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:20180325T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20181028T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20190331T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20191027T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20200329T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20201025T010000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190924T000000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20191013T000000 DTSTAMP:20260430T113821 CREATED:20190923T060957Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T145420Z UID:10000271-1569283200-1570924800@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:No Direction Home in Kent DESCRIPTION:#platforma5\n\nIn partnership with Ideas Test\, Woodville Theatre\, Cohesion PlusNo Direction Home\, produced by Counterpoints Arts & Camden People’s Theatre\, has been running since September 2018\, with free coaching and paid performances for new stand-up comedians from refugee & migrant backgrounds. Led by award-winning comic Tom Parry\, the group have performed at 10 gigs in London & Edinburgh and worked with guest headliners including Suzi Ruffell\, Nish Kumar and Romesh Ranganathan.For Platforma 5 Tom Parry and members of the No Direction Home group will lead a series of free workshops and performances with people in Gravesend and Sheerness.Workshop dates \nGravesend: 24\, 25 September\, 1\,2 October (all 6-8pm) \nSittingbourne: 10 Oct (6-8pm)\, 12 Oct (4.30pm-7.30pm). 13 October (3-6pm) \nPerformances \nGravesend – The Woodville Theatre – 9 October\, 7pm  booking \nThe Ypres Tavern – Sittingbourne – 13 October\, 7pm \nIf you are interested in joining the free workshops and having a go at stand-up comedy\, please contact tom@counterpoints.org.uk \nAll applications are welcome\, whatever your background. No previous experience necessary! Age 18+ \nPart of the 5th Platforma Festival\, produced by Counterpoints Arts URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/no-direction-home-in-kent/ CATEGORIES:Comedy ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CA_NoDirectionHome_NishKumar_20Jan19-64-credit-JOSE-FARINHA-scaled-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190923T000000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190923T000000 DTSTAMP:20260430T113821 CREATED:20190915T195417Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T145420Z UID:10000272-1569196800-1569196800@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Platforma 5 : Kent & Medway DESCRIPTION:Image: A Hostile Environment 2019\, Adam Chodzko \n  \nThe biennial Platforma festival for the arts by\, with and about refugees and migration is produced by Counterpoints Arts. It brings together artists\, organisations\, funders and others for discussions\, workshops and the chance to share practice and showcase new work. \nThe 5th Platforma festival will take place across Kent & Medway this autumn. \nFor more information contact tom@counterpoints.org.uk \nPLATFORMA 5 : PROGRAMME \nSeptember/October: No Direction Home \nStand-up comedy workshops & performances in Gravesend & Sittingbourne  – Counterpoints Arts in partnership with Ideas Test\, Woodville Theatre\, Cohesion Plus. No Direction Home is produced by Counterpoints Arts & Camden People’s Theatre. \nSeptember/October: Hiphop and spoken word workshops with young people \nLed by Oliver Seagar with Pie Factory\, Music for Change and Counterpoints Arts. \nSeptember-October: Worse Things Happen At Sea\, Ramsgate\, 10.00-22.00 \nThis art installation by Mooch is a Morse code soundtrack within the Ramsgate lighthouse listing over a thousand names of vessels lost on the Goodwin Sands. Imagine how it feels to be lost in a storm at sea as the Morse distress call reminds you of the perils beyond the harbour walls\, over many centuries\, to the present day. \n14 September-13 October: Home – The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge\, Canterbury \nAn exhibition of artwork created by textile artist Anna Ray and a group of mothers living in Ashford ­ long term residents and recently resettled Syrian women. Over the course of seven months\, Anna worked with the group to explore the theme of ‘home’. The aim of the commission was to bring a new community together\, to discover commonalities and celebrate differences. Through weekly workshops\, the participants worked with drawing\, painting\, print\, felt­making\, weaving and stitch. As they made artwork together\, the women shared stories of their home­lives\, speaking of the joys of motherhood and the challenges they face. Since the project drew to a close last year the group have continued to make artwork together as friends\, drawing on the skills and confidence gained from this unique project. Home was commissioned by People United\, The Diocese of Canterbury and Ashford Borough Council\, funded by Arts Council England. (picture credit: Anna Ray) \n3-5 October: Music After Detention: Dover Residency \nMusic in Detention (MiD)\, in collaboration with musician Oliver Seagar are running a 3 day residency in Dover\, with musicians they worked with whilst incarcerated in the UK’s Immigration Detention System. Until 2015 there was an Immigration Removal Centre in Dover\, sited in Dover’s Western Heights Nature Reserve. Some of MiD’s musicians were held there. Includes: 5 October Music After Detention Gig @ The Lighthouse in Deal 20:30 – 23:00 \n3-6 October: Custom Folkestone presents: Something Held in the Mouth\, A four day festival bringing together artists and creative practitioners to present a diverse programme of art\,  events\, workshops and talks about the poetics of food\, the politics of its migrations and the ways in which our bodies hold these stories. The festival convenes dialogues around the way food crosses boundaries and creates connections across the world\, as well as exploring the intersections between art\, food and local markets to forge new alliances through geopolitical conversations. Events include\, 5 October\, Community Meal with menu designed by Lucky Moyo + music from Lucky & friends. \n7 October: Platforma 5 Launch event at Kent County Council\, Maidstone 17.00-18.30 \nA special event in partnership with Kent County Council for the official launch of Platforma 5 – contact tom@counterpoints.org.uk to reserve a free place \n9 October: No Direction Home at Woodville Theatre 19.30-21.00 \nStand-up performance featuring local people who have attended the workshops\, plus special guest headliners. From Counterpoints Arts in partnership with Cohesion Plus & Woodville Theatre. \n11 October: Building Partnerships\, Huguenot Museum\, Rochester 13.00-16.00 – How can museums and heritage organisations engage sustainably with refugees and migrants? \nA free seminar from Counterpoints Arts in partnership with the Huguenot Museum and The Migration Museum Project. \n11 October: Swale Festival of Light in Sittingbourne\, with Cohesion Plus \nFollowing workshops local schools to create lanterns around core values of respect\, excellence\, friendship and equality led by artists commissioned for Platforma 5\, a parade as part of a colourful community festival. \n13 October: No Direction Home at Ypres Tavern\, Sittingbourne 19.30-21.00 \nStand-up performance featuring local people who have attended the workshops\, plus special guest headliners. From Counterpoints Arts in partnership with Ideas Test \n15-30 October: Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children Art Project\, Sittingbourne Library \nYoung refugees and asylum seekers have created an art exhibition inspired by their journeys to Kent and hopes for the future. \n16-27 October: Why Folkestone? by Aida Silvestri\, Folkestone \nA new exhibition for Platforma 5 by the internationally-exhibited photographer Aida Silvestri. Presented alongside her whose previous workEven This Will Pass. \n18-25 October: Lilacs In Bloom by Joy C Martindale\, Jarman Building – University of Kent \nA participatory artwork made in collaboration with survivors of modern-day slavery and human trafficking. \n18 October – 8 November: Platforma 5 @ 101 Social Club\, Margate \nAs part of their Autumn/Winter programme\, 101 Social Club in Margate presents a series of installations\, screenings and talks \n21-25 October Platforma 5 takeover at Turner Contemporary & 101 Social\, Margate \nA week-long programme of artist-led engagement & talks linked to 2019 Turner Prize exhibition. Co-commissioned and co-curated by Counterpoints Arts and Turner Contemporary. \nIncluding: 23 October – “Creating an Archive” : Exploring the history of arts\, refugees and migration projects in Kent. How might we work collectively to bring this archive to life? Led by Julie Neville and Douglas Noble. \n21-26 October: Platforma 5 at Gulbenkian\, in partnership with Counterpoints Arts \n21-22 October: Pop culture / Young People / Migration & Social Change – retreat\, Gulbenkian Pop Culture and Social Change is a pioneering project from Counterpoints Arts exploring how the power of pop culture can be harnessed to shift the way we talk\, think and feel about migration and displacement. (Invitation only) \n21 October: Pop culture\, arts & activism – Gulbenkian 18.00-19.00: A free session open to all\, linked to our pop culture retreat. Followed by: 19.30pm Matangi/Maya/M.I.A. – film screening\, Guklbenkian\nA 2018 biographical documentary film about English rapper\, artist & activist M.I.A.. Directed by Steve Loveridge \n22 October: Popjustice scratch!\, Gulbenkian 17.00:\nA free performance\, open to all\, by participants in the pop culture retreat. \n23 October: Tongue Fu\, Gulbenkian\, 19.30\nTongue Fu is one of the UK’s leading spoken word shows. It is a riotous experiment in live literature\, music\, film and improvisation. Featuring top poets Anthony Anaxagorou\, Rachel Rose Reid\, Julian Knxx. Hosted by Francesca Beard \n24 October: No Direction Home stand-up comedy with guest headliner\, Gulbenkian.\nAfter a sell-out gig at the Southbank Centre in London\, and guest headliners including Nish Kumar and Romesh Ranganathan No Direction Home bring a hilarious line-up of comedians from refugee & migrant backgrounds to Canterbury for this one-off gig. Special guest headliners to be announced! \n25 October: The Last Tree\, Gulbenkian\nA new feature film\, written & directed by Shola Amoo. Presented as part of Black History Month by Kent University Union. \n26 October: Platforma Family Day\,  Gulbenkian\, from 10.00\nArtist and performer-led workshops\, performances and fun for the whole family\, around themes of home\, identity and migration. \n26 October: Rafiki Jazz – Up Close!\, Gulbenkian\, 20.00\nAcclaimed by Songlines magazine as ‘The best of British’\, Rafiki Jazz bring their diverse and eclectic sound to Kent for a unique Platforma 5 performance. A collective based in the north of England\, comprising musicians from around the world\, their latest album\, ‘Har Dam Sahara’\, draws on the beauty and poetry of Pakistan & Senegal’s mystic Sufi traditions and ancient Middle Eastern Coptic\, Arabic & Hebrew roots. \n26 October: They Came In Crowded Boats\, Tom Thumb Theatre\, Margate\, 13.30 \nThe Margate Film Festival presents a selection of short films that explore the motivations\, challenges and perceptions of global migration and refugee stories. \n26 October: Shiva Nova presents Romany Diamonds\, Quarterhouse Folkestone\, 19.30 \nThree generations of one traditional Gypsy Roma family playing acoustic magic with fire and soul; amazing audiences with back-to-front violin playing and soul-searching ballads followed by musical Gypsy mayhem. Plus: The World in a Tent Roma exhibition will be in the foyer all day hosting workshops in Roma music from 4pm-5pm and dance from 5pm-6pm for everyone to join in! \n27 October: Platforma 5 presents …. Quarterhouse\, Folkestone \nA series of presentations from artists who are part of the Platforma network in Kent and across England\, followed by discussions and networking. \n\nBackground \nPlatforma arts and refugee network supports and develops arts by\, about and with refugees and migrants from marginalised communities. It brings together groups and artists / performers of any background or political status (e.g. refugees and non-refugees). Platforma is run by Counterpoints Arts in partnership with organisations across the country \nPlatforma 1 took place in London (2011)\, followed by Manchester (2013)\, Leicester (2015) & Newcastle and the North East (2017). URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/platforma-5-kent/ CATEGORIES:Community & Participation ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Chodzko.-artwork-for-Platforma-final-tiny-1-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190816T000000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190816T000000 DTSTAMP:20260430T113821 CREATED:20190701T180407Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T145420Z UID:10000275-1565913600-1565913600@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:No Direction Home @ Edinburgh Festival DESCRIPTION:Booking \nNo Direction Home is a stand-up comedy group from refugee & migrant backgrounds mentored by award-winning comedian Tom Parry\, created and produced by Counterpoints Arts and Camden People’s Theatre. \nThe comedians come from countries including Iran\, Pakistan and Syria. All were new to stand-up but each of them has grabbed the chance to represent themselves on stage\, to talk about their lives\, their experiences and what they have observed. Most of all\, they are extremely funny. \nProceeds from the evening will be donated to the Refugee Survival Trust a Scottish charity providing practical support to asylum seekers and refugees\, especially those who are at risk of destitution. 100% of donations collected at the event will go directly to refugees and asylum seekers in the form of grants or bus passes. \nHosted in partnership with Refugee Survival Trust. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/no-direction-home-edinburgh-festival/ CATEGORIES:Comedy ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CA_NoDirectionHome_NishKumar_20Jan19-82.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190623T000000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190623T000000 DTSTAMP:20260430T113821 CREATED:20190531T141821Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T145420Z UID:10000278-1561248000-1561248000@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Refugee Week: 'As Far As Isolation Goes' at Southbank Centre DESCRIPTION:23 June\, Southbank Centre\, London. \nFree event \nExperience ‘As Far As Isolation Goes’ this Refugee Week. \nThe piece is a collaboration between live artist Tania El Khoury and musician and street artist Basel Zaraa. The incredibly moving piece is built on their previous collaboration entitled ‘As Far As My Fingertips Take Me’ in which El Khoury commissioned Zaraa to record a rap song inspired by the journey his sisters made from Damascus to Sweden. In ‘As Far As Isolation Goes’\, Zaraa and Tania worked together to create another iteration of their previous piece focused on mental and physical health experiences of refugees in the United Kingdom. Zaraa created a song inspired by conversations with friends and colleagues who have recently claimed refuge in UK. ‘As Far As Isolation Goes’ uses touch\, sound\, and interactivity to bring audience members in contact with those faced with inhumane detention centres and a mental health system that disregard their political and emotional contexts. \nSong Conception: Basel Zaraa \nMusic Production: Peter Churchill \nVocals and Lyrics: Jazzar & Shamma Iqbal \nWall Writing: Steaz \nWork commissioned by the Sick of the Fringe 2019. It was installed as part of our Who Are We? project at Tate Exchange. \nTania El Khoury is a live artist creating installations and performances focused on audience interactivity and concerned with the ethical and political potential of such encounters. Her work has been translated and presented in multiple languages in 32 countries across six continents\, in spaces ranging from museums to cable cars to the Mediterranean Sea. She is She is a 2019 Soros Art Fellow and the recipient of the 2017 International Live Art Prize and the 2011 Total Theatre Innovation Award and Arches Brick Award. Tania is currently a visiting assistant professor and festival co-curator at Bard College’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts. She is affiliated with Forest Fringe and is the co-founder of the research and performance collective Dictaphone Group. She holds a PhD in Theatre Studies from Royal Holloway. In 2018\, a survey of her work entitled ear-whispered: works by Tania El Khoury took place in Philadelphia. \nBasel Zaraa is a spoken word artist and percussionist who writes on themes of exile and resistance. He has collaborated with a wide range of international artists including Akala\, Guildhall youth project (Im)possibilities\, Palestinian hip-hop group Katibeh Khamseh\, Arabic fusion band Raast and funk band Shokunin. He is part of the cast of PsycheDELIGHT’s ‘Borderline’ satire about the Calais camp\, in which he performs original music and DIY sound effects. He is also a visual and stencil graffiti artist and is currently touring with Tania El Khoury’s ‘As Far As My Fingertips Take Me’. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/as-far-as-isolation-goes-at-southbank-centre/ CATEGORIES:Performance & Dance ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/with-Zia-scaled-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190623T000000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190623T000000 DTSTAMP:20260430T113821 CREATED:20190516T130603Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T145420Z UID:10000290-1561248000-1561248000@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Refugee Week: No Direction Home with Romesh Ranganathan DESCRIPTION:23 June\, 7pm\, Southbank Centre  \nTicketed: tickets from £12 \nBooking: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/134145-no-direction-home-2019 \nLaughter unites us: an evening of stand-up by comics from refugee and migrant backgrounds\, with guest headliners Suzi Ruffell and Romesh Ranganathan. \nNo Direction Home is a stand-up comedy group mentored by award-winning comedian Tom Parry. After a string of sell-out shows in London\, they will be bringing their unique brand of humour to Southbank Centre as the culmination of Refugee Week 2019. \nFeaturing: Arashk Farahani\, Nour-ani Sisserian\, Usman Khalid\, Majid Adin. \nGuest headliners: Suzi Ruffell (“A stand-up gem”\, The Guardian) and Romesh Ranganathan (“Irresistable gags”\, The Guardian) \nNo Direction Home is produced in partnership between Counterpoints Arts and Camden People’s Theatre. \nRomesh Ranganathan has sold out major venues across the UK with his stand-up\, including on his first national tour Irrational Live in 2016. He has made numerous TV appearances including with hit series The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan\, Just Another Immigrant and The Ranganation. \nSuzi Ruffell has performed stand-up shows across the country and appeared on Channel 4\, E4\, BBC3\, Comedy Central\, Dave & BBC Radio 4. She will be bringing her new show Dance Like Everyone’s Watching at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this summer. \nTom Parry is a member of the sketch troupe Pappy’s producing award-winning podcasts\, television and stage shows. He has written\, performed & directed work for stage\, TV and radio and his new stand-up show Parryoke will be at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this summer. \nMajid Adin is an artist and animator from Iran\, now living and working in London. Majid was shortlisted for the 2018 Groucho Maverick Award celebrating original\, creative artwork that seeks to challenge the status quo. \nNour-Ani Sisserian is an actor and theatre director based in East London. Acting credits include Welcome to the UK at The Bunker and Home Manchester\, Black Lives Black Words at the Bush Theatre. As an assistant director\, credits include a workshop at the National Theatre Studio. \nArashk Farahani is an Iranian performer and film-maker based in London who has recently started sharing his experiences through stand-up comedy. \nUsman Khalid is originally from Pakistan & now lives in London. As well as doing stand-up\, he is establishing a pop-up coffee business @havencoffee that supports refugees. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/no-direction-home-romesh-ranganathan/ CATEGORIES:Comedy ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/romesh-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190623T000000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190623T000000 DTSTAMP:20260430T113821 CREATED:20190508T070013Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T145420Z UID:10000293-1561248000-1561248000@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Refugee Week: No Direction Home: Workshop at the V&A Museum DESCRIPTION:23 June\, 3-4.30pm\, V&A Museum  \nFree. Booking essential here \nTop stand-up comedian and director Tom Parry has been running a project with Counterpoints Arts and Camden People’s Theatre with new stand-ups from refugee and migrant backgrounds. Join him to learn about No Direction Home and have a go yourself! No previous experience required. For 14+. Free. \nThe workshop takes place at Laughing Matters: The State of a Nation\, British Galleries\, Room 55\, Level 1 URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/no-direction-home-workshop-at-the-va-museum/ CATEGORIES:Comedy ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CA_NoDirectionHome_NishKumar_20Jan19-130-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190623T000000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190623T000000 DTSTAMP:20260430T113821 CREATED:20170511T074031Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T145420Z UID:10000299-1561248000-1561248000@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Refugee Week at Southbank Centre DESCRIPTION:Join us and our partners at Southbank Centre for a day of all kinds of creative\, fun and engaging activities in response to this year’s Refugee Week’s theme ‘Our Shared Future’. \nRefugee Week partners bring their own participatory activities to present their work and to celebrate this year’s theme. They will be joined by artists and organisations\, all coming together around the programme which includes  singing\, making\, having conversations and engaging in artists’ workshops. \nThe day will include the launch of the London Syrian Ensemble\, the Big Sing and participatory\, agit-prop installations by Counterpoints Arts-commissioned artists Gil Mualem-Doron and Alketa Xhafa-Mripa. \nThis event is free and suitable for all the family. \n  URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/refugee-week-at-southbank-centre/ CATEGORIES:Multi-Art Form ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/SBC.CAwebsite-scaled-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190621T000000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190621T000000 DTSTAMP:20260430T113821 CREATED:20190531T135550Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T145420Z UID:10000279-1561075200-1561075200@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Refugee Week: 'As Far As Isolation Goes' at the V&A Museum DESCRIPTION:21 June\, 6-8pm \n22 June\, 11am – 4pm \nFree event \nDuring the V&A Special Late opening on the 21st and throughout the day on 22nd June\, we present this second iteration of the collaboration between the two artists\, in collaboration with the V&A. \n‘As Far As Isolation Goes’ is a collaboration between live artist Tania El Khoury and musician and street artist Basel Zaraa. The incredibly moving piece is built on their previous collaboration entitled ‘As Far As My Fingertips Take Me’ in which El Khoury commissioned Zaraa to record a rap song inspired by the journey his sisters made from Damascus to Sweden. In ‘As Far As Isolation Goes’\, Zaraa and Tania worked together to create another iteration of their previous piece focused on mental and physical health experiences of refugees in the United Kingdom. Zaraa created a song inspired by conversations with friends and colleagues who have recently claimed refuge in UK. ‘As Far As Isolation Goes’ uses touch\, sound\, and interactivity to bring audience members in contact with those faced with inhumane detention centres and a mental health system that disregard their political and emotional contexts. \nSong Conception: Basel Zaraa \nMusic Production: Peter Churchill \nVocals and Lyrics: Jazzar & Shamma Iqbal \nWall Writing: Steaz \nWork commissioned by the Sick of the Fringe 2019. It was installed as part of our Who Are We? project at Tate Exchange. \nTania El Khoury is a live artist creating installations and performances focused on audience interactivity and concerned with the ethical and political potential of such encounters. Her work has been translated and presented in multiple languages in 32 countries across six continents\, in spaces ranging from museums to cable cars to the Mediterranean Sea. She is She is a 2019 Soros Art Fellow and the recipient of the 2017 International Live Art Prize and the 2011 Total Theatre Innovation Award and Arches Brick Award. Tania is currently a visiting assistant professor and festival co-curator at Bard College’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts. She is affiliated with Forest Fringe and is the co-founder of the research and performance collective Dictaphone Group. She holds a PhD in Theatre Studies from Royal Holloway. In 2018\, a survey of her work entitled ear-whispered: works by Tania El Khoury took place in Philadelphia. \nBasel Zaraa is a spoken word artist and percussionist who writes on themes of exile and resistance. He has collaborated with a wide range of international artists including Akala\, Guildhall youth project (Im)possibilities\, Palestinian hip-hop group Katibeh Khamseh\, Arabic fusion band Raast and funk band Shokunin. He is part of the cast of PsycheDELIGHT’s ‘Borderline’ satire about the Calais camp\, in which he performs original music and DIY sound effects. He is also a visual and stencil graffiti artist and is currently touring with Tania El Khoury’s ‘As Far As My Fingertips Take Me’. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/as-far-as-isolation-goes-at-the-va-museum/ CATEGORIES:Performance & Dance ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/as-far-as-isolation-goes.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190621T000000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190621T000000 DTSTAMP:20260430T113821 CREATED:20190531T122621Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T145421Z UID:10000280-1561075200-1561075200@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Refugee Week: Don Letts DJ Set - Special Late opening at the V&A museum DESCRIPTION:21 June\, 6-10pm\, V&A Museum  \nFree event \nWe are very honoured to have the legendary Don Letts headline this special evening for Refugee Week at the V&A. \nDon Letts’ reputation has been firmly established in both the film and music world by a substantial body of work from the late 70’s through the 80’s\, 90’s and well into the millennium. His work has been exhibited in The Kitchen N.Y.C\, The Institute of Contemporary Art\, The N.F.T in London and was honored at Brooklyn’s BAM festival and The Milan Film festival.  In March 2003 he won a Grammy for his documentary ‘Westway To The World’. \nHe came to notoriety in the late 70’s as the DJ that single handedly turned a whole generation of punks onto reggae. It was whilst as a DJ at the first punk club ‘The Roxy’ in 1977\, that made his first film ‘The Punk Rock Movie’ w/ Sex Pistols-The Clash and many others. This led to a period directing over 300 music videos for an diverse mix of artists ranging from Public Image to Bob Marley. \nHe then moved into documentary work making films on the likes of Gil Scot-Heron\, The Jam\, Sun Ra\, The Clash and George Clinton. His most recent documentary was for Sir Paul McCartney’s ‘New’ project. Feature films include the legendary Jamaican movie  1997’s ‘Danchall Queen’. \nAlong with his autobiography ‘Culture Clash: Dread Meets Punk Rockers’ released in 2007 Don was also the subject of the documentary film ‘Superstonic Sound: The Rebel Dread’ in 2010.  \nHe currently presents a weekly radio show on BBC 6 Music called ‘Culture Clash Radio’ and still DJ’s nationally and internationally. \nSupported by\na boutique talent agency representing some of the finest highest profile artists alongside the hottest\, up and coming acts. \n  URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/don-letts-dj-set-special-late-opening-at-the-va-museum/ CATEGORIES:Music ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/beb60c5d_don-2.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190621T000000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190621T000000 DTSTAMP:20260430T113821 CREATED:20190531T054334Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T145421Z UID:10000281-1561075200-1561075200@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Refugee Week: Dance for Refuge - Special Late Opening at the V&A Museum DESCRIPTION:21 June\, 6-10pm\, V&A Museum  \nFree event  \nWe are over the moon to be working with the brilliant Dance for Refuge again this Refugee Week. \nThis is a project which started in 2015\, reacting to the desperate situation in Calais. They’ve been putting on parties ever since\, and raised over £25\,000 for charities which support refugees. \nDance for Refuge have had the support from some amazing musicians and DJs including Mall Grab\, Mafalda\, Eclair Fifi\, Peach\, Auntie Flo\, Andrew Ashong\, Dark Sky\, Shy One\, Mor Elian and many more. Apart from The Victoria & Albert Museum\, they’ve been putting on events at Corsica Studios\, Bussey Building/CLF Art Cafe and Five Miles. \nTheir line up of DJs to be announced soon. \n  URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/dance-for-refuge-special-late-opening-at-the-va-museum/ CATEGORIES:Music ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Dance-for-Refuge-c-Jake-David.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190621T000000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190621T000000 DTSTAMP:20260430T113821 CREATED:20190531T051927Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T145421Z UID:10000282-1561075200-1561075200@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Refugee Week: Awate - Special Late Opening at the V&A Museum DESCRIPTION:21 June\, 6-10pm\, V&A museum  \nFree event \nWe are a little bit in love with AWATE\, and so happy to welcome him to what promises to be a very special evening. \nAWATE is a visionary rapper from Eritrea weaving together psychedelic melodies and sharp\, witty lyrics. Born in Saudi Arabia and raised in Camden where he was a Resident Artist at The Roundhouse\, AWATE gained the respect of artists such as Yasiin Bey (Mos Def)\, Lowkey and Pharoahe Monch.   \nWith Turkish Dcypha’s infectious\, funk-based production\, AWATE’s critically acclaimed Shine Ancient EP and Happiness LP have been praised and featured on BBC Radio 1\, 1Xtra and 6Music as well as Noisey\, Spotify and The Guardian and garnered a nomination for Best Urban Act at the 2018 Unsigned Music Awards.   \nHaving a reputation for energetic and emotive performances\, supporting Black Star\, Ghetts and Shabazz Palaces – 2018 saw this London griot’s first headline tour with shows in the UK\, Spain\, Brazil\, Germany and the USA. \nPart of our PRS Foundation funded ‘Music for Social Change’ project. \nImage by Jake Lewis. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/awate-special-late-opening-at-the-va-museum/ CATEGORIES:Music ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Awate_photo-credit-Jake-Lewis-scaled-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190621T000000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190621T000000 DTSTAMP:20260430T113821 CREATED:20190531T051007Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T145421Z UID:10000283-1561075200-1561075200@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Refugee Week: Madz - Special Late Opening at the V&A Museum DESCRIPTION:21 June\, 6-10pm\, V&A Museum  \nFree event \nBeatboxing in the Gamble Room! \nMadz is a 22 year old professional Beatboxer who has been performing and pushing the art on both the streets and public platforms from a very young age and advanced his musical abilities through the years to be booked for hour plus long sets\, due to his ability and stamina whilst perform high energy beats for long periods of time. \nHis sets cover all modern day electronic music and dance music genres\, his high rhythm and timing abilities opened up lots of opportunity’s for him to play as live beatbox drummer in bands and orchestras as well as getting him involved in several work shops and beatboxing tutorials across the country working with schools and companies mainly with Music Action International. He’s performed in venues including Bridge Water Hall and the Royal Festival Hall. \nHe also preformed solo at many venues and music festivals around the UK and became the founder of ‘Takeover’\, his band\, in late 2018. \nPart of our PRS Foundation funded ‘Music for Social Change’ project. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/madz-special-late-opening-at-the-va-museum/ CATEGORIES:Music ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Madz.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190621T000000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190621T000000 DTSTAMP:20260430T113821 CREATED:20190531T045457Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T145421Z UID:10000284-1561075200-1561075200@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Refugee Week: Chineke! Junior String Quartet - Special Late Opening at the V&A Museum DESCRIPTION:21 June\, 6-10pm\, V&A Museum  \nFree event \nIt is with huge pleasure that we welcome Chineke! Junior String Quartet to Refugee Week. \nThe Chineke! Foundation was founded in 2015 to provide career opportunities for Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) classical musicians in the UK and Europe. Chineke!’s mission is: ‘Championing change and celebrating diversity in classical music’.  \nThe Foundation’s flagship ensemble\, the Chineke! Orchestra\, comprises exceptional musicians from across the continent\, brought together several times per year. As Europe’s first majority-BME orchestra\, the Chineke! Orchestra performs a mixture of standard orchestral repertoire along with the works of BME composers both past and present. \nThe Chineke! Orchestra works closely with its sister ensemble\, the Chineke! Junior Orchestra\, a youth orchestra of BME players aged 11-22\, with senior players acting as mentors\, teachers and role models to the young musicians. Several of the Chineke! Juniors have gained scholarships to the Junior and Senior conservatoires in the UK and some have “graduated” to play in the professional Chineke! Orchestra.  \nThe members of the Chineke! Junior String Quartet are all regular players in the Chineke! Junior Orchestra. The Quartet has performed at Festivals in Brighton and at venues in London\, including Kensington Palace. \nPart of our PRS Foundation funded ‘Music for Social Change’ project. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/chineke-junior-string-quartet-special-late-opening-at-the-va-museum/ CATEGORIES:Music ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Chineke-Juniors-at-fashion-show-3.9.2016.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190621T000000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190621T000000 DTSTAMP:20260430T113821 CREATED:20190508T065437Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T145421Z UID:10000294-1561075200-1561075200@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Refugee Week: Special Late Opening at the V&A Museum DESCRIPTION:21 June\, 6-10pm\, V&A Museum  \nA date for the diaries – Refugee Week Friday night treat at the V&A Museum. \nDance for Refuge return for the third year in a row\, taking over the Grand Entrance and programming a set of music to help raise awareness of the importance of migrant culture in the arts. \nFollowed by Don Letts DJ Set – legendary DJ spins upbeat reggae and tunes inspired by the Refugee Week theme of #generations. \nMusic in the Gamble Room\, a programme headlined by London-based rapper and an old friend of Counterpoints Arts – Awate! Details of this programme will be published as a separate event. \nRoyal College of Music’s cellist Jobine Siekman performs a concert\, with piano accompanist\, at The Globe\, from 18:30 to 19:30. Included in the performance is the work by the Hungarian-Austrian composer of refugee background\, Ligeti. \nCohere\, by Geoff Brokate\, Gallery 47C\, level 0 \nCohere is a visual and poetic response to the meaning of place\, and how our homeland and its culture impact our sense of self. hear spoken word poetry by refugee writers and explore your own sense of belonging through poetic visual imagery and language. \nKwibuka 25- Rwandan poetry and stories\, by Laila Sumpton and Jo Ingabire\, The Globe\, 20:00 to 21:30 \nKwibuka means remember in Kinyarwanda. Join Rwandan poets and storytellers from the Ishami Foundation as we remember the genocide 25 years ago\, look back at the time before and look forward to the future. Add our pop up writing mosaic before and after as we explore the V&A’s collection and think about how conflict changes lives and identities. \nOur newest Refugee Week partners at the International Rescue Committee will be at the Sackler Centre reception throughout the evening with ‘Rescuing Futures’\, sharing the objects and materials designed by young people building their entrepreneurship and business skills through the Rescuing Futures projects. All of the young people have fled conflict and crisis and are now working to kick-start their careers. \nCapernaum\, with UNHCR\, Hochhauser Auditorium\, Sackler Centre\, Level 1\, 16:00 to 19:00 \nWatch this critically acclaimed drama of hardened\, streetwise 12-year old Lebanese boy who sues his parents in protest of the life they have given him. Book here \nBelly Full: Feeding the Nation’s Narratives\, Art and Digital Art Studio\, The Sackler Centre\, Level 0\, 19:00 to 21:30 \nWith young contemporary artists explore lost histories\, undocumented stories and personal lives integral to the fabric of this nation. In collaboration with Laundry Arts. To book check the Museum’s website\, tickets £12\, £10 concessions. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/special-late-opening-at-the-va-museum/ CATEGORIES:Multi-Art Form ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/dance-for-refuge-2019_960.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190620T000000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190620T000000 DTSTAMP:20260430T113821 CREATED:20190517T110525Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T145421Z UID:10000289-1560988800-1560988800@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Rubble Theatre DESCRIPTION:German-Syrian artist Manaf Halbouni’s sculpture Rubble Theatre is a highlight of this year’s Refugee Festival Scotland. It recreates a scene of destruction in Syria\, featuring the rubble of a bombsite and an abandoned car. Halbouni was born in Syria\, the son of a Syrian father and a German mother. He studied at art school in Syria and then moved to Germany a few years before the war. In 2017\, far-right groups in Germany protested against his installation Monument\, which erected three\, upended buses at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and at the Frauenkirche in Dresden\, in homage to a barricade of buses that protected civilians from sniper fire in Aleppo.\n\nVehicles (and most frequently cars) are a repeating theme in Halbouni’s work – whether as a means of escape or as a mobile home. ‘With the car\, a symbol of mobility\, I try to reach a place that I can call home to take root again\,’ he says. Rubble Theatre will bring the theme of displacement to the heart of Glasgow and be a space for emerging artists from refugee and migrant backgrounds and others to meet\, discuss and share their work. \nRubble Theatre will continue Halbouni’s ongoing exploration of belonging and ‘home’\, acting as a catalyst for public discussions central to Refugee Festival Scotland’s theme of ‘Making Art\, Making Home’ – enabling wider dialogue about the pivotal role of art in creating welcoming and inclusive communities. \nJoin us at Rubble Theatre for the launch of Refugee Festival Scotland 2019 on World Refugee Day\, Thursday 20 June. Halbouni will also be in conversation with Counterpoints Arts about his international work as an artist on Monday 24 June. \nRubble Theatre will be open to the public between Thursday 20 – Wednesday 26 June. The installation is outdoors and wheelchair accessible. \nCommissioned by Counterpoints Arts and Refugee Festival Scotland and supported by Creative Scotland. \n\n  \nConversations with Artist \nAs part of Rubble Theatre\, Manaf Halbouni will discuss his way of working and what inspires his practice with other artists and cultural practitioners: including Rachel Disbury\, Alchemy Film; Helen Trew\, Creative Scotland; Leila Sinclair-Bright\, University of Edinburgh; Sara Sharaawi\, Highlight Arts. \n23rd June \n4:00pm: Rubble Theatre\, St Enoch Square \nIn conversation with Rachael Disbury\, Alchemy Film \n24th June \n4:00pm: Rubble Theatre\, St Enoch Square \nIn conversation with Helen Trew\, Creative Scotland \n24th June \n7:00 – 8:00pm: Scottish Youth Theatre\nManaf Halbouni will take part in a public conversation with Kate Gray\, Director of Collective\, Edinburgh at the Scottish Youth Theatre\, Brian Cox Studio Theatre\, The Old Sheriff Court\, 105 Brunswick Street\, Glasgow G1 1TF \n25th June \n3:00pm: Rubble Theatre\, St Enoch Square \nIn conversation with Leila Sinclair-Bright\, University of Edinburgh and Claudia Zeiske\, Deveron Projects \n26th June \n4:00pm: Rubble Theatre\, St Enoch Square \nIn conversation with Sara Sharaawi\, Highlight Arts URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/rubble-theatre/ CATEGORIES:Multi-Art Form ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Picture1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190620T000000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190620T000000 DTSTAMP:20260430T113821 CREATED:20190507T073914Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T145421Z UID:10000296-1560988800-1560988800@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Refugee Week at the BFI - Styx DESCRIPTION:Lone yachtswoman Rieke (Wolff) is sailing to Ascension Island to explore the man-made paradise created by Charles Darwin. En-route she encounters a marooned vessel whose occupants need help. Defying all warnings\, she attempts to follow her conscience and a nightmare begins…This adrenaline-driven thriller boasts stunning cinematography and compelling performances; it’s a film which raises deep questions about the limits of our humanity. \nWith Q&A with Director Wolfgang Fischer (work permitting). \nIn partnership with the British Film Institute. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/refugee-week-at-the-bfi-styx/ CATEGORIES:Film and Photography ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/styx-01.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190619T000000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190619T000000 DTSTAMP:20260430T113821 CREATED:20190610T130921Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T145421Z UID:10000277-1560902400-1560902400@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Integration of Refugees within the Creative Industry DESCRIPTION:We are delighted to be working with Strange Beast on a special event for Refugee Week exploring Integration of Refugees within the Creative Industry. We’ll be premiering a new film by Anna Ginsburg and Melissa Kitty Jarram and screening 3 more inspired by refugee stories. Following this will be a panel discussion. \nBooking via Eventbrite \nAll proceeds from ticket sales* will be donated to Counterpoints Arts \nPremiere \n‘Ugly’ by Anna Ginsburg and Melissa Kitty Jarram – an animated narration of the Poem by Warsan Shire \nScreening \n‘Al Hurriya’ by Loup Blaster \n‘Dear Habib’ by Majid Adin \n‘Then I Came By Boat’ by Marleena Forward \nExhibition \nOriginal hand-painted frames from ‘Ugly’ by Melissa Kitty Jarram \nPanel Hosted by Lucy Bourton – Deputy Editor of It’s Nice That: \nTom Green – Counterpoints Arts \nMajid Adin – Artist and Animation Director \nArteh Odjidja – Photographer \nEvent Supported by: \nStrange Beast \nFriendship Adventure Brewery \nThe Trampery \n*Donation total is subject to Eventbrite fees URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/integration-of-refugees-within-the-creative-industry/ CATEGORIES:Pop Culture ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/https___cdn.evbuc_.com_images_63489018_167137863217_1_original.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190619T000000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190619T000000 DTSTAMP:20260430T113821 CREATED:20190508T054119Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T145421Z UID:10000295-1560902400-1560902400@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Refugee Week 2019 Launch at the V&A DESCRIPTION:Following months of collaboration with the V&A Museum\, we have co-curated a hugely exciting programme that is inspired by this year’s Refugee Week theme “You\, Me and Those Who Came Before“. The programme includes a week of workshops\, music\, spoken word and interactive performances\, starting with the launch on 16th June – details below. Join us and V&A to discover experiences of displacement that are found in our families\, neighbourhoods and history. \n  \nProgramme – 16th June \n  \n‘You\, me and those who came before’ – Photography Commission\, Main Entrance. \nFor this special commission for Refugee Week 2019\, the distinguished photographer Jillian Edelstein created a stunning series of portraits that brings to light a hidden history of refugees enriching our culture and communities for generations. \nA special tour of the V&A with artist Ania Bas and Daniela Nofal – 13:00\, 14:30 and 16:00 from the Main Entrance \nThis unique tour of V&A is curated to combine an exploration of significant objects in the Museum’s Collections with performance and interactive moments from the below programme. Book early! \nAs Far as Isolation Goes\, The john Madejski Garden \n\nA performance by musician and street artist\, Basel Zaraa\, and live artist\, Tania El Khoury\, about the health experiences of refugees. \n\nIn this newly commissioned piece\, Zaraa creates a song inspired by conversations with friends and colleagues who have recently claimed refuge in the UK.  It uses touch\, sound and interactivity to bring the audience in contact with those faced with inhumane detention centres and a mental health system that disregards people’s political and emotional needs. \nSelected workshops by Refugee Week partners – various locations  \nWho came before you is a journey through the Refugee Council’s archive\, through poetry and craft\, and it’s been designed with the University of East London’s Paul Dudman and poet Sonia Quintero; Amnesty International’s What do we have in common‘ explores the history of Britain offering asylum to those seeking refugee with their large colourful map of family journeys; Migrant Help team invite you to create an object for their Time Capsule; ‘ International Organisation for Migration’s Hold on uses virtual reality to have us looking at the significance of holding on to objects and sharing them with the next generation (14 years +); Freedom From Torture return with their Write to Life creative writing group who will share stories in response to objects in the V&A collections. \n20:20\, by Salusbury World\, The Globe  \nSalusbury World is a unique and visionary school-based refugee charity in North West London\, which over the past twenty years has supported refugee children and their families. They bring parts of their storytelling installation created in partnership with the London College of Communication Design School and its students. \n80 Years On\, It’s Our Turn\, by Safe Passage\, Gallery 47c\, Level 0 \nThe Video Installation highlights the parallels between the situation of child refugees fleeing Nazi persecution 80 years ago and those fleeing persecution today and the need to carry forward the Kindertransport legacy. \nDrop-in Design: Under my Umbrella\, by the V&A Families team\, The john Madejski Garden \nWhat objects from the Museum would you like to share with others? Make a parasol decorated with the objects that mean most to you. \nMigrating Skills\, by Shelanu: Women’s Craft Collective from Birmingham\, Raphael\, 48a\, Level 0 \nWhat skills could you take with you if you had to start again in a new place? Make origami birds to carry the skills of ‘You\, me and those who came before’\, using your own experiences\, family stories or the V&A collections as inspiration. \nPlay for Progress\, Lydia and Manfred Gorvy Lecture Theatre\, Level 4\, 12:00\, 13:30 and 15:00 \nJoin a workshop led by unaccompanied young refugees and asylum seekers working with Play for Progress\, a London-based charity that delivers therapeutic and educational music programmes for children impacted by conflict. Explore your own possibilities in music and work with the team. \nShelter from the Storm\, by The Scouts\, Design Studio\, The Sackler Center\, Level 0\, 12:00\, 13:00 and 15:00 \nAn immersive workshop for families\, suitable for ages 6+. \nGrounding Project\, by artist Julie Nelson and the members of the Maudsley Charity’s Grounding Project with UCL\, ceramics Studio\, Gallery 143\, Level 4\, 12:00\, 14:00 and 15:30.  \nCreate your own ceramic bird from clay\, and have it form part of ‘Flock\, a larger installation of migrating birds representing  individual journeys of hope. No previous experience necessary. Free\, booking here \nBerlin to Sarajevo\, by Natasha Davis and Nehra Stella\, Hochhauser Auditorium\, The Sackler Centre\, Level 1\, 15:00 to 17:00 \nDocumentary film connecting personal and political histories of Berlin and Sarajevo through poignant interviews with their citizens and poetic images of the two cities. Q&A with the artists. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/refugee-week-2019-launch-at-the-va-museum/ CATEGORIES:Multi-Art Form ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/vanda.CAwebsite-1-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190617T000000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190617T000000 DTSTAMP:20260430T113821 CREATED:20190507T073343Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T145421Z UID:10000297-1560729600-1560729600@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Refugee Week at the BFI - Seniors’ Free Archive Matinee: Letter from an Unknown Woman DESCRIPTION:A big-screen classic\, this romantic drama of obsession and betrayal is set in 1900’s Vienna. Considered true to its source – a story by one of the 20th century’s greatest writers\, Stefan Zweig – the film was directed by Max Ophuls\, a refugee from the Weimar Republic (he escaped first to France\, then settled in the US). The story was adapted by blacklisted Hollywood writer Howard Koch. \nFree for over-60s (booking by phone\, 020 7928 3232\, or in person only)\, otherwise normal matinee price. \nWith extended into from BFI programmer David Somerset. \nIn partnership with the British Film Institute. \n  URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/refugee-week-at-the-bfi-seniors-free-archive-matinee-letter-from-an-unknown-woman/ CATEGORIES:Film and Photography ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/letter-from-an-unknown-woman-01.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190617T000000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190617T000000 DTSTAMP:20260430T113822 CREATED:20190418T102554Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T145421Z UID:10000300-1560729600-1560729600@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Refugee Week 2019 DESCRIPTION:This June will be the 21st Refugee Week\, taking place across the UK. It’s one of the biggest arts festivals in the country\, a nationwide programme of arts\, cultural and educational events that celebrate the contribution of refugees to the UK\, and encourages a better understanding between communities. There are also international events in Australia\, Europe and beyond. \nCounterpoints Arts co-ordinates Refugee Week\, providing leadership and support\, and working with the national partners. \nWe will also be presenting our own programme of events – more details on those soon! \nFor 2019 the theme is “You\, me and those who came before” – an invitation to discover the experiences of displacement that are found in our families\, neighbourhoods and history. \nCounterpoints Arts is also presenting  a programme of films available to screen at special reduced rates during Refugee Week (17-23 June  2019) via our Moving Worlds website. \nOther initiatives for 2019 include the Refugee Week Leadership Project and Simple Acts. \nCheck out the Refugee Week website for full details\, resources and all the updates. \nBackground \nRefugee Week started in 1998 as a direct reaction to hostility in the media and society in general towards refugees and asylum seekers. An established part of the UK’s cultural calendar\, Refugee Week is now one of the leading national initiatives working to counter this negative climate\, defending the importance of sanctuary and the benefits it can bring to both refugees and host communities. \nLast year there were more than 600 Refugee Week events in the UK\, reaching more than 120\,000 people. And there was a nationwide media campaign with a reach of many millions. \nThe aims of Refugee Week are: \n\nTo encourage a diverse range of events to be held throughout the UK\, which facilitate positive encounters between refugees and the general public in order to encourage greater understanding and overcome hostility\nTo showcase the talent and expertise that refugees bring with them to the UK\nTo explore new and creative ways of addressing the relevant issues and reach beyond the refugee sector\nTo provide information which educates and raises awareness of the reality of refugee experiences\n\nOur ultimate aim is to create better understanding between different communities and to encourage successful integration\, enabling refugees to live in safety and continue making a valuable contribution. \nRefugee Week is an umbrella festival\, with events held by a wide range of arts\, voluntary\, faith and refugee community organisations\, schools\, student groups and more. Past events have included arts festivals\, exhibitions\, film screenings\, theatre and dance performances\, concerts\, football tournaments and public talks\, as well as creative and educational activities in schools. \nThrough Refugee Week we aim to provide an important opportunity for asylum seekers and refugees to be seen\, listened to and valued. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/refugee-week-2019/ CATEGORIES:Multi-Art Form ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Generations-slider-image.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190616T000000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190616T000000 DTSTAMP:20260430T113822 CREATED:20190610T210739Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T145421Z UID:10000276-1560643200-1560643200@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Special Refugee Week 2019 Tour of the V&A Collections DESCRIPTION:A special tour of the V&A and parts of its Collection with artists Ania Bas and Daniela Nofal \nThis unique tour of the V&A Museum is curated to combine an exploration of significant objects in the Museum’s Collections with performance and interactive moments. \nMeet at the Grand Entrance\, next to the Refugee Week Portraits screen\, and visit stops in the Museum’s galleries where you will hear about the connections between migration and displacement with the objects in the Collection. \nThe tours last an hour\, starting at 12:45pm\, 14:15pm and 15:45pm. Book here. \nImage of Play For Progress\, Refugee Week 2018\, by Marcia Chandra. \n  \n  URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/special-refugee-week-2019-tour-of-the-va-collections/ CATEGORIES:Performance & Dance ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/RefugeeWeek20180617_VA_CounterpointsArts_028_┬®_Marcia_Chandra-scaled-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190616T000000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190616T000000 DTSTAMP:20260430T113822 CREATED:20190528T062044Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T145422Z UID:10000286-1560643200-1560643200@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Refugee Week Launch at the V&A Museum - Acacusine DESCRIPTION:We are delighted to welcome Danto Aya to our Refugee Week launch event at the V&A. Danto is a Tuareg musician from Ghat in the south of Libya. He is based in London and works as a solo artist\, playing acoustic guitar\, steel-stringed acoustic guitar and all- lectric guitars. \nType of music Danto’s music is primarily guitar-driven\, in the style known among the Tuareg people as assouf. This kind of music is powerful and almost every Tuareg sings it. Assouf in Tamazight (Tuareg) means nostalgia and loneliness. When he was young he used to listen to the Tuareg band legend\, ‘Tinariwen’. He first met and played with them for the first time in Libya during 1994s.  He also played with a number of Tuareg musical bands\, such Kel Assouf and Terakaft. He has played at various music festivals including Music Port Festival\, Band on the Wall and many others.   \nHis songs always reflect the sufferings of his people the Tuareg\, and their political and environmental conditions\, including marginalization\, discrimination and statelessness; also droughts due to climatic changes that swept the Sahara Desert at the beginning of the 1980s. Prolonged droughts led to the loss of vast numbers of livestock\, as well as deaths of many nomadic Tuaregs. In other words\, he always sings about the suffering that has faced the Tuareg\, particularly in Libya\, reflecting the daily life and hoping that this might inspire people to stand up for their rights. This of course was never allowed under the Gaddafi regime. Danto was put in prison on many occasions as a consequence. He encountered racism wherever he went\, just by being a Tuareg. \nPart of our PRS Foundation funded ‘Music for Social Change’ project. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/refugee-week-at-the-va-museum-acacusine/ CATEGORIES:Music ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Acacusine.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190616T000000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190616T000000 DTSTAMP:20260430T113822 CREATED:20190528T060331Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T145422Z UID:10000287-1560643200-1560643200@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Refugee Week Launch at the V&A Museum - Haymanot Tesfa DESCRIPTION:Haymanot Tesfa will be launching her debut album ‘Loosening of Strings’ with this performance in V&A’s Devonshire Hunting Tapestries room. Haymanot’s music is inspired by the ancient landscapes and meditative social & religious music of her Ethiopian roots. The sound of Haymanot’s voice is fearless and intensely experimental\, and we can’t wait to experience it in this beautiful but haunting gallery. \n“ Ethiopian singer Haymanot Tesfa’s range is extraordinary – at times deep and powerful\, underpinning the rest of the music\, and at times dancing across the top of it. People close their eyes\, the better to listen and pick out the different strands of the music.” Catriona Troth \n“Loosening the Strings” is out beginning of June 2019. \nPart of our PRS Foundation funded ‘Music for Social Change’ project. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/refugee-week-launch-at-the-va-museum-haymanot-tesfa/ CATEGORIES:Music ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Haymanot_2-scaled-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190616T000000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190616T000000 DTSTAMP:20260430T113822 CREATED:20190528T054923Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T145422Z UID:10000288-1560643200-1560643200@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Refugee Week Launch at the V&A Museum - Songs of Sanctuary with Raghad Hadad and Sam Slatcher DESCRIPTION:The music programme at The Devonshire Hunting Tapestries Gallery\, V&A Museum\, starts with Songs of Sanctuary\, a fusion of classical Syrian music and contemporary folk songs performed by Raghad Haddad from the National Syrian Orchestra  and folk songwriter Sam Slatcher\, the musicians from the Stories of Sanctuary project.  \nSongs of Sanctuary is a stripped back and intimatearrangement of the Stories of Sanctuary songwriting project that brings together people from different backgrounds – including Syrian refugees and residents of County Durham – through writing originals songs.  \nRaghad Haddad is a highly accomplished viola player from the Higher Institute of Music in Damascus. She was a member of the Syrian National Symphony Orchestra and has performed in the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra conducted by Daniel Barenboim. After seeking refuge from the Syrian civil war in the UK in 2016\, Raghad now performs with the Orchestra of All Saints MAS in Brighton and the London Syrian Ensemble.    \nSam Slatcher is a folk singer-songwriter living in Durham\, North East England. His honest and reflection songwriting\, delivered with a calming and delicate voice captures the warmth of humanity and a longing for peace and justice. To date\, Sam has released a debut EP ‘In Unlikely Places (April 2018) and curated the album Stories of Sanctuary (Nov 2018). Sam frequently performs across Northern England and sings and plays guitar\, piano and bouzouki.  \nPart of our PRS Foundation funded ‘Music for Social Change’ project. \n  URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/refugee-week-at-the-va-museum-songs-of-sanctuary-with-raghad-hadad-and-sam-slatcher/ CATEGORIES:Music ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Screenshot-320.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190616T000000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190616T000000 DTSTAMP:20260430T113822 CREATED:20190514T161514Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240721T205527Z UID:10000291-1560643200-1560643200@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Refugee Week: Jillian Edelstein photography commission DESCRIPTION:16-23 June\, V&A Museum  \n17-23 June\, Southbank Centre \nFree event \nAs part of  Refugee Week Festival 2019\, we commissioned the celebrated photographer\, Jillian Edelstein to respond to this year’s theme of the festival – ‘You\, me and those who came before’. \nThe result is a stunning series of portraits featuring first and second generation ‘refugees’\, many of whom public figures who we would not commonly associate with displacement. \nFeaturing Jillian’s images and design by our long-standing collaborators\, BCMH\, this project invites us to revisit our understanding of our history and reminds us that people escaping war and persecution have been welcomed by communities in the UK for hundreds of years\, and that their stories and contributions are all around us. From the Jewish refugees of the 1930s to people fleeing Somalia\, Rwanda\, Kosovo and Palestine in the 90’s to people arriving today from Syria and elsewhere; they are part of who we all are. \n‘You\, me and those who came before’ portrait project will be presented on screen at the V&A (Main Entrance – 16th to 23rd June) and Southbank Centre (projected on the side of the building – 17th to 23rd June). The portraits will also be distributed as printed materials to Refugee Week organisers across the country. \n  \n  \n  URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/you-me-and-those-who-came-before-portrait-series-by-jillian-edelstein/ CATEGORIES:Film and Photography ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/guardian.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190615T000000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190615T000000 DTSTAMP:20260430T113822 CREATED:20190507T072325Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T145422Z UID:10000298-1560556800-1560556800@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Refugee Week at the BFI - The Art of Exile: A Filmmaking Masterclass with Koutaiba Al-Janabi DESCRIPTION:Join this award-winning Iraqi-born cinematographer\, director and photographer for career insights and discussion alongside a screening of his 2018 film\, Stories of Passers Through (67min). Shot over 30 years\, this genre-defying\, richly cinematic work explores memory\, loss and belonging. The afternoon will also consider Al-Janabi’s earlier films such as Leaving Baghdad\, an acclaimed drama following the experiences of Saddam Hussein’s personal photographer\, and will include clips from his recent feature film The Woodman. \nIn partnership with the British Film Institute. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/refugee-week-at-the-bfi-the-art-of-exile-a-filmmaking-masterclass-with-koutaiba-al-janabi/ CATEGORIES:Film and Photography ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/stories-of-passers-through-01.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190608T000000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190608T000000 DTSTAMP:20260430T113822 CREATED:20190530T150138Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T145422Z UID:10000285-1559952000-1559952000@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Refugee Week @ Mayor's Eid Festival DESCRIPTION:8 June\, 12-6pm\, Trafalgar Square \nFree event  \nEach year the Mayor of London invites thousands of Londoners and visitors to join the Eid Festival\, an event that celebrates the end of Ramadan. \nThis year Counterpoints Arts have been invited to curate a refugee related strand of the Festival\, providing a taste of the upcoming Refugee Week. The programme will feature spoken word performances (headlined by poet Asma Elbadawi); music by The Damascus Band and Muslim Bilal; Afghan Camera Box Project by Iranian photographer Farhad Berahman\, and more. \nWe hope you will come and join us on the day to discover\, celebrate and learn more about experiences of displacement. \nMAIN STAGE  – MUSIC  \n  \n15:10 The Damascus Band \nThe Damascus Band are a group of exceptional Syrian Classical musicians now based in the UK. Featuring the talents of Hamsa Mounif\, Raghad Haddad\, Taim Saleh and Walid Zaido on vocals\, viola\, qanun and percussion\, their backgrounds are in orchestras including the Syrian National Symphony Orchestra and the Syrian National Orchestra for Arabic Music and they have also performed in the UK with the Africa Express ‘Orchestra of Syrian Musicians’. \n15:50 Muslim Belal \nAshley Chin also known as Muslim Belal is an award winning British actor and screen writer converted to Islam in 2002. Chin  tells his story all over the world in a unique poetic style leaving people inspired and amazed. Recently directed he’s first feature film “Faith” set for nationwide release early 2020 \n  \nMAIN STAGE – SPEAKERS \n14:45   Maurice Wren\, CEO of Refugee Council\, shares his thoughts on the importance of Refugee Week as a national platform for celebrating resilience\, creativity and contributions of refugees to the UK \n14.55   Asma Elbadawi\, a British Sudanese poet\, basketball player and global brand Adidas Ambassador\, shares a couple of poems to give a taste of the programme in the Spoken Word tent (info below) \n  \nNORTH TERRACE \n  \n12:00 – 17:30  Afghan Camera Box  \nAfghan Camera Box is a project by Iranian photographer and artist Farhad Berahman. \nThe Afghan Camera\, or ‘kamra-e-faoree’ is still used as a traditional method of capturing memories by veteran street photographers in Afghanistan and Iran. The hand-made wooden camera acts as both the camera and darkroom\, thus working as a ‘2 in 1’ machine. This enables capturing and instant printing of photographs\, an individual copy handed to visitors upon processing of the image. \nThe visitors are also invited to join Farhad in a hand colouring activity – a technique of treating images which dates back to the early 19th century when artists started to paint over a black and white photograph in order to bring photos to life. \n  \n12:00 – 17:00  Spoken Word Tent  \nLaila Sumpton\, Amir Darwish\, Tice Cin and The Ishami Foundation (12:00 – 17:00) \nLaila Sumpton\, Zahrah Sheikh\, The Ishami Foundation\, Zia Ahmed\, Amir Darwish (13:30 – 14:50). \nLaila Sumpton\, Rakaya Fetuga\, Tice Cin\, Zahrah Sheikh\, Zia Ahmed\, Asma Elbadawi\, Rakaya Fetuga (15:15 – 17:00) \nLaila Sumpton is a poet\, writer\, dance devotee and NGO worker based in London. Her poetry uses imagery and lyricism to tell stories about identity and human rights. She organises events and workshops at universites\, festivals\, heritage sites and various NGOs- using poetry and the arts to campaign for human rights and bring people together. \nAsma Elbadawi is a British Sudanese\, Basketball player\, Creative and Global Brand Adidas Ambassador. Born in Sudan and raised in England. Her dual cultural heritage deeply influences her creativity\, paired with a focus on international development and female empowerment. She is best known for her involvement in the successful Fiba Allow Hijab campaign that urged the Basketball federation FIBA in 2016 to allow Muslim women to wear the Hijab in Professional Basketball. \nAmir Darwish is a British Syrian poet & writer of Kurdish origin who lives in London. Born in Aleppo & came to Britain as an asylum seeker in 2003. He published his work in the UK\, USA\, Pakistan\, India\, Finland\, Turkey\, Canada\, Singapore & Mexico. \nTice Cin is a poet and writer from Tottenham\, North London. An alumnus of the poetry community Barbican Young Poets\, she recently took part in the Barbican’s Art of Change series and is part of the centre’s Design Yourself collective. \nThe Ishami Foundation are a Rwandan survivor’s group that creates poems and stories for the 25th anniversary of the genocide against the Tutsi. \nZahrah Sheikh is a British Pakistani poet from Ilford. Member of Octavia (a women of colour collective lead by Rachel Long) based at Southbank and a Barbican Young Poet Alumnus. Her writing mainly explores prayer\, the self\, the weight of an action and silence. \nZia Ahmed is from North West London. He was on attachment at Paines Plough for 2017\, having been a recipient of the Channel 4 Playwrights’ Scheme bursary. He is a London Laureate and was shortlisted to be the Young Poet Laureate for London 2015/16 and a former Roundhouse Slam winner. \nRakaya Fetuga is a poet and creative writer from London of Ghanaian and Nigerian heritage. Her work joins conversations on overlapping identities\, faith and culture as empowerment. Rakaya won the Spread the Word Poetry Prize in 2017 and the Roundhouse Poetry Slam in 2018. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/refugee-week-mayors-eid-festival/ CATEGORIES:Multi-Art Form ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/BeFunky-collage-2-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190521T000000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190521T000000 DTSTAMP:20260430T113822 CREATED:20190508T071103Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T145422Z UID:10000292-1558396800-1558396800@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Who Are We? Project at Tate Exchange DESCRIPTION:Move across Tate Exchange through commissioned installations\, symposia\, and participatory workshops exploring living archives\, the power of popular culture and crossing borders; migration\, mobility and citizenship; and the politics of cultural policy\, language diversity and translation. \nTake part in Learning Labs focusing on the increasing restrictions on artists’ rights and freedom of expression\, the political potential of the neighbourhood-led co-operative commission\, and the local/global re-building of arts/culture and civic infrastructures. \nThroughout the week\, we’ll choreograph conversations with artists\, cultural activists\, academics and cultural hubs across the UK – with guest partners and participants from Beirut\, Berlin\, Casablanca\, Dublin\, Istanbul and Madrid – to explore the comparative processes of cultural democracy and new models for artistic production and collaborative\, socially engaged practice. \nWe look forward to continuing our collaboration with Tate Neighbours; and partnering with the British Council\, Plymouth College of Art\, English PEN\,  Index on Censorship\, and the design and branding agency\, TEMPLO. \n The programme includes four commissions/installations: \nInstallation: Recognise\, Risk\, Reimagine\, Rebuild\, Redistribute \n12:00 to 18:00 (Tuesday – Saturday) \nWhat might real social change look like in practice and where are the viable blueprints? Who Are We? invites sixteen artists to make a collective\, collaborative response to re-imagining cultural democracy.  How do we recognise the most urgent issues? What kinds of strategic/creative risk might be involved in owning them? And how might we begin to lay the foundations to rebuild our infrastructures and redistribute power and funding? With visual\, live art\, spoken-word artists and dramaturges: Isabel Lima\, Gil Mualem-Doron\, Selina Nwulu\, Stephen Tiller\, Juan delGado\, Hamdi Khalif\, Natasha Davis\, Richard DeDomenici\, Zia Ahmed\, Bern O’Donoghue\, Farhad Berahman\, Edin Suljić\, Hassan Mahamdallie\, Marcia Chandra\, Shay D and Laila Sumpton. \n  \nInstallation: Li Dû Man (Left behind) \n12:00 to 18:00 (Tuesday – Saturday) \nWars take away a lot from people. But sometimes they take away the people and leave their belongings behind. As a journalist covering the clashes in Kurdish cities in Turkey\, 2015 – 2016\, Zehra Dogan took the small objects she found in the debris\, as testimony of a war no one was talking about. This installation tells the stories of those who fled\, via what they left behind. It also invites you into a conversation and to participate in the crafting and performance of stories about place and displacement. \n  \nInstallation: SoundShapes \n12:00 to 18:00  (Tuesday – Saturday) \nSoundShapes invites you to walk through and experience the sounds and shapes of languages. Combining digital content\, sound\, embroidery\, film and photography\, it will take you on a linguistic and cultural journey exploring the everyday realities of diversity and cultural difference. Challenging you to rate different languages depending on how familiar you are with them and whether you ‘like’ their sound or not. The Open University researchers Inma Alvarez\, Carlos Montoro and Mara Fuertes-Gutierrez build upon the AHRC project Language Acts and Worldmaking and ‘A Stitch in Time’ (which was featured at Who Are We? in 2018)\, to collaborate in 2019 with branding and digital agency\, TEMPLO. \n  \nInstallation: As Far As Isolation Goes  \n12:00 to 18:00 (Wednesday – Saturday) \nA performance by musician and street artist\, Basel Zaraa\, and live artist\, Tania El Khoury\, about the health experiences of refugees. This builds upon a previous collaboration As Far As My Fingertips Take Me\, in which El Khoury commissioned Zaraa to record a rap song inspired by the journey his sisters made from Damascus to Sweden. In the newly commissioned As Far As Isolation Goes\, Zaraa creates a song inspired by conversations with friends and colleagues who have recently claimed refuge in the UK.  It uses touch\, sound and interactivity to bring the audience in contact with those faced with inhumane detention centres and a mental health system that disregards people’s political and emotional needs. \n  \n Instagram Series: Tales of Precarity (17 – 25th May) \nAn Instagram based storytelling project ‘Tales of Precarity’ by The Open University researcher\, Tim Butcher\, in conversation with seven artists from Counterpoints Arts’ network. ‘Tales of Precarity’ will run from 19 – 25th May with a ‘story’ a day featuring an artist’s portrait and drawing upon the question ‘How do we create meaningful public dialogue about the precarities of artists who risk?’ Discover these ‘stories’ and the portraits via @whoarewe_tex \n  \nTuesday 21st May \nSymposium Part 1: Migration and Identity \n13:30 – 18:00 \nSymposium Part 1 – programmed by Umut Erel and Agnes Czajka – brings together a dynamic mix of Open University projects presenting a series of interdisciplinary conversations between the social sciences and the arts: focusing on ‘movement and identity through experiences of migration’; the ‘politics of citizenship’; ‘models of participation in the context of climate change’; ‘creative interventions into citizenship’ and ‘solidarity with refugees across a range of geographical and political landscapes’. \n  \nWednesday 22nd May \nWorkshop: 20:20 – Curating in Public with Salusbury World and Partners \n12:00 – 18:00 \n‘Salusbury World’ is a truly unique and visionary school-based refugee charity in North West London\, which over the past twenty years has supported refugee children and their families. Salusbury World is about to embark on the co-production of an archive telling the stories of the early years of this school. This workshop will bring together some of these young people and families together with artists\, designers and policymakers to explore the impact of the service and the potential architecture of an archive built upon multi-layered oral histories\, visual artefacts and other intergenerational and cross-sector memorabilia. It is delivered with the project partners at London College of Communication and its students. \n  \n2 Workshops: Polyglots\, Language Teachers and Learners \n13:00 to 15:00 and 16:00 to 17:30 \nLanguage learning appears to be in crisis in the UK. Yet there are plenty of language ‘super-learners’\, a thriving polyglot community and multiple languages being spoken in local communities. Open University researcher\, Tita Beaven\, brings A-level students\, language teachers and polyglots – Richard Simcott\, Lindsay Williams and Olly Richards – into two workshops with live artist\, Natasha Davis\, and poet\, Laila Sumpton. Together they will explore why there’s disconnect between the so-called decline in languages in schools and universities\, in marked contrast to the enthusiasm and dedication of polyglots. If being ‘plurilingual’ changes how you see yourself and the world\, how can we inspire more people to learn more languages? \n  \nThursday 23rd May \nSymposium Part 2: Movement and Identity   \n12:00 – 17:00 \nSymposium Part 2 – programmed by Umut Erel and Agnes Czajka – brings together a rich range of interdisciplinary research projects and creative collaborations from The Open University: including themes about ‘movement and immobility’; ‘Catalan political prisoners and exiles’; ‘desire lines – a dialogue on movement\, belonging and the law’; ‘tales of precarity’; ‘home on the move – the changing notions of ‘home’ through poetry\, translation and film art’. \n  \nWorkshop: Building the ‘City of Refuge’ Archive \n14.30–16.30 \nDigital makings of the City of Refuge is a comparative project exploring the ways in which urban communities – established and new – mobilise and manage change in the city after refugee and migrant arrivals. Building upon photographic footage and ethnographic stories across three neighbourhoods of Athens\, Berlin and London\, this workshop will explore the ways in which field research might be translated\, transformed and re-narrated in a digital format for a public archive. City of refuge researchers\, filmmakers and visual practitioners will join the branding and digital agency\, TEMPLO\, in this conversation. Digital makings of the City of Refuge is led by the Department of Media and Communications\, LSE\, in collaboration with the Department of Sociology at the LSE\, and with Proboscis and Counterpoints Arts; it is funded by the Rockefeller Foundation ‘Resilient Cities Programme’. \n  \nFriday 24th May \n Learning Lab 1: Cultural Democracy and New Models of Art Commissioning \n12:00 – 17:00 \nJoin us for a conversation about how we might shift the axis of power within the decision-making and shaping of public art commissions and influence cultural policy. How might we ground the commissioning and curation process more deliberately within the diverse yet explicit needs of our neighbourhoods and in new communities of place and interest? What might this mean in practice?  Can active collaboration and co-creation between artists and citizens generate work that has the potential to be truly transformative: culturally and socially? With comparative case studies from Concomitentes\, Madrid\, coculture\, Berlin\, Ettijahat\, Beirut\, Create\, Dublin\, Platforma\, UK and more. This conversation takes place as part of Counterpoints Arts’ Learning Lab Programme. \n  \nWorkshop: Popular Culture and the Black Archive \n15:00 – 17:00 \nBlack music – from Jazz\, the Blues\, Reggae\, Hip Hop through to Grime – has dominated popular music and culture for the last century. But do we know what’s in the UK’s archive collections about Black popular culture?  Who’s responsible for collecting this material\, framing it and what are its sources? Where are the gaps and the buried and lost artefacts\, and is this a fundamentally devalued and fragmented archive?  Who has the right to collect\, shape and re-frame the Black archive for the past\, the present and the future? Why is this an urgent question for communities\, artists and activists\, and national and regional cultural organisations? What role can digital media play in making archives more accessible and to whom? This conversation takes place as part of Counterpoints Arts’ Pop Culture and Social Change Strand. \n  \nSaturday 25th May \nLearning Lab 2: Artists who Risk and Artists at Risk \n12:00 – 16:00 \n There is a very fine line between artists who risk and artists at risk. This line is increasingly blurred as artists repeatedly step into risky territories in their practice\, becoming political actors\, activists\, agitators and cultural agents. With artistic freedom threatened and restrictions on freedom of expression and state censorship on the rise\, what ethical responsibility do art and civic organizations – large\, medium and small – have in defending and protecting the rights of artists they have commissioned? Especially those working with more vulnerable communities. Where are the local and global lines of solidarity between artists\, arts organisations\, advocacy\, audiences\, cultural policy\, funders and grassroots communities?  A number of international artists and organisations whose work has involved them in different kinds of risk will be joined in person and via Skype by a range of actors working in this field: English PEN\, Index on Censorship\, International Rights and Arts Advisors and Artists at Risk Connection.  This conversation takes place as part of Counterpoints Arts’ Learning Lab Programme in partnership with Tate Exchange. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/who-are-we-project-at-tate-exchange/ CATEGORIES:Learning ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/WHOAREWE_490_┬®BrionyCampbell2018.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190429T000000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190429T000000 DTSTAMP:20260430T113822 CREATED:20190222T103429Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T145422Z UID:10000302-1556496000-1556496000@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Platforma 5 network & planning DESCRIPTION:Huguenot Museum\, 95 High St\, Rochester ME1 1LX \nFree museum tour: 12.30 \nPlatforma 5 network & planning: 13.30-15.30 \nJoin us at the Huguenot Museum for a networking event leading up to Platforma 5\, the fifth Platforma Festival\, taking place across Kent and Medway in October 2019. \nThe event is open to all and will feature updates on plans so far for performances\, exhibitions\, workshops\, seminars\, commissions and screenings. There will be time to network\, discuss new ideas and request partners or support. \nTo reserve a free place at the event on 29th April\, or for more information\, contact Tom Green: tom@counterpoints.org.uk \nPlease share this invitation with colleagues\, contacts and networks. \nThe biennial Platforma Festival brings together artists\, organisations\, funders and others for discussions\, workshops and the chance to share practice and showcase new work. Platforma 1 took place in London (2011)\, followed by Manchester (2013)\, Leicester (2015) & Newcastle and the North East (2017). \nPlatforma arts and refugee network supports and develops arts by\, about and with refugees and migrants from marginalised communities. It brings together groups and artists / performers of any background or political status (e.g. refugees and non-refugees). Platforma is run by Counterpoints Arts in partnership with organisations across the country. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/platforma-5-network-planning/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/manifesto.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190414T000000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190414T000000 DTSTAMP:20260430T113822 CREATED:20181207T170914Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T145422Z UID:10000304-1555200000-1555200000@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:No Direction Home: Stand-Up Comedy DESCRIPTION:Since autumn 2018 Camden People’s Theatre\, Counterpoints Arts and award-winning comedian Tom Parry (Pappy’s; Badults; The Lost Disc) have been running the No Direction Home stand-up programme – a unique new course for aspiring comics from refugee and migrant backgrounds. \nAfter the smash-hit success of the gigs so far\, featuring guest headliners Nish Kumar\, Joel Dommett and Lous Sanders join us for more laughs from our talented team. \nNext Performance (7pm): Sun 26th June \nInterested in joining the free workshops? No experience necessary. Contact tom@counterpoints.org.uk \nfacebook.com/nodirectionhomeuk \n \n \n \nNDH photos: José Farinha URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/no-direction-home-stand-up-comedy/ CATEGORIES:Comedy ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CA_NoDirectionHome_NishKumar_20Jan19-130-1.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR