BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Counterpoints - ECPv6.15.18//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH 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:UTC BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:UTC DTSTART:20220101T000000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/London BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20220327T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20221030T010000 END:STANDARD 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 END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231020 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231022 DTSTAMP:20260430T033025 CREATED:20230725T145708Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144538Z UID:10000337-1697760000-1697932799@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Ellipsis: An Audio Walking Tour in Swindon DESCRIPTION:Belén L.Yáñez will be bringing her audio walking tour Ellipsis to Swindon. Co-created with local communities\, Ellipsis encourages you to reconnect with your local area and observe something new and unexpected in the everyday.  \nJoin us in Swindon for a free and interactive audio walking tour experience suitable for all ages. Guided by a performer for 60 minutes you will be invited to rediscover and interact with your local area. Explore familiar places from a different perspective and blur the real with the imagined. \nMultiple dates and times in Swindon on Friday 20 October\, 3.30PM and Saturday 21 October\, 11AM and 3PM. Book your free tickets via Eventbrite. \nFunded by National Lottery through Arts Council England \nCo-commissioned by Counterpoints Arts \nSupported by Arts University Plymouth & Prime Theatre \nImage credit: Collage by Belén L.Yáñez \nPart of the Platforma festival 2023\, produced by Counterpoints Arts and partners across the South West of England. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/ellipsis-an-audio-walking-tour-in-swindon/ LOCATION:STEAM – Museum of the Great Western Railway\, Fire Fly Avenue\, Swindon\, SN2 2TA\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Audio,Community & Participation,Performance & Dance,Platforma ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/ellipsis_Overlay-Platforma.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231021 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231022 DTSTAMP:20260430T033025 CREATED:20230725T170404Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144538Z UID:10000343-1697846400-1697932799@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Mohand & Peter (Bristol and Swindon) DESCRIPTION:PSYCHEdelight Theatre and Sole Purpose Productions present a wonderful work of storytelling and physical theatre. With humour and visual poetry\, Mohand and Peter will take you on a road trip through Sudan jumping from one character to another\, including Omar Al Bashir\, Mohand’s 450 cousins\, and a lazy camel. \nMohand and Peter bounce on one of the toughest international news stories of the decade and as two brave clowns\, they fight horror with laughter to build a magnificent pedestal for Mohand’s country. \nIn Bristol there will be a matinee and evening performances at acta on 21 October priced just £5. Booking link \nThere will also be a private performance at the Harbour Project in Swindon on 19 October. \n\nThe Stage : “A genial\, family friendly two-hander that acknowledges the profound sense of yearning that refugees so often feel for the families and homes they’ve left behind” \nThe Star Sheffield : “Magical and magnificent show. Charming\, funny and clever.” \nCentre Stage Reviews : “Tonight I laughed\, I learnt\, I travelled.” \nEverything Theatre : “A glorious celebration of Sudan\, and the magic of friendship across cultures” \nTheatre-News : “Master-class of physical theatre. A delight from start to finish.” \nReviewsGate : “Funny\, consistently entertaining. Beguiling performers” \nLondonTheatre1 : “Broad and refreshing… The portrayals are spot on. An engaging and enthusiastic piece of theatre” \nMind the Blog :  “Mohand’s love letter to Sudan is an entertaining & enlightening show – as timely as it ever could be” \nThe Family Stage: “For some of us\, the show gave us a chance to learn just a little about a country that we rarely hear much about apart from negative news. For others\, it represented an opportunity to be transported back to the country they call home and to celebrate it at its best.” \nThere Ought to Be Clowns: “Beautiful in both its poetic and physical language\, Mohand & Peter is a triumph”. \nEvents in London: “A skilfully handled trip down memory lane.” \nThe Prickle: “Explosively funny duo” \n \n  \nPart of the Platforma festival 2023\, produced by Counterpoints Arts and partners across the South West of England. \n  URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/mohand-peter/ CATEGORIES:Platforma,Theatre ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Test-Platforma-Overlay-8.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231021 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231023 DTSTAMP:20260430T033025 CREATED:20230725T155343Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144537Z UID:10000341-1697846400-1698019199@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Flamm (Redruth) DESCRIPTION:We are excited to be partnering with Creative Kernow to present commissions by artists Abigail Reynolds and Sovay Berriman as part of a new pilot initiative Flamm in Redruth\, Cornwall on 21-22 October. Both projects address issues of heritage\, language and migration in ways that add new dimensions to our Platforma 2023 programme. \nAbigail Reynolds will present CORE\, a collaborative sound installation rooted in place\, from the quarry on Carn Marth to explore socio-economic change caused by mine closures and ideological hydro feminist change in our extractive relationship with the environment. More information on this event and booking details here. \nGwyrdh Glas (tr. Green Green) by Sovay Berriman uses sculpture and conversation to explore contemporary Kernewek (Cornish) identity in relation to themes of heritage\, land and extraction industries. Sovay will deliver a public workshop series and an audiovisual film and a rock sculpture on the themes of Kernewek (Cornish) identity\, land and language. More information on this event here. \nThe artworks will be presented at Flamm in Redruth\, Cornwall on 21-22 October as part of a multi-layered programme of exhibitions and events. This project is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund; European Structural and Investment\, Cornwall Council and Arts Council England. You can read more about Flamm and the two artists proposals at flamm.creativekernow.org.uk \nPart of the Platforma festival 2023\, produced by Counterpoints Arts and partners across the South West of England. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Abigail Reynolds\n \n \n \n \n \n Sovay Berriman URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/flamm/ CATEGORIES:Audio,Community & Participation,Multi-Art Form,Music,Platforma,Visual Arts ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Test-Platforma-Overlay-6.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231021 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231029 DTSTAMP:20260430T033025 CREATED:20230725T162254Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144537Z UID:10000342-1697846400-1698537599@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:CROWN//تاج by Company Scheherazade (Dartington and Bristol) DESCRIPTION:There is power in self-discovery… \nCROWN//تاج is the UK’s first touring production by Company Scheherazade combining classical Persian dance\, contemporary dance\, and Sufi movement to tell a story of displacement\, identity\, and body sovereignty to an original soundtrack of live classical music and electronica. \nUsing Persian miniatures\, lived experience and the poetry of Forough Farrokhzad\, the 3 lead dancers take the audience on a journey from determination through struggle to release. Finding courage\, resilience\, and joy along the way. \nMaria Tarokh directs this female-led production on its inaugural tour. The cast feature brilliant contemporary and classical dancers and virtuoso classical Persian musicians to bring you a moving\, exhilarating\, and energetic experience. \nRunning time: 60 minutes \nSuitable for 14+. \nContent note: The performance does not include any visuals that adults or children may find disturbing. However\, it does deal with adult themes and the soundtrack features some heavy bass. \nCo-produced by Dartington Arts and commissioned by Counterpoints Arts. Supported with funding from Arts Council England. \nDates and venues confirmed: \n21 October at Dartington Hall (Booking Link) \n28 October at Acta in Bristol (Booking Link) \nThere will also be a performance on 10 November at RichMix in London (Booking Link) \n@companyscheherazade \n \nDance artists: Ghazal Seidi\, Ayesha Fazal and Regine Phua \nSound Designer: Somin Griffin Dave \nMusicians: Ala Zarei and Mario Christofi \nPart of the Platforma festival 2023\, produced by Counterpoints Arts and partners across the South West of England. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/crown-by-maria-tarokh/ CATEGORIES:Performance & Dance,Platforma ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Maria-7-Platforma-Overlay.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231021T110000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231022T180000 DTSTAMP:20260430T033025 CREATED:20230919T125034Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144538Z UID:10000357-1697886000-1697997600@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Gwyrdh Glas by Sovay Berriman (Cornwall) DESCRIPTION:As part of Flamm by Creative Kernow (21-22nd October 2023)\nGwyrdh Glas (tr. Green Green)\, sits within Berriman’s ongoing project MESKLA | Brewyon Drudh (tr. Mussel Gathering | Precious Fragments) 2022-24\, a multi-platform artwork that uses sculpture and conversation to explore contemporary Kernewek (Cornish) cultural identity and its relationship with heritage\, land\, and extraction industries\, including tourism and mining. \nMESKLA offers space for play in making and for conversation around questions of cultural heritage and belonging. \nDates/Times: \n\nSaturday 21st October 2023\, 11AM-11PM\nSunday 22nd October 2023\, 11AM-6PM\n\nLocation: Market Hall\, Market Way\, Redruth\, TR15 2AU \nNo booking required. \nAbout Sovay Berriman\nSovay Berriman’s work is rooted in their experience of being Cornish\, their culture’s shifting identity\, and the mutability yet power of a sense of place. \nPerformance platforms and dance floors\, the politics of responsibility\, identity and waste\, as well as a fascination with the natural environment’s evolution and its domestic and industrial use\, inform the abstract and semi-fantastical sculptural structures and events Sovay builds. \nThe artworks Sovay creates manifest out of multiple elements. Printed or drawn symbols and forms repeat and layer; components of found material\, acrylic or clay man lean\, prop or balance; live or recorded conversations may be presented upon stages of timber and reclaimed copper\, or made accessible through online platforms. All of these fragments work together through drawing\, text/audio\, moving image\, sculpture & installation to create a whole of shared stories and supportive structures. \nSovay uses visual art as a framework and prompt for action and discussion\, and is committed to questioning balances of power. Sovay is excited by the possibility of the collective\, supple and subtle boundaries\, edges and moments of change. Sovay invites contributors into the work at significant times to collaborate\, test and participate. \nSovay has exhibited & worked with organisations & galleries\, such as MIRROR – Plymouth\, Contemporary Art Society\, Spike Island – Bristol\, Exeter Phoenix\, The Harris – Preston\, Pi-ArtWorks – London/Istanbul\, & Robin Gibson – Sydney. \nGwyrdh Glas is being presented as part of Flam\, a multi-layered programme of exhibitions and events. Supported by Art Night\, Counterpoints Arts\, Creative Kernow\, Cultivator\, Good Growth\, Levelling Up\, Shared Prosperity Fund and Cornwall Council. Part of the Platforma festival 2023\, produced by Counterpoints Arts and partners across the South West of England. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/gwyrdh-glas-by-sovay-berriman-cornwall/ LOCATION:Market Hall\, Market Way\, Redruth\, TR15 2AU\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Multi-Art Form,Music,Platforma,Visual Arts ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Website-Platforma-Overlay-2.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231021T120000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231021T160000 DTSTAMP:20260430T033025 CREATED:20230725T153107Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144538Z UID:10000338-1697889600-1697904000@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Humanity Hotel: Feasting (Winford) DESCRIPTION:Bringing together asylum seekers\, refugees and local residents to celebrate the diversity of our cultures by sharing a meal\, listening to great music and exchanging stories that help us see the world through someone else’s eyes. \nBrought to you by Trigger as part of their wider ongoing project Humanity Hotel supporting the wellbeing of asylum seekers housed in hotels across North Somerset through arts\, culture and creativity. \nFood will be cooked and prepared by the incredible Loves Café. \nBook tickets via Eventbrite \nPart of the Platforma festival 2023\, produced by Counterpoints Arts and partners across the South West of England. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/humanity-hotel-feasting/ LOCATION:Winford Village Hall\, Felton Ln\, Winford\, Bristol\, BS40 8AD\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Community & Participation,Music,Platforma ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Test-Platforma-Overlay-5.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231021T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231021T223000 DTSTAMP:20260430T033025 CREATED:20230918T161545Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144538Z UID:10000356-1697913000-1697927400@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:CORE by Abigail Reynolds (Cornwall) DESCRIPTION:As part of Flamm by Creative Kernow (21-22nd October 2023)\nOur relationship with the Earth is changing. \nWe must attune ourselves to the Earth and each other by listening\, responding\, and moving together. Core explores these themes in a quarry\, a scar of past extraction. Once a test site for dynamite drills\, Holman quarry has been silent for decades. Core invites us to dance to new rhythms and sounds in this carved landscape. The lost rhythms of percussive drills are replaced by electronic beats made entirely from quarry recordings. These unique sounds\, mixed by acclaimed producers during workshops\, let us reconnect to the rhythms of the Earth. \nDate: Saturday 21st October 2023 \nTime:\nFirst performance 6.30PM-8.30pm\nSecond performance 8.30PM-10.30PM \nLocation: Holman Quarry\, Lanner\, Redruth TR16 5HG. The event will be accessible via minibuses. \nBooking is essential but free to attend\, cash donations are welcome. More info on how to book to come. Keep an eye out on Flamm website and socials. Facebook\, Instagram and Twitter. \nAbout Abigail Reynolds\nAbigail uses montage techniques of layering and folding to destabilise singular ideas of cultural and political ecologies. She often works in dialogue with disciplines and places outside the art world; a silver band\, geologists\, libraries. She works across sculpture\, print and film as well as creating ephemeral events to bring disparate things into conversation. She works with a strong awareness of plurality; keeping a space complex and unreconciled.\n\n“The pages and images she excavates\, now dislocated from their original context\, become more like artifacts or archaeological remnants – more enigmatic\, more mutable\, and open to more complex meaning and association.” (Martin Clark)\n\nAbigail is noted for her work in collage\, using dynamic forms of assembly to release the latent possibilities in book plates by cutting and folding. To fold or layer historic images or events brings into focus our relation to time\, making it possible to discern things that are almost completely lost. Another medium she often uses is glass – using it  metaphorically to focus the act of looking and to suggest alternative modes of perception as well as simply to focus the light. \nCORE is being presented as part of a multi-layered programme of exhibitions and events. Supported by Art Night\, Counterpoints Arts\, Creative Kernow\, Cultivator\, Good Growth\, Levelling Up\, Shared Prosperity Fund and Cornwall Council. Part of the Platforma festival 2023\, produced by Counterpoints Arts and partners across the South West of England. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/core-by-abigail-reynolds-cornwall/ LOCATION:Holman Quarry\, Market Way\, Redruth\, TR16 5HG\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Multi-Art Form,Music,Platforma,Visual Arts ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Website-Platforma-Overlay-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231022T120000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231022T180000 DTSTAMP:20260430T033025 CREATED:20230724T173747Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144537Z UID:10000339-1697976000-1697997600@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Sudafest: Hope and Healing (Bristol) DESCRIPTION:Sudafest will make a return for Platforma on 22 October! Alongside some old favourites including drumming\, basket weaving and creative writing workshops and youth theatre performance\, Sudafest will spotlight the current turbulent situation in Sudan using storytelling\, live performances and music. No need to book\, just turn up. \nCome along to watch Malkat Aldar\, a show performed by young women telling the story of a Sudanese self-taught novelist and women’s rights activist Malkat Aldar Mohamed. There will also be some lovely traditional Sudanese food available to attendees\, all vegan. Full programme and timings to be published soon. \nA taste of what you can expect here\, Sudafest Evening with Ebo Krdum & Mustafa Khogaliand in the video below: \n \nSudafest: Hope and Healing will take place on Sunday 22nd October\, 12-6PM at the Faithspace Community Redcliff\, Prewett St\, Redcliffe\, Bristol BS1 6PB. \nFor more info contact Hiba at info@sudafest.org and check out the Sudafest website here: sudafest.org \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nPart of the Platforma festival 2023\, produced by Counterpoints Arts and partners across the South West of England. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/sudafest-hope-and-healing/ LOCATION:Faithspace\, Prewett St\, Bristol\, BS1 6PB\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Community & Participation,Craft & Design,Music,Platforma,Theatre ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231023 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231024 DTSTAMP:20260430T033025 CREATED:20230930T100308Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144537Z UID:10000365-1698019200-1698105599@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Climate Action and Refugees (Cardiff) DESCRIPTION:In partnership with Platforma festival\, STAR (Student Action for Refugees) at Cardiff University are hosting an innovative evening of panellists\, workshops and conversations that will unite like-minded societies from across the university. \nThey encourage anybody with a passion for education and activism to come along to the student’s uniun to learn about the social injustice issues brought about by the climate crisis. \nTheir goal is for all of our participants to leave with an enhanced understanding of how they as individuals and societies\, can help balance the scales of climate injustice. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/climate-action-and-refugees-cardiff/ LOCATION:Cardiff University Students’ Union\, Park Pl\, Cardiff\, CF10 3QN\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Multi-Art Form,Platforma ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Cardiff-STAR.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231028T100000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231028T113000 DTSTAMP:20260430T033025 CREATED:20231017T190420Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144537Z UID:10000369-1698487200-1698492600@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:CROWN تاج Workshop (Bristol) DESCRIPTION:Join us for a FREE workshop on Saturday 28th October\, 10-11.30AM. Led by Company Scheherazade Director\, Mario Tarokh with support from Company Musician\, Mario Christofi. The workshop will incorporate basic technique\, movement exploration and learning choreography from the CROWN production. \nFeaturing a fun\, dynamic soundtrack mixing classical Persian music and electronica. Open to all levels and genders. Suitable for 16+. \nTo sign up email companyscheherazade@gmail.com or call Maria on 07709518378. \nFor more information\, visit www.mariatarokh.com URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/crown-%d8%aa%d8%a7%d8%ac-workshop-bristol/ CATEGORIES:Learning,Performance & Dance,Platforma ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Website-Platforma-Overlay-6.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231028T100000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231029T170000 DTSTAMP:20260430T033025 CREATED:20230827T200155Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144537Z UID:10000330-1698487200-1698598800@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Dear Laila by Basel Zaraa @ the Palestine Museum (Bristol) DESCRIPTION:“Dear Laila\, you are five now and have started to ask me where I grew up\, and why we can’t go there. This is me trying to give you an answer.” \nThe seeds of Dear Laila were planted when Basel’s five-year-old daughter Laila began to ask him about his home growing up. Unable to take her there\, he decided he would try to bring the place to her\, by creating a model of his childhood home in Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus. \nDear Laila shares the Palestinian experience of displacement and struggle through the story of one family. Using retelling of memories and tactile details\, it explores how war and exile are experienced through the everyday\, the domestic\, and the public space – to bring this now destroyed place to life. \n \nRead an interview with Basel Zaraa \nBooking for the Palestine Museum: \nThe work is experienced by one person at a time. To reserve a slot via e-mail please send your preferred visiting time to  tom@counterpoints.org.uk \nCredits: \nOriginally commissioned by Good Chance Theatre\, with support from Arts Council England. \nTranslator and script editor: Emily Churchill Zaraa \nSound engineer: Pete Churchill \nPhoto credit: Mohab Mohamed \nPresented by Counterpoints Arts as part of the Platforma festival 2023 in collaboration with the Palestine Museum\, Bristol. The Palestine Museum was founded in 2013\, and is run entirely by volunteers It explores Palestinian culture\, heritage and daily life. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/dear-laila-by-basel-zaraa-the-palestine-museum/ LOCATION:Palestine Museum\, 27 Broad St\, Bristol\, BS1 2HG\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Platforma,Visual Arts ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Test-Platforma-Overlay-9.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231028T130000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231028T170000 DTSTAMP:20260430T033025 CREATED:20231010T161113Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144537Z UID:10000368-1698498000-1698512400@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Art\, Rights & Resistance DESCRIPTION:How can art change the conversation about migration and those who seek refuge? \nJoin Autograph for an afternoon of discussion\, exhibitions\, photography\, food and sharing. In collaboration with Counterpoints Arts. \nGrappling with notions of displacement and exile\, Autograph’s current exhibition Hélène Amouzou: Voyages raises important questions on what it means to seek refuge and what it feels like to belong. Many of the works on display were created while the artist was seeking asylum in Belgium\, part of a two-decade long journey seeking safety and citizenship. \nInspired by Voyages\, join us for a free afternoon of discussion\, exhibitions\, photography\, food and sharing – exploring how art can change the conversation about migration and those who seek refuge\, bringing to light new stories about freedom and identity. \nFull details and free booking: https://autograph.org.uk/events/art-rights-resistance/ URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/art-rights-resistance/ LOCATION:Autograph\, Rivington Place\, London\, EC2A 3BA\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Film and Photography ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4870-cat-banner.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231031T110000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231031T120000 DTSTAMP:20260430T033025 CREATED:20230828T063306Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144537Z UID:10000348-1698750000-1698753600@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Trigger and Maison Foo : theatre\, food and a culture of belonging (online) DESCRIPTION:As part of the Platforma festival 2023\, theatre companies Trigger and Maison Foo share their experiences of working with food and hospitality to engage with asylum seekers and help change narratives around displacement. \nA free online event on Zoom : reserve a free place via Eventbrite \nThere will be the opportunity for a Q&A\, to share your own experiences and to network online. \nTrigger \nNorth Somerset arts charity Trigger are creators and producers of bold\, unforgettable live events. \nFor this discussion they will be talking about Humanity Hotel\, an ongoing project supporting the wellbeing of asylum seekers housed in hotels across North Somerset. \nIn May 2022\, North Somerset become host to hundreds of asylum seekers forced to leave their homes and families\, and now displaced in the UK. \nHoused in rurally isolated areas\, this community rely solely on agents in Bristol to support their wellbeing needs\, from legal advice to English lessons. \nOn their arrival\, Trigger mobilised to offer support. Pulling together a network of local people\, they were able to help with donations of phones and other essential items; they’ve facilitated car shares and free public transport\, signposted legal advice\, arranged volunteer opportunities and brokered relationships with the local football club for regular games. \nOver the last six months Trigger have facilitated a regular creative and cultural programme. From art making to cooking\, sewing and ceramics\, Trigger are working in collaboration with local artists\, musicians\, arts venues and community organisations to deliver creative\, educational and participatory workshops for this community. \nwww.triggerstuff.co.uk \nFollow Trigger on Facebook\, Twitter or Instagram \nMaison Foo \nMaison Foo are makers of theatre\, art and community\, and a proud Theatre Company of Sanctuary. For this event they will be talking about their project A Seat At Our Table. \nOn October 2022\, Maison Foo and their Creative Sanctuary Group took over the grand Georgian dining room at Pickford’s House in Derby\, to reimagine what and whose stories are told in buildings such as these. \nThe project aimed to give people across the UK with Refugee and Asylum Seeker status\, a positive platform from which to tell and share their stories with audiences and beyond\, in places where their voice has previously been unheard. \nAudiences were invited to take a seat at the dining table\, to listen to personal and intimate stories about the familial and universal experience of food and mealtimes. Challenging the perception of who should be seated at the table of grand stately homes and paving the way for a new future…one that is open and accepting of all regardless\, of their background and journey to the UK. \nCo-created with Maison Foo’s Creative Sanctuary Group (a diverse collective of People Seeking Sanctuary in Derby)\, the project began with weekly gatherings to cook and to share favourite memories of mealtimes. These stories then formed part of ‘A Seat At Our Table’ a live multi-sensory storytelling experience co-hosted by the group. \nA Seat At Our Table was originally commissioned by Derby CAN (Arts Council England Producing HUB) in partnership with Derby Museums and Oddfellows UK. \n‘Dear Guests\, we welcome you to come and sit at our table and listen to our stories. Inspired by our love of cooking\, food\, and memories of family kitchens all over the world; these are stories we would love to share with you.’ The Creative Sanctuary Group x \nwww.maisonfoo.co.uk \nFollow Maison Foo on Facebook and Twitter \nImage: Maison Foo’s A Seat At Our Table\, Photo by Jon Legge \nPart of the Platforma festival 2023\, produced by Counterpoints Arts and partners across the South West of England. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/trigger-and-maison-foo-theatre-food-and-a-culture-of-belonging/ CATEGORIES:Community & Participation,Platforma,Theatre ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Maison-Foo-Jon-Legge.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231103 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231105 DTSTAMP:20260430T033025 CREATED:20231025T110612Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144537Z UID:10000373-1698969600-1699142399@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Climate Retreat DESCRIPTION:Image: House-of-Weaving Song by Dhaqan Collective © Luke O’Donovan \n  \n“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence. It is self-preservation\, and that is an act of political warfare.” \n“The love expressed between women is particular and powerful because we have had to love in order to live; love has been our survival.” \nAudre Lorde \n  \nAs part of this year’s Platforma Festival programme in the Southwest of England\, we have organised a Climate & Displacement mini-retreat\, taking place between 3-4 November at Hawkwood College\, Stroud. \nWith social and environmental issues intensifying\, and general discourse steered towards greenwashing and short-term solutions\, we need new approaches\, ideas and collaborations. With this challenge in mind\, we are organising a retreat that will convene a group of women artists\, who make work about community\, collectivism and solidarity. \nCould co-habiting in this way allow us to share our diverse methods\, processes\, struggles\, and accomplishments? Women have always convened. By giving a platform to women who are already developing work addressing answers to contemporary issues\, the retreat will provide an opportunity to start reciprocal conversations and engage intersectionally with womanhood\, migration and belonging in a self-directed\, non-hierarchical context. \nWe will host around twenty women in a generous\, intimate\, networking space that is about exchanging knowledge\, experiences\, practices and ‘making’ something together. \nThe retreat is co-designed and co-produced in collaboration with socially engaged artist Dana Olărescu. \nThis gathering is inspired by the fact that for the current Platforma Festival we organically commissioned and co-commissioned projects on migration and displacement by women artists\, who will be part of the retreat (artists Kaajal Modi and Dhaqan Collective – co-commissioned with Art Reach; and with Creative Kernow\, artists Sovay Berriman and Abigail Reynolds). This inspired us to want to re-imagine ways of gathering and collaborating led by women artists and activists\, including beyond this retreat. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/climate-retreat/ CATEGORIES:Learning,Sustainability & Climate Justice ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/House-of-Weaving-Songs-Playable-City-Bristol-Jul23-©-Luke-ODonovan-mid-res-26-of-36-e1698231818975.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231104T140000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231104T190000 DTSTAMP:20260430T033025 CREATED:20230918T102415Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144537Z UID:10000355-1699106400-1699124400@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Re-imagine Community Practice: Cooperation Disco + Arty Farty Karaoke (Bristol) DESCRIPTION:What is the migrant arts community?\nA cluster network under specific labels? The act of solidarity over trauma? Or can we take a different approach?\nJoin Bristol-based performance artist Howl Yuan on this social gathering\, featuring friendship\, celebration and joy-making practices. \nDate: Saturday 4th November 2023\nTime: 2-7PM\nVenue: Mill Room\, St. Anne’s House\, St Anne’s Rd\, Brislington\, Bristol\, BS4 4AB \nIn Cooperation Disco\, the group will engage with map making\, games and celebratory dances to build connections and solidarity across people and places in the UK. It’s a seemingly mighty task that we’ll face together with creativity and playfulness! Here everyone has a place. \nArty-Farty Karaoke is a multilingual karaoke practice. It embraces the act of ‘singing along’ and ‘singing with’ as the collective cheerful connection-making method. \nHowl invites migrant artists\, performance makers\, cultural producers and their allies to come and share your need\, support\, voice and joy. \nBook your FREE place by emailing Platforma producer Tasnim Siddiqa Amin at tasnim@counterpoints.org.uk with your name\, your link with Bristol and South West and whether you identify as a migrant performance practitioner (including artists\, producers\, advocators\, thinkers). \nThis event is co-facilitated with Ania Varez. \nLight refreshments will be provided.\nTimings:\n2PM – Welcome\n2.30PM – 4.30PM Cooperation Disco\n4.30 – 5PM Break\n5 – 7PM Arty-Farty Karaoke \nAnia Varez (they/them) is a Venezuelan dance artist and community worker based in Bristol. They graduated with honors from the London Contemporary Dance School. Ania makes experimental and collaborative performances\, working with other dancers\, artists of other disciplines and with people who don’t identify as artists yet. They have worked with Lisa May Thomas\, Laila Diallo\, Terrestrial\, Fair Play Productions and Shotput Theatre. Their own work has toured internationally (Taiwan and South Korea) as well as in the UK\, including SPILL Festival. They are a member of Interval\, an artist support network in Bristol. \nHowl Yuan\, or Yuan Cheng-Po\, is a Taiwanese performance maker/writer/curator/researcher. His interests cross cultural identity\, mobility\, site/place/space and decolonised narratives. His works span different formats but are primarily performance-based\, and are presented in theatres\, galleries\, festivals\, beaches or gardens. \nImage credit: Howl Yuan \nThis event is co-commissioned by Counterpoint Arts and performingborders \nPart of the Platforma festival 2023\, produced by Counterpoints Arts and partners across the South West of England. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/re-imagine-community-practice/ LOCATION:St. Anne’s House\, St Anne's Rd\, Bristol\, BS4 4AB\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Learning,Music,Performance & Dance,Platforma ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231105T143000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231105T163000 DTSTAMP:20260430T033025 CREATED:20231002T143017Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144537Z UID:10000366-1699194600-1699201800@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Name Me Lawand (Gloucester) DESCRIPTION:Lawand is a young Kurdish boy\, deaf since birth. At five years old his future in Iraq looks destined to be limited and lonely. In desperate search of a better life in a world where he can communicate\, his family decide to leave their home. After a treacherous journey and a year in a refugee camp\, the help of a deaf volunteer brings them to Derby where Lawand joins the Royal School for the Deaf. As he grows older\, the film follows his dramatic progress learning British Sign Language\, revealing a bright\, charismatic and inquisitive boy\, who discovers friendship and a new way to express himself. But just as Lawand is joyfully finding his place in the world\, the family face deportation from the UK. \nEmploying a striking lyrical and observational visual style\, writer-director Edward Lovelace spent four years filming Lawand\, learning British Sign Language himself. In this moving and inspiring portrait\, we follow Lawand’s evolution from extreme isolation to becoming able to be his true self. This is a story about the strength that language gives us\, whatever form it takes\, and of the power of friendship and community. \nName Me Lawand is a Pulse Films production with support from BFI Doc Society Fund (awarding National Lottery funding) and Electric Shadow Company. \nPresented as part of the Platforma festival 2023\, produced by Counterpoints Arts and partners across the South West of England. \nBook tickets URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/name-me-lawand-gloucester/ LOCATION:Gloucester Guildhall\, 23 Eastgate Street\, Gloucester\, GL1 1NS\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Film and Photography,Platforma ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Name-Me-Lawand.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231105T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231105T201500 DTSTAMP:20260430T033025 CREATED:20230926T073839Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144537Z UID:10000364-1699210800-1699215300@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:No Direction Home comedy featuring Sami Abu Wardeh (Gloucester) DESCRIPTION:Join us for a special night of stand-up comedy from the brilliant No Direction Home collective\, hosted by Stella Graham with guest headliner Sami Abu Wardeh. \nBook tickets \nPrior to the gig a delicious Pay As You Choose feast will be served by FOOD SPEAK EAT with DJ accompaniment from Liam Large playing original vinyl from Sudan\, Columbia\, Ethiopia\, Eritrea and more. Food served from 2-6:30pm. \nSami Abu Wardeh is a character comedian described by The Guardian as “blissfully funny” after a sell-out run at the Edinburgh Festival \nStella Graham is a comedian\, writer and podcast host. “Fun and original… everything a good comedian should be: self-assured\, likeable and\, crucially\, funny” \nNo Direction Home is a comedy collective run by Counterpoints Arts for new performers from refugee and migrant background. Performing in Gloucester will be Loraine Mponela and Anastasia Chokuwamba. \nTV comic and stand-up Nish Kumar\, says: “The No Direction Home comedians are a very exciting\, interesting and creative bunch of people to be around. And they are very funny. The material is really good.” \nPresented by Gloucester Guildhall and Counterpoints Arts as part of the Platforma festival 2023. \nBook tickets URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/no-direction-home-comedy-featuring-sami-abu-wardeh-gloucester/ LOCATION:Gloucester Guildhall\, 23 Eastgate Street\, Gloucester\, GL1 1NS\, United Kingdom ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Sami-web.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231113T191500 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231113T201500 DTSTAMP:20260430T033025 CREATED:20231024T091738Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144537Z UID:10000370-1699902900-1699906500@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:No Direction Home with Rob Delaney and Michael Akadiri DESCRIPTION:The latest show in our Autumn season at Soho Theatre will be hosted by Michael Akadiri with guest headliner Rob Delaney. Performing alongside them from the No Direction Home Collective will be Lorain Mponela and Anastasia Chokuwamba. \nBook Tickets \nPresented by Show And Tell with Counterpoints Arts\, the gigs feature line-ups of new voices from refugee and migrant backgrounds alongside some of the biggest names in British comedy. \nNo Direction Home was established by Counterpoints Arts with Camden People’s Theatre and top stand-up Tom Parry\, who has mentored the group. \nThey have already won over audiences in a variety of venues in London and around the country\, and have now secured their second West End run. \nTV comic and stand-up Nish Kumar\, says: “The No Direction Home comedians are a very exciting\, interesting and creative bunch of people to be around. And they are very funny. The material is really good.” \nNo Direction Home performers are new talents with backgrounds in countries including Syria\, Iran\, Iraq\, Ethiopia and Mali. \nYasmeen Ghrawi says: “No Direction Home is a space to show up/stand up\, a space to be seen and heard\, a space of celebration. We come from places of varying remoteness to the UK\, some of us fresh off the back of a truck\, others migrated here years ago. We hope to keep sharing the love – and our jokes.” \nShow And Tell is an award-winning production company of live comedy\, with a national and international programme of events. With teams in London and New York\, we seek to play an integral role in the live performance careers of many world-class and emerging talents in both the UK and US. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/no-direction-home-with-rob-delaney-and-michael-akadiri/ LOCATION:Soho Theatre\, 21 Dean St\, London\, W1D 3NE ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/NDH_1-1_NOV-SHOW-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231114T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231114T220000 DTSTAMP:20260430T033025 CREATED:20231005T212707Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144536Z UID:10000367-1699988400-1699999200@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:In Their Shoes Film Evening (Bristol) DESCRIPTION:Bristol STAR invites you to a screening of Hostile\, a feature-length documentary directed by BAFTA-winning Sonia Gale. \nWhat does it mean to be British? What does it feel like to be told you don’t belong? This compelling and BAFTA-longlisted feature debut explores how the UK’s ‘hostile environment’ policies have affected four people from Black and Asian backgrounds. From archive footage and contemporary testimony we learn about the direct impact of these policies on everyday life. \nAn optional discussion about the documentary will be held after it has been watched. \nAll funds collected will be going towards campaigning against the Illegal Migration Act 2023\, and to protect the rights of local refugees. \nThis screening is in collaboration with the Film Society\, Amnesty Society and International Affairs Society. \nPresented by Counterpoints Arts as part of the Platforma festival 2023 in collaboration with Bristol STAR (Student Action for Refugees). URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/in-their-shoes-film-evening/ LOCATION:Richmond Building\, 105 Queens Road\, Clifton\, BS8 1LN CATEGORIES:Film and Photography,Platforma ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Website-Platforma-Overlay-7-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231117T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231117T203000 DTSTAMP:20260430T033025 CREATED:20231024T161246Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144536Z UID:10000372-1700245800-1700253000@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Migration\, Climate Justice & The Power of Stories DESCRIPTION:Join us for the next in the series of Counterpoints’ PopChange Salons presented with Climate Spring\, in collaboration with the Southbank Centre. \nFull details and booking \nThis salon explores the intersection of migration and climate justice through the lens of artistic practice and the works of artists and guests who harness the power of storytelling. \nBy bringing into a conversation visionary guests and artists\, it explores approaches that shine a light on new narratives uncovering the intricate connections between migration and environmental justice. \nThroughout\, participants engage in thought-provoking discussions centred on the following critical questions: \nRegenerative language: How can we champion and bring forward a language of inclusivity and hope that recognises the tireless efforts of artists\, activists and policymakers dedicated to equity\, justice\, and decolonization? How do we ensure our language and storytelling reflects the world we are trying to move into\, not just the world we want to move away from? \nWeaving cooperation: What innovative strategies can we foster to bring diverse voices together to nurture cooperation\, collaboration and solidarity? \nClimate displacement: How do we acknowledge and respond to the unique and disproportionate impact of climate change on women\, and on people on the move? \nThis Pop Change Salon is hosted by Lucy Stone\, Founder and Director of Climate Spring\, and Dijana Rakovic\, Senior Producer at Counterpoints Arts. \nAbout Climate Spring \nClimate Spring is a global organisation at the forefront of using the power of the screen to transform how people see and respond to climate change. Launched in 2022 by a collective of leading screen industry and climate experts\, Climate Spring works closely with gatekeepers\, creatives and producers to create content that shifts climate narratives and reaches mainstream audiences. It offers early-stage development funding; advice and guidance from climate experts for writers\, commissioners and producers; and support in moving a project from idea to distribution. By informing\, inspiring and incentivising mainstream content makers to explore climate stories in a more impactful way\, Climate Spring helps transform society’s response to the climate crisis. \nPhoto: House of Weaving Songs by Dhaqan Collective\, at Playable Cities\, Trinity Hall\, Bristol\, July 2023 \n  \nOur Salon panellists are: \n  \nALINAH AZADEH \n  \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Alinah Azadeh\, by Adiam Yemane\n \n \n \n \n \n What You See Now; Crow Link; South Downs\n \n \n\n  \nAlinah Azadeh is a writer\, artist\, performer and cultural activist of British Iranian heritage. Alongside a 30-year arts career\, Azadeh has been published\, most recently in Best British Short Stories 2023 (Salt). As inaugural writer-in-residence at Seven Sisters Country Park and Sussex Heritage Coast 2020-23\, for South Downs National Park\, she led We See You Now\, a decolonial landscape and literature programme for writers of global majority heritage\, exploring the coast through the lens of climate change and justice\, personal migration and belonging. This led to her podcast The Colour of Chalk and We Hear You Now\, an audio series of poetry\, speculative fiction and myth by 9 writers\, installed on Listening Posts across the coast and online\, co-funded by Arts Council England. Alinah is working on writing projects\, including a book proposal on ecological and human loss\, recovery – and letting go. She is also Changing Chalk Associate Artist for The National Trust/Writing Our Legacy. \n@alinahazadeh \n  \nDHAQAN COLLECTIVE \n  \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Dhaqan Collective\, Illustration by Maya Mihindou \n \n \n \n \n \n Camel Meat and Cassette Tapes\, Launch at Arnolfini\, image by Paul Samuel White\n \n \n\n  \nDhaqan Collective is led by Fozia Ismail and Ayan Cilmi. Their practice asks and seeks to find ways of building imaginative futures that support Somali people here and in East Africa to resist the threats over their cultural heritage.  \nDhaqan Collective is a feminist art collective of Somali women\, centering the voices of womxn and elders in our community\, and privileging co-creation and collaboration.  The Collective uses everyday materials\, cassette tapes\, food\, textiles\, to create spaces of communion\, joy and healing that centre the full range of Somali diasporic experiences.  Their creative ecology is rooted in the collective thinking of Somali nomadic life and the creativity at its heart. In the last few decades\, Somali nomadic life has become endangered due to environmental collapse.    \nThe Collective’s previous projects include:  Camel Meat & Tapes part 1 funded by Paul Hamlyn via Arnolfini’s City Fellows programme and part 2 funded by Arts Council England. These projects explored orality\, ancestors\, archives & identity and were co-created with Somali elders and young people in Bristol using cassette tapes to unearth the embodied archives of the Somali community.  Audible Tapestries\, focused on finding new ways to combine sound with physical ‘woven’ artefacts. The project explores the links between Somali nomadic weaving patterns and the songs that are an inherent part of the weaving process.  Dhaqan were responsible for curating the International Festival Day of Co-Creating Change in the Arts at Battersea Arts Centre in November 2021.  They have designed and delivered a range of talks and workshops on their practice for a range of organisations and universities including:    Watershed\, British Library\, the Welcome Collection\, Battersea Arts Centre\, Visual Arts South West\, Bricks Bristol\, Numbi Arts\, London School of Economics\, University of East Anglia and Bermin University.  \nDhaqan Collective’s House of Weaving Song is currently co-commissioned by Counterpoints Arts and Art Reach. \n@dhaqancollective \n  \nGAIA VINCE \n  \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Gaia Vince\, by Phil Fisk\n \n \n \n \n \n Nomad Century book cover\n \n \n\n  \nGaia Vince is an honorary senior research fellow at UCL and a science writer and broadcaster interested in the interplay between humans and the planetary environments. Gaia has held senior editorial posts at Nature and New Scientist\, and her writing has appeared in The Guardian\, The Times and Scientific American. Her research takes her across the world: she has visited more than sixty countries\, has lived in three and is currently based in London. In 2015\, she became the first woman to win the Royal Society Science Book of the Year Prize solo\, for her debut\, Adventures in the Anthropocene. \n@wanderinggaia \n  \nLENA DOBROWOLSKA & TEO ORMOND-SKEAPING \n  \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Lena Bobrowolska\n \n \n \n \n \n Teo Ormond-Skeaping\n \n \n\n  \nLena Dobrowolska & Teo Ormond-Skeaping are a Polish-British artist collaboration working with photography\, documentary and narrative film\, immersive technologies\, and artist research.  \nTheir collaborative practice sees them work on extensive\, interdisciplinary projects exploring the political ecology of the climate crisis\, climate-induced migration\, slow violence\, climate-changed future scenarios\, the governmentality of Loss and Damage under the UNFCCC\, and the cultural critique of the Anthropocene\, which they prefer to call the Capitalocene. \nThe duo are recipients of numerous awards\, including the Art and Citizenship Residency at the Embassy of Foreign Artists (2021)\, the Prix COAL 2019 on Disaster Displacement (2019) and the Culture and Climate Change: Future Scenarios Networked Residency (2016).  \nTheir work has been screened and exhibited internationally at climate change conferences\, galleries\, museums and film festivals\, including Fotodoks\, Munich (2023)\, Futures/Melkweg Expo Amsterdam (2022)\, The Noorderlicht Festival of Photography (2019)\, Kunst Haus Wien: Museum Hundertwasser (2019)\, Krakow Photomonth (2019)\, and UNFCCC COP25 (2019).  \nIn addition to their artistic practice\, Lena is a PhD Researcher at the Digital Cultures Research Centre\, UWE Bristol\, a Research Associate with Culture and Climate Change at the School of Architecture\, University of Sheffield and lectures in MA Digital Direction at the Royal College of Art.  \nTeo works to coordinate the Loss and Damage Collaboration’s (L&DC) Advocacy and Outreach and Communications programs as well as co-coordinating their Human Mobility and Displacement and non-economic loss and damage working groups.  \nTogether\, they run the L&DC’s Art and Culture program “Ways of Repair: Loss and Damage” which is aimed at facilitating a transdisciplinary exchange around the issue of loss and damage caused by the climate crisis. \n@lena_dobrowolska \n@teoormondskeaping URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/migration-climate-justice-the-power-of-stories/ LOCATION:Southbank Centre\, Belvedere Road\, London\, SE1 8XX CATEGORIES:Pop Culture,Sustainability & Climate Justice ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/1-house-of-weaving-songs-by-dhaqan-collective-at-playable-cities-trinity-hall-bristol-july-copy.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231124T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231124T210000 DTSTAMP:20260430T033026 CREATED:20231024T142904Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144536Z UID:10000371-1700850600-1700859600@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Dirty\, Difficult\, Dangerous + Q&A DESCRIPTION:Screened with short film Aziza (Dir: Soudade Kaadan) \nBeirut\, Lebanon. Ahmed\, a Syrian refugee\, and Mehdia\, an Ethiopian migrant domestic worker\, are living an impossible love. While Mehdia tries to free herself from her employers\, Ahmed struggles to survive by dealing in second-hand metal scraps\, all while being affected by a mysterious disease that is turning his body slowly into metal. This charming film\, reminiscent of Kaurismaki\, tackles heavy issues of modern slavery\, forced migration\, and prejudice with a deft and humorous touch. \nScreened as part of the London Migration Film Festival in collaboration with Counterpoints Arts and Birkbeck Institute for the Moving Image (BIMI) \nDir: Wissam Charaf | Length: 1h 23m \nPlus Q&A with Soudade Kaadan \nBirkbeck Institute for the Moving Image | 6.30pm | Tickets (free; booking required) URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/dirty-difficult-dangerous-qa/ CATEGORIES:Film and Photography ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/1380247_dirtydifficultdangerous1_208227_crop.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231127T103000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231127T170000 DTSTAMP:20260430T033026 CREATED:20231215T124923Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144536Z UID:10000378-1701081000-1701104400@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:London Creative Health City: Building It Together DESCRIPTION:Counterpoints is delighted to be one of the contributors to an event produced by London Arts and Health where we will share the findings from our recent report Arts\, Refugees and Mental Health. \nEvent text: \nCulture has a significant impact on people’s physical and mental health and wellbeing. Through a multitude of organisations\, practitioners\, artists\, creative health workers\, social prescribers\, allied health professionals\, ICS systems and more we see health and culture working together to address health needs across the UK’s capital city. \nHowever\, for too many Londoners these activities are out of reach. \nOn the 27th November we invite everyone interested in the intersections of health and culture to come together to take part in a day of exchange and reflection\, boundary pushing and action planning. Together\, we will imagine London as a Creative Health capital city\, laying the building blocks to see it become reality. \nAn initiative developed and funded by the Mayor of London and Arts Council England\, delivered in partnership with London Arts and Health. \nFull details and booking URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/london-creative-health-city-building-it-together/ CATEGORIES:Learning,Mental Health ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/CH-City-Unconference-Social-Media-1024x1024-1-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231202T133000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231203T131000 DTSTAMP:20260430T033026 CREATED:20231115T232547Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144536Z UID:10000384-1701523800-1701609000@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:BETHLEHEM CULTURAL FESTIVAL – PALESTINIAN SHORTS (18) DESCRIPTION:The Bethlehem Cultural Festival and The Arab Film Club present an afternoon of Palestinian short films. Supported by Counterpoints Arts\, and: \n2nd December @ The Garden Cinema in London\, 1.30 to 2.40pm – booking link \n3rd December @ Glasgow Film Theatre in Glasgow\, from 12pm – booking link \n*Ahmed Najar\, an actor and writer from Gaza\, will be introducing this screening at the Garden Cinema\, London. \nThe programme includes : \n– “Said The Dove To The Olive Tree” (13 mins) by Amira Al Shanti. \n– “Ave Maria” (15 mins) by Oscar nominated filmmaker Basil Khalil. \n– “The Parrot” (18 mins) by Darin J. Sallam of Farha fame. \n– “Roof Knocking” (12 mins) by Sina Salimi. \n– TBC \nThese films demonstrate how the Palestinian people\, in spite of ever-increasing restrictions and oppressions\, discover new and inventive ways to elevate themselves from the confines of their situation\, to tell their stories and raise their voice. The films are a reminder never to underestimate the power of film and that Palestine is not a hopeless cause. The spirit\, resilience and steadfastness of the people shines through in all of these films\, each in a different\, unique way. \nBethlehem Cultural Festival is a registered charity run by volunteers. Proceeds from this event will be donated to Medical Aid for Palestinians. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ave Maria by Basil Khalil\n \n \n \n \n \n Ave Maria by Basil Khalil\n \n \n \n \n \n Ave Maria by Basil Khalil\n \n \n \n \n \n Ave Maria by Basil Khalil\n \n \n \n \n \n Said The Dove To The Olive Tree by Amira Al Shanti\n \n \n \n \n \n Said The Dove To The Olive Tree by Amira Al Shanti\n \n \n \n \n \n Said The Dove To The Olive Tree by Amira Al Shanti\n \n \n \n \n \n The Parrot by Darin J. Sallam & Amjed Rashid\n \n \n \n \n \n The Parrot by Darin J. Sallam & Amjed Rashid\n \n \n \n \n \n The Parrot by Darin J. Sallam & Amjed Rashid\n \n \n \n \n \n The Parrot by Darin J. Sallam & Amjed Rashid\n \n \n \n \n \n Roof Knocking by Sina Salimi\n \n \n\n  URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/bethlehem-cultural-festival-palestinian-shorts-18/ CATEGORIES:Film and Photography ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/1397693.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231211T211500 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231211T221500 DTSTAMP:20260430T033026 CREATED:20231215T143534Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144536Z UID:10000387-1702329300-1702332900@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:No Direction Home with Shaparak Khorsandi DESCRIPTION:The latest show in our  season at Soho Theatre will be hosted by Sarah Keyworth with guest headliner Shaparak Khorsandi. \nBook Tickets \nPresented by Show And Tell with Counterpoints Arts\, the gigs feature line-ups of new voices from refugee and migrant backgrounds alongside some of the biggest names in British comedy. \nNo Direction Home was established by Counterpoints Arts with Camden People’s Theatre and top stand-up Tom Parry\, who has mentored the group. \nThey have already won over audiences in a variety of venues in London and around the country\, and have now secured their second West End run. \nTV comic and stand-up Nish Kumar\, says: “The No Direction Home comedians are a very exciting\, interesting and creative bunch of people to be around. And they are very funny. The material is really good.” \nNo Direction Home performers are new talents with backgrounds in countries including Syria\, Iran\, Iraq\, Ethiopia and Mali. \nYasmeen Ghrawi says: “No Direction Home is a space to show up/stand up\, a space to be seen and heard\, a space of celebration. We come from places of varying remoteness to the UK\, some of us fresh off the back of a truck\, others migrated here years ago. We hope to keep sharing the love – and our jokes.” \nShow And Tell is an award-winning production company of live comedy\, with a national and international programme of events. With teams in London and New York\, we seek to play an integral role in the live performance careers of many world-class and emerging talents in both the UK and US. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/no-direction-home-with-shaparak-khorsandi/ LOCATION:Soho Theatre\, 21 Dean St\, London\, W1D 3NE CATEGORIES:Comedy ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/NDH_RPF_270619-7-small.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231212T110000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231212T130000 DTSTAMP:20260430T033026 CREATED:20231215T143306Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144536Z UID:10000386-1702378800-1702386000@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:'Arts\, Refugees and Mental Health' Roundtable DESCRIPTION:A free online roundtable\, designed and delivered by Counterpoints Arts\, exploring the arts\, refugees and mental health.\nFree registration \nFlourishing Lives and the Anti-Racist Action Group in Arts & Wellbeing invite you to our latest free online workshop exploring anti-racist action and inclusive practice in arts & wellbeing services. \nWe are delighted to be working in partnership with Counterpoints Arts on this roundtable and are immensely grateful to Tom Green\, Daniela Nofal and Lara Deffense from Counterpoints for designing and facilitating the session. \nIn this session we will: \n\nHear insights from people about their lived experience of seeking asylum in the UK\nExplore the arts\, refugees and mental health\nShare case studies that include a range of different approaches\nConsider some of the common themes that emerge\nSet out some of the challenges and opportunities in this work\nShare reflections and connections to your work\nExplore anti-racist actions that you can implement in your work\n\nJoin us to share ideas and advocate for inclusive practice and anti-racist action across the arts and wellbeing sector. \nAbout The Anti-Racist Action Group in Arts & Wellbeing: \nThe Anti-Racist Action Group in Arts & Wellbeing is a group of representatives from arts\, wellbeing and race equality charities – including Flourishing Lives\, HEAR Network\, Race Equality Foundation\, Decolonising the Archive\, and Southwark Culture Health and Wellbeing Partnership – who partner with ethnically and culturally diverse organisations\, facilitators\, community groups\, participants and people to share their knowledge\, expertise\, learning and lived experience to support the wider arts and wellbeing sector to explore anti-racist action\, and develop wider engagement in the arts and mental health. The aim is to facilitate conversations\, deepen understanding and identify opportunities for change. \nThis discussion is part of an ongoing series of workshops and roundtables kindly funded by The National Lottery Community Fund which will support Flourishing Lives and the Anti-Racist Action Group to explore a range of topics\, issues and anti-racist actions over the next 2 years to help advocate for inclusive practice across the arts and wellbeing sector. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/arts-refugees-and-mental-health-roundtable/ CATEGORIES:Learning,Mental Health ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ARAG-Arts-Refugees-and-Mental-health-v2.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240125T163000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240125T180000 DTSTAMP:20260430T033026 CREATED:20240105T085638Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144536Z UID:10000388-1706200200-1706205600@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Cross-Border Networking (online) DESCRIPTION:Cross-border networking hosted by Sisters Working in Film & Television\, South Africa\, and ScreenCraft Works\, with Counterpoints Arts \nJoin us for this virtual event to bring together talent from different countries to stimulate new collaborations and for peer-to-peer networking. \nSign up here. \nScreenCraft Works is an international community of cross-border mentoring\, talks and networking\, supporting under-represented production and post talent working in film & TV. Our mission is to support international under-represented craft talent to further their careers across borders. \nSisters Working in Film & Television (SWIFT) is a non-profit organisation committed to championing empowerment and access to equal opportunities for women in a previously male-dominated industry\, by advocating for change from the historical imbalances and a legacy that discriminated against women in South Africa. SWIFT advocates for gender parity and intersectionality\, across the audio-visual sector and content production ecosystem. URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/cross-border-networking-online/ CATEGORIES:Pop Culture ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Cross-Border-Networking-for-SWIFT-ScreenCraft-Works_resized-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240204T160000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240204T180000 DTSTAMP:20260430T033026 CREATED:20240124T163011Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144536Z UID:10000395-1707062400-1707069600@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:432 NO-MAD'S x Counterpoints DESCRIPTION:Join us at Aspex Portsmouth for an afternoon of poetry performances followed by a panel discussion supporting refugees and asylum seekers focused under the theme of ‘progression’. \nPerformers include: Jackson Davies\, Addy\, DarkStarGraver and Seema. \nThis event is a partnership project between Counterpoints Arts and art collective 432 NO-MAD’S. \nBooking link URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/432-no-mads-x-counterpoints/ LOCATION:Aspex Gallery\, The Vulcan Building Gunwharf Quays\, Portsmouth\, PO1 3BF\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Learning,Literature & Spoken Word ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/https___cdn.evbuc_.com_images_673836869_36684856936_1_original.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240211T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240211T203000 DTSTAMP:20260430T033026 CREATED:20240108T121214Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144536Z UID:10000389-1707678000-1707683400@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Footnote x Counterpoints Writing Prize Readings DESCRIPTION:Sabrin Hasbun\, Dariia Lysiuk\, Roxana Shirazi\, Steve Tasane and Simon Weisz have been shortlisted for the inaugural Footnote x Counterpoints Writing Prize\, for writers from refugee or migrant backgrounds. \nThe five shortlisted authors will read and discuss their work at a live event hosted by the Southbank Centre on 11th February as part of the literature spring season 2024. The event will be chaired by poet and performer Arji Manuelpillai. \nThe writers will reflect on themes of displacement\, identity and resistance both in their selected works and more broadly \nHasbun is in the running with Wait For Her and Lysiuk is shortlisted for Notes of a Guilty Survivor. Shirazi’s Dead Iranian Girl and Tasane’s Spitting Bricks are also on the shortlist\, alongside Weisz’s Resolution. \nThe £15\,000 prize was set up to showcase and celebrate exceptional non-fiction writers from refugee and migrant backgrounds\, and to shine a new light on some of the most pertinent topics shaping our lives and society. \nThe winner and two runners-up will be announced in March\, selected by a judging panel comprising celebrated writers Elif Shafak\, Philippe Sands and Dina Nayeri. \nBook tickets now URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/footnote-x-counterpoints-writing-prize-readings/ LOCATION:Southbank Centre\, Belvedere Road\, London\, SE1 8XX CATEGORIES:Literature & Spoken Word ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/counterpoints-writing-prize-readings.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240216T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240216T220000 DTSTAMP:20260430T033026 CREATED:20240121T163816Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144536Z UID:10000394-1708110000-1708120800@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Orchestra of Samples by Addictive TV (Bristol) DESCRIPTION:Orchestra of Samples by Addictive TV present an audiovisual global music show with guest Alphonse Daudet Touna. \nThis is a delayed event from the June 2023 Bristol Refugee Festival. \nEthno-sampling mavericks Addictive TV bring their global music project Orchestra of Samples to Bristol. Described as “ingenious and compelling” by The Times\, the acclaimed live performance is a unique musical journey without borders\, taking in Senegal\, Kazakhstan\, Indonesia\, Colombia\, Brazil\, India and many more\, connecting cultures and bringing together instruments\, from traditional and rare to the newly invented. \nWith their project\, Addictive TV filmed recording sessions around the world\, for over a decade\, with hundreds of musicians improvising; then sampled them all\, splicing instruments together to create new music of extraordinary fusions. Joining on stage live\, will be Bristol-based multi-instrumentalist Alphonse Daudet Touna from Cameroon. \nImmerse yourself in mesmerising rhythmic dialogues and discover instruments you never knew existed! \n“A glimpse into the very essence of music” – Cultured Vultures\n“Addictive TV create the perfect integration of audio and visual technologies in their thrilling live show” – HuffPost \nSupport act is the Bristol Griot (David Mowat and Moussa Kouyate)\nhttps://www.facebook.com/p/The-Bristol-Griot-100069058014190/ \nIf you are an asylum seeker\, and would like to come\, please email info@bristolrefugeefestival.org for guest list places. \nAny profits made from the show will go to Bristol Refugee Festival\, so we can keep putting on wonderful events like these\, and supporting refugees and asylum seekers in our communities. \nPresented in association with LARA and Platforma Festival/Counterpoints Arts URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/orchestra-of-samples-by-addictive-tv-bristol/ LOCATION:Strange Brew\, 10-12 Fairfax St\, Bristol\, BS1 3DB\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Music ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/orchestra-samples.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240217T193000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240616T203000 DTSTAMP:20260430T033026 CREATED:20240114T162549Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T144535Z UID:10000390-1708198200-1718569800@counterpoints.org.uk SUMMARY:Mohand & Peter on tour DESCRIPTION:We’re delighted to continue our long-standing partnership with PSYCHEdelight theatre company in support of the national tour of their latest play Mohand & Peter\, recently seen at our Platforma festival.\nA backflip in time\, a quick hop back home: with humour and visual poetry Mohand & Peter will take you on a road trip through Sudan. The two brave clowns bounce on one of the toughest international news of the decade and fight horror with laughter to build a magnificent pedestal for Mohand’s home country. \n“Every day for the past 5 years since we created Borderline\, I witnessed how much my cast miss their homes. I saw pictures of beautiful lakes\, mountains\, and ancient buildings; Videos of family gatherings\, birthdays\, and silly cats. I Facetimed brothers\, sisters\, but also nieces and nephews. Those kids that we spoil at weekends but that the people I work with have never held in their arms because they are not allowed to go back. Not for a wedding\, not for a funeral\, never. Their country is not just a war zone or a Talibans’ nest\, it’s their homes. With Mohand & Peter\, we aim to celebrate them.” \nSophie Bertrand Besse\, Director \nThe Star Sheffield ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: “Magical and magnificent show. Charming\, funny and clever.” ​ \nCentre Stage Reviews ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: “Tonight I laughed\, I learnt\, I travelled.” ​ \nEverything Theatre ⭐⭐⭐⭐: “A glorious celebration of Sudan\, and the magic of friendship across cultures” ​ \nThere Ought to Be Clowns: “Beautiful in both its poetic and physical language\, Mohand & Peter is a triumph”. ​ \nTOUR DATES\n17 Feb – Old Fire Station – (OXFORD) \n23 Feb – Portesham (DORSET) \n24 Feb – Hallstock (DORSET) \n28-29 Feb – The Cockpit (LONDON) \n2 March – Northern Stage (NEWCASTLE) \n6-7 March – Manchester University \n13 June – Home (MANCHESTER) \n14 June – Home (MANCHESTER) \n15 June – MAC (BIRMINGHAM) \n16 June – MAC (BIRMINGHAM) URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/mohand-peter-2/ CATEGORIES:Theatre ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/landscape-quotes.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR