nChoose Love does whatever it takes to provide refugees and displaced people with everything from lifesaving search and rescue boats to food and legal advice. @chooselove \nLondon Festival of Architecture is a month-long celebration of architecture and city-making\, taking place every June across London. The Festival’s mission is to open up discussions around architecture\, test new ideas and uncover and promote new talent. @londonfestivalofarchitecture \nRefugee Week is the world’s largest arts & culture festival celebrating the contributions\, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary. @RefugeeWeekUK \nThis event is organised by Dania Arafeh\, Kristine Tan and Dijana Rakovic. \nImage credit: Tomasso Serra. Osama Quashoo and Meskele Sereke Mesgna with the symbolic wooden key at the heart of Palestine House. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/room-for-dinner/ LOCATION:Palestine House\, London\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Community & Participation,London Refugee Week,Multi-Art Form ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Osama-1140x815-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240623T123000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240623T153000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111658 CREATED:20240606T135510Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144533Z UID:10000441-1719145800-1719156600@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Family Workshop: Journeys from Home by Art Refuge DESCRIPTION:Celebrate Refugee Week in this creative workshop inspired by journeys from home. \nJoin Art Refuge artists Aida Silvestri and Bobby Lloyd for a multi-generational art and making workshop at The Community Table. Be inspired by maps from the British Library collection\, as well as your own lived experience of travelling\, routes and journeys\, using postcards to share\, create and connect as a community. \nEveryone is welcome and there is no need to book. \nPresented in partnership with Counterpoints Arts and Art Refuge\, as part of London Refugee Week. \nArt Refuge is a UK based charity that uses art and art therapy to support the mental health and well-being of people displaced due to conflict\, persecution\, poverty and climate emergency\, in the UK and internationally. \nCounterpoints Arts is a national arts organisation working in arts\, migration and cultural change. Counterpoints coordinates the national Refugee Week\, the world’s largest arts & culture festival celebrating the contributions\, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary. \n  URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/family-workshop-journeys-from-home-by-art-refuge/ LOCATION:British Library\, 96 Euston Rd\, London\, London\, NW1 2DB\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Community & Participation,London Refugee Week ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/LRW-OVERLAY-WEBSITE-13.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240623T110000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240623T140000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111658 CREATED:20240618T211946Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144533Z UID:10000446-1719140400-1719151200@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Kitchen Conversations: Brunch by Sonia Uddin and Olga Macrinici DESCRIPTION:What makes us feel at home? A taste? Smell? Colour? Sound? What does it mean to be displaced in our own home or land? \nRepresenting the heart of our homes\, the kitchen is a space where some of the most meaningful\, life-changing conversations take place. We want to replicate this experience and create a platform for dialogue between all members of our community: artists\, writers\, organisers\, comrades and friends. \nMany of us will have our stories of home\, migration and displacement related to food and its preparation. Over the past months we’ve been shown Palestinians preparing meals with the ingredients they have to hand whilst under siege\, narrating their culture and heritage\, as acts of both survival and resistance. Weaponising food and using famine as a method of control in occupied territories\, has been historically used by oppressors all over the world. We are witnessing it now in Gaza and Sudan. We want to acknowledge this\, in solidarity and as artists and organisers. \nIn the hope of food bringing folks together in kitchen conversations\, we invite organisers\, comrades and friends to a brunch\, offering a space to meet and find joy in conversation. \nJoin us in the simple act of sharing a meal and bring a dish you’ve made related to home to share together with comrades and to regroup. Register for the event HERE. \nThis is a free event. If you are able to donate\, we would be grateful if you could support the following charities: \nThe Ghassan Abu Sittah Children’s Fund via THIS donation link. \nAnd/or \nSudanese charities HERE. \n* As we’re sharing home-made dishes\, please bring a full list of ingredients. Thank you! \n  \nAbout the Artists: \nSonia Uddin is a visual artist with a social\, collaborative\, interdisciplinary practice. Her current research engages with themes around social architecture\, housing activism\, resistance\, migration and the voices that emerge during times of community struggle. Working across film\, performance\, collage and print\, archives and social histories inform a documentary approach to storytelling. She is currently undertaking a commissioned project for Counterpoints Arts that explores: social housing\, activism and migration; through archives\, interviews and storytelling workshops around housing struggle. \n  \nOlga Macrinici is a migrant\, queer and disabled theatre artist from Moldova. They work at the intersection of theatre and social change\, combining performance\, community projects and writing. Olga is currently based in Liverpool\, making interdisciplinary work\, from writing and directing to running workshops with and for the migrant community and performing on the local drag scene.\n  URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/kitchen-conversations-brunch/ CATEGORIES:Community & Participation,London Refugee Week ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/LRW-OVERLAY-WEBSITE-16.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240622T103000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240622T150000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111658 CREATED:20240604T073536Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144534Z UID:10000435-1719052200-1719068400@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Flying Kites for Palestine by Zafeerah Hessambee and Kites in Solidarity DESCRIPTION:Kites for Palestine – A global kite-flying day in solidarity with the children of Gaza. Gazan children broke the world record for the most kites flown simultaneously across the Gaza strip in 2011\, with over 12\,000 kites flown. \nOn Saturday 22nd June we will join the global movement from London to fly kites for Palestine. This will be a two- part day. In the morning\, we will host a workshop with a community group/ individuals creating kites (25 participants). This will be facilitated by Zafeerah and volunteers from KIS. Then\, in the afternoon\, we will congregate in the local park (location TBC) and fly kites collectively. We will have a short welcome\, thank you and poetry reading of Reefat Alareer’s poem ‘You must live to tell my story’ before flying kites with the public. \nInfo on how to join TBA. \nZafeerah is a Creative Producer\, Visual Artist\, and founder of Paintbrush&Co. After graduating with a BA in Law\, she has gone on to work with leading organisations to produce cultural projects\, public art and work with communities across the UK. Using her multi-disciplinary art practice\, Zafeerah developed Pb&Co to curate creative spaces that centre and celebrate the global majority. Zafeerah’s art explores themes of love\, grief and community through fine art and digital mediums. In her current developing project ‘All the things we have loved’\, she combines illustration\, lino printing and ceramics as a method of archiving and storytelling memories and joy. Previously\, her work from the project ‘Searching for you\, searching for me’ has been published and exhibited on billboards nationwide. \nKites in Solidarity is a grassroots movement of volunteers which was founded in 2023 in response to the ongoing siege of Gaza. The movement was inspired by the 2011 world record for the most kites flown simultaneously\, which was achieved by children of the Gaza Strip. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/flying-kites-for-palestine-by-zafeerah-hessambee-and-kites-in-solidarity/ LOCATION:Yorkton Workshops\, 1-3 Yorkton St\, London\, London\, E2 8NH\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Community & Participation,London Refugee Week ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/LRW-OVERLAY-WEBSITE-5.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240621T130000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240621T160000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111658 CREATED:20240607T095856Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144534Z UID:10000443-1718974800-1718985600@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Threading layers of Home by Kim Chin DESCRIPTION:Artist Kim Chin invites us into a reflective setting\, to inspire a clearer understanding and vision of what “community” means to us. We do this by ‘visiting’ layers of ancestral\, environmental and embodied home. \nWe will explore rituals\, sharing readings and exchange thoughts while the group embroiders and collages onto fabric. \nThe intention of the workshop is to initiate a restorative sense of grounding and belonging. Through collective making we will activate a space of multi-vocal wisdom and hope that can be threaded into our daily lives after the event. \nWe will also share grounding and aftercare resources. \nNOTE: We will be sharing reflections and our knowledge. Bring readings\, definitions and objects to share with the group\, on what “home” and community mean to you. \nMaterials and refreshments will be provided. \nFree workshop. Sing up HERE! \nImage credit: Kim Chin. \nAbout the Artist: \nKim Chin (she\, they) is an artist and community mobiliser. Through creative learning and social engagement practices\, Kim amplifies transnational and intersectional East and Southeast Asian narratives as part of\, and in relation to\, wider British narratives. \n\n\n\n\n\nKim co-founded ESEA unseen with Sue Man in 2023 – an art-making\, curating\, and cultural producing duo who leverage textiles\, hospitality\, dialogue\, and neurodiverse adaptations to transform unawareness & trauma into a site for connection and collective agency. \nProjects have been showcased in collaboration with various art\, cultural\, and community advocacy organisations in England and the Philippines. \n\nProject Credit x Paradise Row\, a hybrid event cohosted in England | Germany | Trinidad | Cayman Islands\, Fondation Gallery\, Philippines\, and in London; Migration Museum\, Coin Street Community Builders\, Camden Chinese Community Centre\, Kakilang Arts\, Greenpeace\, Southbank\, and the Museum of the Home. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/threading-layers-of-home-by-kim-chin/ LOCATION:Yorkton Workshops\, 1-3 Yorkton St\, London\, London\, E2 8NH\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Community & Participation,London Refugee Week,Mental Health ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/LRW-OVERLAY-WEBSITE-10.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240620T140000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240620T210000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111658 CREATED:20240613T154644Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144534Z UID:10000444-1718892000-1718917200@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Voice Notes Exhibition London Launch: Free Workshop & Live Performance DESCRIPTION:In partnership with Counterpoints Arts\, Voice Notes will be exhibited at Yorkton Workshops in Hoxton from 17 – 22 June. \nWorkshop: \nOn Thursday 20 June we will be hosting a free workshop for 2pm – 4pm to celebrate refugee voices from around the world! \nSign up to Voice Notes Creative Writing Workshop here. \nLaunch event \nLater in the evening\, we invite you to the London launch event of Voice notes with live performances on Thursday 20th June 7-9pm to celebrate refugee voices from around the world. \nWith a special welcome from project lead\, Sarah Jackson\, and live performances from Compass young people\, come and meet the team\, enjoy some refreshments and immersive yourself in the sound experience. Open to all 16+.  \nSign up to the launch event for free here. \nAbout Voice Notes \nVoice Notes is an international art project exploring the role of the telephone in experiences of exile. Featuring recorded phone calls left by young refugees and asylum seekers from around the world\, the exhibition investigates displaced voices\, creative networks\, transnational communication\, and different modes of talking and listening across cultures. \nThis exhibition has been co-created with young people who have fled war\, violence\, conflict and persecution and yet who continue to offer stories of solidarity and hope. At the heart of the installation are multidirectional ultrasonic speakers that are positioned to create a network of intersecting telephone messages. As visitors move around the gallery\, they tap into stories of home and belonging\, landscape and loss\, and communication and connection. In turn\, visitors are invited to shape new ways of thinking about sanctuary by contributing their own voice notes as part of our evolving telephonic soundscape. \nVoice Notes is funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council. Led by Nottingham Trent University\, the project is produced in collaboration with Compass Collective\, Counterpoints Arts\, Hardi Kurda\, New Art Exchange\, Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature\, Refugee Roots\, Slemani UNESCO City of Literature and STEP. \nReserve your free spot for this session here. \n  URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/voice-notes-exhibition-london-launch/ LOCATION:Yorkton Workshops\, 1-3 Yorkton St\, London\, London\, E2 8NH\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Community & Participation,London Refugee Week ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/LRW-OVERLAY-WEBSITE-15.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240619T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240619T213000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111658 CREATED:20240604T075549Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144534Z UID:10000436-1718821800-1718832600@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:In The Mix DESCRIPTION:‘Laughter is the brightest in the place where the food is’ – Irish proverb. Come and join us for an evening of Eritrean\, Sudanese and Yemeni food to celebrate London Refugee Week. \n“One day I will cook for you”. A phrase many Refugees and Asylum Seekers have said over the years\, as they live in limbo\, with no access to proper kitchen facilities. The IN THE MIX project was a direct response to this phrase and it was surprising how easy and quickly it came together. Working in collaboration with Granville Community Kitchen\, we set up a Supper and Social club for people who live in and around the South Kilburn Estate. We are now expanding our wings\, sharing our food\, and encouraging people to join us. \nA community based project devised by artist Matilda Velevitch where refugees cook their favourite dishes and invite local residents to come for a group dinner each week. \nTickets can be bought HERE! \n  URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/in-the-mix/ LOCATION:Yorkton Workshops\, 1-3 Yorkton St\, London\, London\, E2 8NH\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Community & Participation ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/LRW-OVERLAY-WEBSITE-6.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240619T120000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240619T150000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111658 CREATED:20240607T094350Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144534Z UID:10000442-1718798400-1718809200@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Cyanotypes - archives and markings of home by Tasnim Mahdy DESCRIPTION:This workshop explores the Juliana Anicia Codex through cyanotype printing. Participants will reflect on personal connections to home and migration\, making visible the intangible marks of their histories.\nJoin us for a workshop where we will delve into the Juliana Anicia Codex\, an ancient manuscript featuring important Arabic and Persian botanical illustrations\, in collaboration with John Hunnex. We’ll start with a discussion on the cultural significance of the Codex\, focusing on how naming practices reflect identity and migration. What was left out of the archive. Participants will then get hands-on with cyanotype printing\, a photographic technique that uses sunlight to create distinct blue-toned prints. They will incorporate botanical elements and personal symbols to create prints that tell their own stories – mythology\, and connections to home. The workshop will highlight the idea of mark-making\, where the fleeting and invisible aspects of personal histories are made tangible. Participants will actively create artworks that reveal unseen narratives\, transforming intangible experiences into visible forms. This process not only encourages personal reflection but also fosters a shared space for community storytelling and cultural expression. \nThis workshop is part of an on-going research collaboration between Tasnim Mahdy\, John Hunnex and Hanouf Al-Alawi\, centred on The Codex Vindobonenis. \nThis is a free workshop. \nImage credit: Tasnim Mahdy. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/cyanotypes-archives-and-markings-of-home-by-tasnim-mahdy/ LOCATION:Yorkton Workshops\, 1-3 Yorkton St\, London\, London\, E2 8NH\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Community & Participation,London Refugee Week ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/LRW-OVERLAY-WEBSITE-8-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240618T170000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240618T190000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111658 CREATED:20240606T124359Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144535Z UID:10000440-1718730000-1718737200@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Love letters to home by zafeerah heesambee DESCRIPTION:When Community is Home. What does this mean to you\, and where do you find your sense of home?\nJoin us for ‘Love Letters Home\,’ a lino printing workshop hosted by artist Zafeerah Heesambee in collaboration with Muslim Sisterhood\, in celebration of UK Refugee Week on Tuesday\, June 18th 2024. Connect with others as you learn the art of lino printing and create your own pieces inspired by this year’s theme. Your creations will be featured in a collective zine\, showcasing the talents of the Muslim Sisterhood network and the Yorkton Programme community\, as part of UK Refugee Week 2024. \nTickets for this workshop is free\, but capacity is limited so grab a space while you can! \nReserve your free spot for this session here. \nWe are fundraising for Palestine and Sudan\, and would appreciate £5 donations to support medical teams on the ground. Any donations from this workshop will go towards Medical Aid Palestine and Sudan Relief Fund. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/love-letters-to-home-by-zafeerah-heesambee/ LOCATION:Yorkton Workshops\, 1-3 Yorkton St\, London\, London\, E2 8NH\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Community & Participation,London Refugee Week ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/LRW-OVERLAY-WEBSITE-14.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240618T120000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240618T140000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111658 CREATED:20240605T134029Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144535Z UID:10000438-1718712000-1718719200@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Hope as Discipline: Ritualising Collective Liberation DESCRIPTION:How do we hold onto hope in dark times? Join us as we gather with Dr Aditi Jaganathan to moor ourselves in possibilities of hope as we organise for collective liberation\n  \nAs babylon crumbles; its architectures of oppression fall\, in Gaza\, in Haiti\, in Sudan\, in the Congo\, in the heart of empire. In this brokenness\,  spirit speaks; spirit calls on us to reach into otherwise possibilities\, otherwise ways of being in the fold of our collective being. \nWe gather as an offering of refusal\, refusing the structures which refuse our complex personhood\, refusing the suppression of rhythms of liberation. Leaning into this spirit of refusal we figure out ways to relinquish control and lean into our shared vulnerability; to orbit around ways of being moored in possibilities of hope. It is in the matter of being together\, as ritual\, that our tethering to hope as possibility emerges.  \nThis event invites organisers\, cultural workers\, creatives as well as dreamers and schemers who are affected by the passing of the Rwanda Bill and are organising in the wake of ongoing violence\, whether that be in the UK or beyond. We hope that by gathering we can thread together our interconnected struggles and hold space to resource ourselves through ritual and by centering our collective liberation. \n  \nDr Aditi Jaganathan is a thinker and creator\, writer and dreamer. \nHaving worked at the intersections of law\, culture and politics in various capacities\, Aditi is motivated by a politics of refusal\, living in rupture as rapture; turning away from hegemonic worlds of oppression and tuning into something different\, beyond the world we live in and moving to the rhythms of an elsewhere. It is this compulsion which guides her pedagogy in the education work she does. Riffing off education for liberation\, she creates spaces of  (un)learning as a site of radical praxis\, using tools of music\, film and visual culture\, to unpack the ways in which ideologies of oppression and liberation travel through cultural production. She teaches her own course\, Rhythm\, Race\, Revolution as well as courses at different London-based academic institutions. \nWith a particular interest in creativity as decolonial praxis\, she situates the imagination as a radical site of refusal and resistance. Her research work examines the different ways in which Black and Brown cultural production has activated autonomous modes of meaning-making and self-determination in London\, through contesting racialised norms and (re)imagining racialised postcolonial subjectivities. And it is through an ethic of jazz that Aditi curates this work. \nReserve your free spot for this session here. \nImage Credits © Carmel King URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/hope-as-discipline-ritualising-collective-liberation/ LOCATION:Yorkton Workshops\, 1-3 Yorkton St\, London\, London\, E2 8NH\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Community & Participation,London Refugee Week,Mental Health ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/LRW-OVERLAY-WEBSITE-8.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240617T120000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240622T220000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111658 CREATED:20240530T122512Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144534Z UID:10000422-1718625600-1719093600@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:When community is HOME\, at Yorkton Workshops DESCRIPTION:When community is HOME is a week-long exhibition and a programme of workshops\, performances\, networking\, supper clubs\, podcasts\, kite-flying and communal singing — curated by Counterpoints Arts\, supported by Pearson Lloyd design studio. Counterpoints brings their network of collaborators to Yorkton Workshops to respond to the theme of Our Home through an exploration of the intersection of displacement\, climate justice and wellbeing. \nWe feel privileged to be working in the beautiful gallery. The curated programme is full of opportunity to participate\, meet the artists\, witness talks and performances and eat delicious food… and gather at a time when creatively connecting with friends and strangers feels like an act of self-care and support for others. \nThe creative programme is a set of collaborations with artists\, collectives and organisations. Some are ‘old’ friends and partners\, and others are new to our ever growing network. \nWe are working with: \nClimate Outreach \nUnbound Philanthropy \nEtaf \nNour Alsholi \nAditi Jaganathan \nZafeerah Heesambee \nTasnim Mahdy \nJohn Hunnex \nIn The Mix \nCompass Collective and Sarah Jackson / Nottingham Trent University \nKim Chin \nZhvan Theatre Company \nBosla Arts \nKites in Solidarity \nBint Mbareh \nand others! \nWe will see you at Yorkton Workshops. The programme runs from 17th to 22nd June. Ticketing info for some of the activities will follow shortly. \nImage: Bosla Arts\, The Art Persists podcast\, Yorkton Workshops\, 2023 © Paul Gilbey \n  URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/when-community-is-home-london-refugee-week-at-yorkton-workshops/ LOCATION:Yorkton Workshops\, 1-3 Yorkton St\, London\, London\, E2 8NH\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Community & Participation,Multi-Art Form,Refugee Week ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/LRW-OVERLAY-WEBSITE-5.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240613T103000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240613T170000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111658 CREATED:20240605T160533Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144535Z UID:10000439-1718274600-1718298000@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:“My Home\, My Voice” – Post Detention Support Conference 2024 DESCRIPTION:Samphire’s Post Detention Support Conference 2024 is on the 13th of June\, and this year\, we are taking part!\n\nArt and creativity can positively contribute to improving our mental health and wellbeing. From having fun and accessing joy\, art can also help foster greater resilience\, increase confidence and create a sense of community and belonging. \nAlongside artist and theatre maker Debora Minà\, we will be co-facilitating a workshop titled ‘Play & Imagination: How creativity can support our wellbeing’ for members from Samphire’s PDSP network. \nThis practical and fun workshop\, offers the chance to try out some creative exercises to access your creative voice and to share your reflections. It is also an opportunity to find out more about our latest report titled\, ‘Creatively Minded and Refugees – Arts\, refugees and mental health’. \nYou can find out more about the conference here. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/my-home-my-voice-post-detention-support-conference-2024/ CATEGORIES:Community & Participation,Mental Health ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Conference-invitation-organisations-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240601T000000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240630T000000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111658 CREATED:20240509T161125Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144533Z UID:10000414-1717200000-1719705600@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:The Body As Data: People On The Move DESCRIPTION:Thanet\, Dover\, Folkestone\nKent based dance artists Sidonie Carey Green and Tom Tegento are excited to announce the successful funding of its participatory performance project The Body As Data\, working with local communities and artists to explore personal narratives and experience of borders. \nThrough a series of creative movement workshops\, site specific walking events\, and filming using surveillance technologies\, a film will be created exploring how the ‘body-as-data’ can draw its own border by re-imagining the potential of drone technology and the power of walking practice. This project will connect local communities who have experienced forced migration and we will come together to mobilise the border of the Kent coast from Margate to Folkestone. \nThe Body as Data workshops and walks are set to begin on Saturday 1st June in Margate and will run through to Sunday 30th June in Folkestone. Attendees are invited to join by the location they live at\, and are very welcome to join the locations at Margate and Folkestone. \nFull details: www.thebodyasdataproject.com \nCounterpoints Arts is one of the co-commissioners of the project\, which is supported by Arts Council England. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/the-body-as-data-people-on-the-move/ CATEGORIES:Community & Participation,Performance & Dance ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/BaD-Drone.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240522T130000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240522T143000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111658 CREATED:20240425T103812Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144535Z UID:10000413-1716382800-1716388200@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Assemblages of Sanctuary: Art\, Displacement & Mental Health DESCRIPTION:Join us for this online panel to reflect on the role that art can play in having a positive impact on the wellbeing and mental health of sanctuary seekers when working in creative settings.\n  \nAs part of this year’s Creativity and Wellbeing Week\, we are pleased to invite Thahmina Begum\, Dana Olărescu\, Amanda Camenisch and Therese Westin\, along with project participant Frieda N. Coleman\, to speak about their socially engaged artistic practices and to reflect on their experiences running arts-based projects with refugees and asylum seekers. \nCreative spaces of sanctuary are vibrant assemblages where artists and communities with lived experience of forced displacement come together to co-create dynamic spaces that embody an expansive sense of hope and possibility. \nIn this online panel conversation\, we ask – what role can art play to hold spaces that foster a sense of safety and promote wellbeing for refugees and people navigating the asylum system? How do they as creative practitioners navigate the hostile systems and structures that are detrimental to the wellbeing and mental health of sanctuary seekers? What kind of support structures can they put in place to look after their own wellbeing when working with communities confronted by vulnerability? And how can their experiences open up a critical space for learning and reflection for others with an interest in working in this space? \nThe online panel will last approximately 1.5 hours\, including space for questions or reflections. \nThe webinar will take place on Zoom and a meeting link will be sent to attendees in advance. Closed captioning will be available. \nThis conversation is part of Counterpoints Arts’ two-year programme focussing on mental health\, displacement and the arts running across 2024 & 2025\, and is generously supported by The Baring Foundation. \n  \nBook your free ticket here. \n  \nMeet the Speakers\nDana Olărescu\nDana Olărescu is a socially engaged artist with a focus on challenging minority exclusion and environmental injustice. Through participatory methodologies that democratise access to art and knowledge\, she aims to give agency to underserved migrant groups and people habitually excluded from decision-making processes\, so they can become active co-producers of culture. \nHer projects have been supported by\, among others\, the Arts Council\, Counterpoints Arts\, UCL Culture\, Invisible Dust\, and Urban Wilderness\, and presented at institutions in the UK and abroad\, including Tate Modern\, the London Short Film Festival\, the Low Carbon Design Institute\, Art Gene\, x-church\, ArtHouse Jersey\, Art Walk Projects\, Incheon Art Platform (South Korea)\, and La Virgule (France). \n  \nThahmina Begum\nThahmina Begum lives and works in Leeds\, Yorkshire. She is an Interdisciplinary Artist\, Poet\, and Workshop Facilitator. Begum has exhibited internationally\, nationally\, and hyper locally. Begum is a qualified and registered Art Psychotherapist (HCPC\, BATT). Her work explores cultures\, identities\, belonging and British /Bangladeshi/Muslim Diaspora. Begum’s work explores stories\, hidden narratives and storytelling through art and art making. Begum is passionate about making Art accessible for all sections of society and the promotion of art to improve our health and wellbeing. She love’s how Art can gives voices to communities/people that have been silenced. \nBegum’s work ranges from printmaking\, collage\, embroidery\, painting\, drawing\, poetry\, and creative conversations. She love’s working with Communities and groups to support and ease their ideas around art and what it means to them. She attended Leeds Arts University. \nBegum’s recent work/commissions include working with British Library (Food without Borders 2021-22)\,(Community History Project 2021) (Get Creative 2022-203) (Mapping Our Better Life\, 2024) (Our Stories\, our lives – Migration Stories\, Treasures Gallery\, London St Pancras\,2024) Leeds Art Gallery (Advisory Panel) (Shifting Perspectives and Conversation Table\, 2022) Yorkshire Sculpture Park (Concert for Bangladesh\,2021)\, (Walk a mile in my shoes\, 2022) Tetley Gallery (The Colour Pallette\,2021)\, LEEDS 2023 (Sarees and Street signs 2021 -22) and Yorkshire Sculpture International (Sylhet in my Suitcase\,2021 -22) Tara Theatre/British Council/Britto Arts Trust (Artist Make Spaces) (International Commission) Runnemede Trust -Artist in Residence (Racial Equality and Migrants Summit 2022) Commonwealth Theatre\, Bradford (Off the Curriculum\,2023) Woven in Kirklees (Dewsbury Fashion Show) University of Leeds and East Street Art –Cultural Institute (Creative Labs\, 2023). \n  \nAmanda Camenisch and Therese Westin\nAmanda Camenisch and Therese Westin\, London-based artists and wellbeing practitioners\, create immersive experiences through installation\, sculpture\, sound\, and performance art. They facilitate both individual and collective experiences\, often involving participation in workshops\, concerts\, and performances. Drawing from their background in wellbeing\, they craft meditative sculptural landscapes\, inviting participants to engage in sacred practices and fostering spaces for active imagination and play. \nTheir collaborative projects focus on activation and regeneration\, prioritizing the experiences of participants through a trauma-informed approach. Notable projects include a commission by The Brent Biennial to work with women from a local shelter\, resulting in sculptures exhibited at the Metroland Gallery and permanently installed at the shelter. They are currently completing a 14-month collaborative project supported by Arts Council England\, involving refugee centers and a women’s shelter\, with outcomes including exhibitions\, ceremonies\, and mentorship programs. Their performance project\, “A Home Is A Cloud\,” explores embodied experiences of trauma and displacement\, aiming to build strategies of home-making through community building and healing practices. \nSelected partnerships\, workshops and lectures: SPACE Ilford (London)\, The Museum of Home (London)\, University of Chicago (USA)\, CSM London\, and Universität der Künste Berlin\, Arts Council England\, Melissa Network (GR)\, Hackney Migrant Centre\, Marylebone project\, Jesuit Refugee Services\, Asian Women Resource Centre\, Metroland\, Arts and Health Hub\, Counterpoints Art\, Communitas (GR)\, House of Annetta Therese and Amanda have been awarded the Community Engagement Artist Award in 2021 and in 2023\, Arts Council England Project Grant 2021 & 2022. \n  \nFreida N. Coleman\nFreida N. Coleman\, born in Hopkins\, Belize\, is a long-term participant in projects facilitated by Amanda and Therese. She is a Garifuna woman who came to England in 2019. As a mother of twin girls\, she draws strength from her indigenous roots and traditions\, instilling in her children a deep connection to their heritage. Freida’s journey in London has been one of resilience and self-discovery\, navigating challenges such as postpartum depression and cultural displacement.\n\nHer quest for healing led her to explore meditation and holistic practices\, seeking solace in community support networks. Through emotional health classes and music-based meditation sessions\, Freida found empowerment and a sense of belonging. Inspired by the transformative power of sound and movement\, she embraced new experiences\, including the Lyra Project facilitated by Amanda and Therese.\n\nFreida’s involvement in the mentorship program facilitated by Amanda and Therese further deepened her understanding of meditation and self-care\, equipping her with valuable skills to guide others on their healing journey. With gratitude for her mentors and fellow participants\, Freida embraces the endless possibilities for growth and connection that lie ahead. \n  \nPhoto Credits – Amanda Camenisch and Therese Westin © URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/assemblages-of-sanctuary-art-displacement-mental-health/ LOCATION:Online CATEGORIES:Community & Participation,Mental Health ATTACH;FMTTYPE=application/pdf:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/music-workbook-1.pdf END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240505T123000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240505T190000 DTSTAMP:20260526T111658 CREATED:20240424T223854Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144535Z UID:10000411-1714912200-1714935600@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Hip Hop Garden at Alkebulan - African Storytelling DESCRIPTION:Using hip hop and permaculture values\, this interactive workshop will explore environmentalism\, songwriting and performance.\n\nJoin MoYah and KMT Freedom Teacher for this free taster session that is part of a wider programme covering wellbeing\, food growing and cooking\, enterprise and employability\, event management\, social movement and green structures.\n\nMoYah and KMT Freedom Teacher will perform after the workshop\, 15:00-17:00\, and participants who feel ready to take the stage will also have a chance to share their work. \n\nBorn in Mozambique during a 16-year war\, MoYah was forced to flee his country as a political refugee & move to Lisbon at a young age. Inspired by his parents broad musical taste & the impact of Rap music whilst living in Portugal\, he quickly learned that music could be used not only for entertainment but also as a powerful tool for self exploration & social expression eventually leading him to writing raps that addressed issues relating to identity\, social injustices & spirituality from the perspective of a child of the African Diaspora. \n\nKMT Freedom Teacher KMT combines his love for music and nature\, grounded in a deep respect for the beauty and abundance of Pachamama (Mother Earth). With over 20 years of leading positive social change and raising awareness for a multitude of social issues through the powerful words and rhythms of Hip Hop music\, KMT demonstrates a non-exhaustive passion for the environment and conservation. His goal is to entertain and educate\, as he addresses issues of global food security\, providing solutions for local food growing systems. \nThis event is part of DIASPORA! \nDIASPORA! festival is a vibrant celebration of people\, music\, film\, poetry\, dance\, storytelling\, and more\, taking place at venues across the city on the Early May Bank Holiday weekend. These events aim to reflect the variety of talent within the region’s cultural communities. \n\n\n\nPart of Counterpoints’ networking in South West.\n\nRegister HERE. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/hip-hop-garden-at-alkebulan-african-storytelling/ LOCATION:The Trinity Centre\, Trinity Rd\, Bristol\, BS2 0NW CATEGORIES:Community & Participation,Sustainability & Climate Justice ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/e107950_i197650_s4.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR