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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250904T090000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251018T170000
DTSTAMP:20260419T120802
CREATED:20250714T094107Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250912T080410Z
UID:10000535-1756976400-1760806800@counterpoints.org.uk
SUMMARY:Leaving Were The Ones Who Could Not Stay
DESCRIPTION:Broadway Gallery in Letchworth presents Leaving Were The Ones Who Could Not Stay\, a new exhibition featuring the work of Beverley Carruthers\, Bettina Furnée\, Olga Jürgenson and Idit Elia Nathan. \nCo-commissioned and presented as part of the Platforma Festival (October 2025) produced by Counterpoints Arts. \nOpening Reception: Thursday 4 September 2025\, 18.30-21.00 \nWorkshop: Memory\, Identity & Home\nSaturday 4 October 2025\, 11:00 – 12:30\nJoin artists Beverley Carruthers and Bettina Furnée for a creative workshop exploring the experience of arriving in a new place. Inspired by photos from The Garden City Collection. We will work with writing\, storytelling and photography to create new versions of our own and others’ treasured memories. \nArtist-Led Walk & Talk\nSaturday 11 October 2025\, 12:00 – 13:30\nGain insight into the exhibition through a guided ‘walk and talk’ with the artists\, as they discuss their work and ideas. \nThe exhibition features four Cambridge-based artists who explore the socio-political forces shaping familial bonds\, migration\, and intergenerational memory. Through sound\, video\, collage\, and interactive installations\, they draw on personal histories\, interviews\, found material and family archives to reimagine borders\, displacement\, and the meaning of home. \nThis collectively created project encourages sharing of prescient stories of migration and displacement to question societal change and bonds. \nAll four artists present large-scale new works in this exhibition: Hailstones\, Bars and Meshes is a sound installation with photographic prints by Beverley Carruthers\, exploring contemporary oral histories of labour\, migration\, and community storytelling. Out Of Our Earth is a three-channel film and sound installation by Bettina Furnée that explores ‘leaving’- a friend\, a home\, a country\, our planet- by blending tales of migration and farewell with recorded interviews and elements of science fiction. Permission to Return Granted by Olga Jürgenson is exploring the impact of forced collectivisation\, Stalin’s terror and World War II on the migrant Estonian community\, including her family\, in the Ulyanovsk area of Soviet Russia during the period between 1929 and 1953. Trigger Warning by Idit Nathan is a sculptural installation of handkerchiefs passed down through the maternal line\, delicately embroidered with press images from the war in Gaza and artistic responses to historic horrors of war. \nThe project was developed in partnership with Counterpoints Arts as part of Platforma (October 2025). Additional events with Uncovering Letchworth\, METAL Peterborough and Revoluton Arts\, Luton\, will use the exhibition themes to stimulate conversation and connect (migrant) artists in the region. \nBeverley Carruthers is a multimedia artist exploring female experience\, and how this is navigated through ritual and performance in photography\, generative text\, sound art\, performance and film. She is a Royal College of Art alumnus and was senior lecturer in photography at London College of Communication where she co-created the Writing Photographs research project\, investigating how image and text come together\, particularly in an installation context. She recently ran The Expanded Librarian as collaboration between The Royal College of Art\, CRASSH\, University of Cambridge\, and University of The Arts\, London. She organised the Reframing Menopause research project where she has made collaborative film and texts works and co-curated the first multidisciplinary menopause conference at University of Cambridge in 2019. She has run two conferences at Tate Modern\, and an extensive exhibition\, public lecture\, and workshop program. She is an experienced workshop leader having taught for over 30 years at University of the Arts\, with public workshops at The Photographers’ Gallery\, Tate Modern and LCC Studios. \nBettina Furnée was born in The Netherlands and is studio artist at Wysing Arts Centre. Her text-based practice includes installation\, live events and moving image. She works collaboratively with writers\, musicians and participants to create projects that challenge dominant narratives and amplify voices from the community. Her projects are often situated in public places where power resides\, such as a church\, library\, mountain or bunker\, exploring the instability of language through wordplay\, text and sound. For instance\, collaborative project Even You Song was a choral evensong based on interviews with twelve couples about a potential space mission\, and this premiered at Peterborough Cathedral\, before touring in 2019. Powerhouse was a temporary installation\, set of posters\, archival work and film\, which resulted from a durational word association game staged at Cambridge University Library\, as part of a residency at Kettle’s Yard. She has been awarded public commissions\, group and solo shows\, residencies and support for self-initiated projects. In 2020 she was selected for alternative learning programme Syllabus VI\, and she is currently artist in residence for Natur Am Byth\, Wales’ green recovery programme. \nOlga Jürgenson was born in Siberia and raised in Estonia; she is currently based in Cambridge and works and exhibits internationally. Olga is drawn to the subject of human nature’s complexity – whether it’s from the perspective of a female artist collaborating with the world’s first AI sex doll Samantha\, TV detective stories questioning the role of god\, or a painter of portraits of robots disguised as celebrities. She has participated in many group exhibitions globally\, including 56th Venice Biennial\, MANIFESTA 10\, and Liverpool\, Moscow and Ural biennials. She has been awarded grants and awards from several European foundations\, and in 2011 she was nominated for the Kandinsky Prize (Moscow\, Russia). Recent solo exhibitions were at the Tallinn Art Hall Gallery\, Estonia (2021-2022)\, Espronceda Centre for Arts and Culture\, Barcelona\, Spain (2018)\, New Hall Art Collection\, University of Cambridge\, UK (2014)\, amongst others. Olga’s works are held in state and private collections across the world\, including British Film Institute\, London (UK)\, The University of Cambridge (UK)\, Oulu Art Museum (Finland)\, National Centre for Contemporary Art (Russia). Olga curated the National Pavilion of Mauritius at the 56th and 57th Venice Biennale. \nIdit Elia Nathan grew up in Jerusalem. She is a conceptual artist whose work includes interactive installations\, live events\, games\, audio-visual works\, walks and artists’ books where play operates as a productively provocative space to challenge accepted understandings. Using optics\, scale and perspective\, participants are invited to respond to contemporary dilemmas both as actors with free will and actors in an historical and cultural context. Her artworks have been been exhibited internationally and are held in private and public collections including Kettle’s Yard\, Standpoint\, IMT\, Parasol Unit\, Royal Institute of British Architects\, Triangle Space\, Pushkin House\, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama\, Pembroke and Homerton colleges (Cambridge)\, Crypt Gallery and Materia Gallery (Rome)\, Toxic Dreams (Vienna)\, Display Cult (Canada and US) and Zarya Centre for Contemporary Arts (Vladivostok). Until recently Idit was associate lecturer at Central St. Martin’s College (University of the Arts London)\, where she completed an arts practice PhD titled Art of Play in Zones of Conflict – the Case of Israel Palestine in 2018. \nImage: Bettina Furnée
URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/leaving-were-the-ones-who-could-not-stay/
LOCATION:Broadway Gallery\, 2 The Arcade\, Letchworth Garden City\, SG6 3ES\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Platforma,Visual Arts
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250913T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260111T170000
DTSTAMP:20260419T120802
CREATED:20250901T154950Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250901T155359Z
UID:10000565-1757757600-1768150800@counterpoints.org.uk
SUMMARY:Ghafar Tajmohammad: If you throw a stone in the crowd\, someone’s going to get hurt
DESCRIPTION:Explore Ghafar Tajmohammad’s thought-provoking collection of paintings and hand-woven rugs\, called kilims\, reflecting on conflict\, home\, and the search for hope and resilience.\nBy combining painting\, hand-woven rugs\, and lived experiences\, Ghafar’s work responds to the ongoing global turmoil and its impact. Whilst seemingly distant\, such conflicts mark real lives\, especially those of civilians caught in the crossfire. Ghafar draws on his own experience of displacement as a British Afghan\, while also turning outward to wider struggles and shared hopes. \nCo-commissioned and presented as part of the Platforma Festival (October 2025)\, produced by Counterpoints Arts. \nAbout the exhibition \nThe exhibition’s title comes from a proverb shared with Ghafar by a fellow Afghan while talking about the bombings in Afghanistan. \nToday\, the phrase feels even more powerful against the backdrop of global conflicts. For Ghafar\, it reflects both feelings of helplessness and the hope that expressing the collective “crowd” might encourage solidarity and social connection. \nGhafar’s work talks about ideas like home\, belonging\, and migration of people moving from one place to another. \nHis art looks closely at the experiences of people from the Afghan community who have moved to new places\, especially to the UK. He uses painting in new and different ways to share these stories. \nFull exhibition details \nWhat to expect \nOne of the works in this exhibition is a collection of hand-woven\, painted rugs\, called kilims\, named “Love Letters.” This personal piece was inspired by a workshop Ghafar co-led with ArtRefuge at a refugee camp in the UK. \nDuring this workshop\, he invited participants to write and draw their initials using both Arabic and English letters. This simple act of writing one’s own initials became a powerful way for people to express identity\, memory\, and presence. \n“Love Letters” begins with these initials as a starting point\, not only to acknowledge the individuals who took part\, but also to open the space for others. \nAnother highlight is “Dirt Upon My Head”. It is made from one large canvas stretched over several square frames. Each frame represents a single home\, and together they suggest a neighbourhood or city frozen in a moment of impact. The canvas stretches out from the centre\, giving a feeling of breaking or tearing. \nAbout Ghafar Tajmohammad \nGhafar is of Afghan heritage and was displaced as a small child. He grew up in Southeast London\, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Painting at Camberwell College of Arts and works as a Curatorial Project Manager at the Migration Museum. \nAbout Firstsite \nFirstsite is the East of England’s contemporary visual arts organisation where you can experience the most exciting developments in contemporary art\, and explore the rich artistic legacy cultivated by the East of England’s unique landscape and character. \nImage: Homage to Najia\, Fall of Kabul by Ghafar Tajmohammad\, courtesy of the artist.
URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/ghafar-tajmohammad-if-you-throw-a-stone-in-the-crowd-someones-going-to-get-hurt/
LOCATION:Firstsite\, Lewis Gardens\, High Street\, Colchester\, CO1 1JH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Platforma,Visual Arts
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Homage-To-Najia-Fall-Of-Kabul.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251001
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251101
DTSTAMP:20260419T120802
CREATED:20250630T085619Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250903T090308Z
UID:10000526-1759276800-1761955199@counterpoints.org.uk
SUMMARY:Platforma Festival 2025
DESCRIPTION:Our 8th Platforma Festival will take place in October across the East of England\, co-produced with local artists and organisations and also featuring touring work from across the country.\nPlatforma 2025 will include more than 35 arts events across music\, theatre\, film exhibitions\, and more. \nCo-produced by Counterpoints Arts in partnership with local artists and organisations\, Platforma is a festival that takes place every two years in a different part of England. The aim is to present work by\, with and about refugees to a wide audience\, build capacity and share learning. \nLocations this October include Cambridge\, Colchester\, Diss\, Ipswich\, Diss\, Great Yarmouth\, Lowestoft\, Norwich\, Peterborough and Snape. \nProgramme highlights include: \n–The Table – a new play by Aisha Zia\, directed by Suba Das at The Key Theatre\, Peterborough\n–Hearts\, Bodies and Words – in conversation with novelist Sulaiman Addonia at the National Centre for Writing\, Norwich\n-If You Throw A Stone In The Crowd\, Someone’s Going To Get Hurt – an exhibition of work by Ghafar Tajmohammad at Firstsite\, Colchester\n-A Community Takeover at Jerwood DanceHouse\, Ipswich\n-You Never Asked My Name – installation by Jill Eastland at Cambridge Junction\n-Penguin – a play by Hamzeh Al Hussein and Amy Golding touring to Norwich and Cambridge\n–MAS(S) – a new sound installation by Tristan Shorr and Rae Champion (CONCRETE) in collaboration with Lomond Campbell\, touring to Great Yarmouth\n-Palestine: Peace De Resistance – Sami Abu Wardeh’s new comedy show comes to Diss\n-Touchstones – a participatory photography and writing project led by Gillian Allard in partnership with Living Grief\n–A Think Tank on Music and Displacement with Britten Pears Arts in Snape \nFor the full programme visit: https://counterpoints.org.uk/upcoming-events/ \nFor more information contact Counterpoints Senior Producer\, Tom Green via hello@counterpoints.org.uk \nThe Platforma Festival takes place in a different area of England every two years\, produced by Counterpoints Arts in collaboration with local partners to present work by\, with and about refugees and to build capacity and share learning. \nThe 8th Platforma festival will take place across the East of England in October 2025\, following a series of meetings with networks\, artists and organisations over the past 18 months. \nIn 2023 the 7th Platforma festival was held over 5 weeks across the South West of England. A key part of the programme is connecting organisations and people across the arts\, migration and other sectors. We also seek to make connections between places\, within the region and with visiting artists and practitioners from across the UK and internationally. \nBy focusing on a different region every two years\, Counterpoints is able to spend time getting to know a wide range of new partners and to build and understanding of the context. Our co-commissions and overall programme are responsive to that\, with a view to capacity building for the longer term and creating collaborations that last well beyond the festival period.
URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/platforma-festival-2025/
CATEGORIES:Platforma
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Platforma-2025-Website-2.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251001T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251001T120000
DTSTAMP:20260419T120802
CREATED:20250706T093336Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250903T085529Z
UID:10000532-1759316400-1759320000@counterpoints.org.uk
SUMMARY:Displaced\, Disabled & Dynamic
DESCRIPTION:An online event featuring Hamzeh Al Hussien and Amy Golding discussing the experiences\, triumphs and challenges touring their play Penguin (performed and co-created by\, directed and co-created by Amy) across the UK and internationally. \nPlus: Alia Alzougbi (CEO and Artistic Director\, Shubbak) and Matt Burman (Cambridge Junction) share their perspectives on the intersections of displacement\, disability and touring. \nFollowed by: online Q&A \nCommissioned and presented as part of the Platforma Festival (October 2025) produced by Counterpoints Arts. \nBook a free place via Eventbrite \nAbout Penguin\nFull of humour and beauty\, Hamzeh Al-Hussien’s extraordinary story takes you on a personal tour of the places he knows best: his village in the Syrian mountains\, the Za’atari camp in Jordan\, Gateshead and inside his mind\, a place full of music\, dancing\, fantasies and marbles. Hamzeh invites the audience to be his childhood friends\, to hold up the moon to light his way into his dreams\, brushing the dust from his clothes…and taking the stage. \n“From dodging bombs to dancing in nightclubs\, Syrian theatre-maker Hamzeh Al Hussien enacts the story of his life”\n★★★★ The Guardian \nPenguin is touring to Cambridge (7-8 October) and Norwich (9 October) as part of Platforma. \nAbout the panel\nHamzeh Al Hussien was first introduced to performing during his six years in a refugee camp having been displaced from Syria\, where he trained with a Spanish NGO in physical theatre. He performed in various productions there and facilitated drama and theatre projects with disabled children in the camp. In 2018 he joined the Arriving project\, Curious Monkey’s ongoing creative project for people seeking sanctuary. He won “Best Newcomer” for Penguin in the North East Culture Awards 2023. \nAmy Golding is an artist\, activist\, facilitator and consultant. As an artist she makes theatre and works across art forms to create joyful pop-up experiences. Whilst completing a Clore Cultural Leadership Fellowship she founded Curious Monkey – a Theatre Company of Sanctuary that specialised in creating socially relevant productions\, for which it became a significant company in the north east and across the UK. Amy was Artistic Director & Joint CEO there for 12 years. She has now stepped into a new phase of her career as a freelance multidisciplinary artist. \nAlia Alzougbi is a Syrian-Lebanese disabled cultural strategist\, artist and facilitator working at the intersection of art and social and environmental justice. She is CEO and Artistic Director of Shubbak (meaning ‘window’ in Arabic) which supports and celebrates the diversity of Arab and South West Asian & North African (SWANA) artists’ creativity and innovation through its professional\, participatory and engagement programmes\, national touring and biennial multi-artform festival. Among Shubbak’s initiatives has been Sync Arabi\, a disabled leadership intensive residential for disabled cultural workers from the SWANA region in partnership with Sync Leadership and Art 2 Heart Palestine funded by British Council. \nMatt Burman has been Artistic Director and Chief Executive at Cambridge Junction since 2018. He previously worked as an Independent Producer and Programmer for clients including London International Festival of Theatre and Leeds City Council. Prior to that\, he held positions including Artistic Director at Yorkshire Festival\, Head of Programme at Warwick Arts Centre and Executive Producer at Norfolk & Norwich Festival. Among the initiatives at Cambridge Junction is Total Arts\, a fortnightly participation group for disabled young people aged 13-25.
URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/displaced-disabled-dynamic/
LOCATION:Online
CATEGORIES:Platforma,Theatre
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/avif:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/penguin1.avif
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251003
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251005
DTSTAMP:20260419T120802
CREATED:20250723T155739Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251001T091125Z
UID:10000540-1759449600-1759622399@counterpoints.org.uk
SUMMARY:Welcome
DESCRIPTION:Welcome is an interactive\, site-responsive performance by Belén Yáñez that invites audiences to reflect on their interactions with people they don’t know in new contexts.\nWearing full-face masks and headphones\, participants are guided through a sound-based narrative that offers a reimagined perspective on their surroundings.\nSet in unconventional locations and facilitated by performers\, Welcome transforms everyday spaces into immersive landscapes\, encouraging participants to engage with their environment and each other in new ways. \nThis is a fully interactive experience. All participants will be required to wear headphones and a full-face mask for the duration of the performance. There is no speaking involved\, but active engagement through movement. \nFull details to be confirmed\, including times and booking. \nCo-commissioned by Counterpoints Arts. Presented in partnership with Firstsite\, as part of the Platforma Festival (October 2025) produced by Counterpoints Arts. Supported by Arts Council England. \nhttps://www.belenlyanez.com/welcome \nFirstsite Studio 2 \nFriday 3rd October: 18:00\, 19:30\nSaturday 4th October: 14:00\, 15:30 \nAge Recommendation 12+ (for participation) \nConceived & Directed\nBelén Yáñez \nOriginal Music and Sound Design\nMike de Lis \nPiti Varela \nChris Murphy \nPerformer\nBelén Yáñez \nJosé Gonçalo Pais \nMasks\nCarmen Triguero \nCostumes\nRocio H. Valentín \nBelén Yáñez\nBelén is an interdisciplinary artist whose participatory practice blends performance\, installation\, sound\, and visual art. Her work explores how social conventions shape behaviour and perception\, using immersive spaces rooted in everyday experiences to foster shared understanding and collective action. Her pieces are designed to stimulate the imagination of those who engage with them\, fostering a sense of connection and\nco-creation.\nhttps://www.belenlyanez.com/\nhttps://www.instagram.com/belenlyanez/
URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/welcome/
LOCATION:Firstsite\, Lewis Gardens\, High Street\, Colchester\, CO1 1JH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Performance,Platforma
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Welcome_2.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251003T153000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251003T180000
DTSTAMP:20260419T120802
CREATED:20251008T203702Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251008T203702Z
UID:10000580-1759505400-1759514400@counterpoints.org.uk
SUMMARY:“We all love music we all love to dance and we all love food”
DESCRIPTION:A community event with refugees and asylum seekers in Norwich with a focus on the arts\, mental health and wellbeing. \nWith the Norwich Sanctuary Ambassadors\, Zainab Project and Norwich City of Sanctuary Health Stream \nFeaturing a community meal\, music and singing. \nPresented and co-commissioned as part of the Platforma festival 2025\, produced by Counterpoints Arts. \nFor safeguarding reasons this event is by invite only.
URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/we-all-love-music-we-all-love-to-dance-and-we-all-love-food/
CATEGORIES:Mental Health,Platforma
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Screen-Shot-2025-10-08-at-21.35.27.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251004
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251102
DTSTAMP:20260419T120802
CREATED:20250902T092007Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251014T122103Z
UID:10000566-1759536000-1762041599@counterpoints.org.uk
SUMMARY:Bridging Landscapes II
DESCRIPTION:A group exhibition curated by Aisha Zia.\nPresented and co-commissioned as part of the Platforma Festival (October 2025) produced by Counterpoints Arts. \nOpening Hours:\nTuesday – Saturday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM\nClosed: Sunday & Monday\nAdmission: Free\nNo booking required \nFollowing its successful run at French Riviera Gallery in London and the Rich Mix in Bethnal Green\, Bridging Landscapes II comes to Peterborough Museum. \nThis powerful group exhibition features South Asian and MENA artists from across the UK\, including Zaineb Abelque\, Sarah Ali\, Mohammed Adel\, Aya Haidar\, Haroun Hayward\, Sofia Karim\, Rehan Jamil\, Kalpesh Lathigra\, Amak Mahmoodian\, Mohammed Tariq and Anusheh Zia. The exhibition explores the emotional and cultural impact of migration—whether through lived or inherited experience—and the deep\, diasporic threads that shape memory\, identity\, and belonging. \nA book accompanying the exhibition\, Carry the Shadows Home\, is available now\, published by 62 Gladstone Street and Pendle Press. \nImage: Will Not Protect Against Drowning\, by Aya Haidar \nAbout Platforma in Peterborough \nPlatforma 2025 in Peterborough is produced by 62 Gladstone Street\, a community-rooted arts space in the heart of Peterborough with a particular focus on supporting South Asian and MENA artists. Through exhibitions\, residencies\, and public programmes\, it provides a vital platform for underrepresented voices and fosters meaningful dialogue between artists and the wider community. \nPartners: Counterpoints Arts\, Landmark Theatres\, Peterborough Cultural Alliance\, Metal Peterborough\, Peterborough Presents\, Peterborough Museum\, HELP Charity & the Aziz Foundation \nDedication: “Our programme is dedicated to the innocent men\, women\, and children who have lost their lives\, those who have been displaced by war\, and all those seeking a safe place to call home.” \n62 Gladstone Street’s Platforma programme is supported by Arts Council England as and presented as part of the wider Platforma Festival across the East of England\, produced by Counterpoints Arts.
URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/bridging-landscapes-ii/
LOCATION:Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery\, 51 Priestgate\, Peterborough\, PE1 1LF\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Platforma,Visual Arts
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Will-Not-Protect-Against-Drowning.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251004T080000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251026T170000
DTSTAMP:20260419T120802
CREATED:20250930T120734Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T154631Z
UID:10000577-1759564800-1761498000@counterpoints.org.uk
SUMMARY:Maria Proshkovska: Making Oddkin
DESCRIPTION:The interdisciplinary project Making Oddkin by Maria Proshkovska is presented as two parallel exhibitions: at OUTPOST Gallery in Norwich\, UK and at the Centre for Contemporary Art in the frontline city of Zaporizhzhia\, Ukraine.\nCo-commissioned and presented as part of the Platforma festival\, produced by Counterpoints Arts. \nMaria Proshkovska works with Ukrainian grain burnt by missile strikes as living evidence of loss\, resistance\, and the potential for recovery. The artist began this project in 2023\, presenting a five-hour performance Farina at the Museum of Modern Art in Bologna (MAMbo). Documentation of this performance was since purchased for the collection of Central Saint Martins College and is now part of the college’s curriculum. \nThe exhibitions in Zaporizhzhia and Norwich feature a photographic object\, new film\, and installation. This installation is largely made of adobe\, a material traditionally used in various cultures for construction\, symbolising the need for collective labor as an act of mutual support. \nProshkovska creates conditions for dialogue between the gallery spaces in Ukraine and the UK. Viewers in Norwich and Zaporizhzhia become co-habitors of a shared landscape\, formed through co-presence and mutual sensitivity. Making Oddkin is the search for new forms of closeness and responsibility between cultures\, based on shared values and care. \nMaria Proshkovska (b. 1986) is a conceptual and socially engaged artist from Kyiv\, who currently lives between Ukraine and the UK. Her work operates at the intersection of performance\, installation\, and feminist criticism\, exploring themes of memory\, trauma\, corporeality\, and gender-determined social processes. Proshkovska completed a master’s programme in Performance: Society at Central Saint Martins\, UAL. She is a scholarship holder of international programmes and has participated in numerous exhibitions in countries including Ukraine\, the United Kingdom\, Italy\, Austria\, Japan\, and Taiwan. Proshkovska’s works are held in the Central Saint Martins Museum & Study Collection\, MAMbo\, Shcherbenko Art Centre and in private collections. \nFilm screening and Q & A: 3pm Saturday 4th and 3pm Sunday 5th \n4.10-26.10 Thurs-Sun 12-6pm or by appointment
URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/maria-proshkovska-making-oddkin/
LOCATION:OUTPOST Gallery\, 10b Wensum Street\, Norwich\, NR3 1HR\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Platforma,Visual Arts
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screen-Shot-2025-09-30-at-13.05.11.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251004T140000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251004T153000
DTSTAMP:20260419T120802
CREATED:20250830T190922Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250830T193312Z
UID:10000553-1759586400-1759591800@counterpoints.org.uk
SUMMARY:Stitching Workshop with Aya Haidar
DESCRIPTION:62 Gladstone Street presents a hands-on stitching workshop by Lebanese London-based artist Aya Haidar exploring memory\, migration\, and material storytelling.\nCo-commissioned and presented as part of the Platforma Festival (October 2025)\, produced by Counterpoints Arts. \nKnown for her powerful textile works that use found objects and embroidery to reflect on displacement and survival\, Aya brings her thoughtful\, socially engaged practice to Peterborough for a special two-hour session. \nAll materials provided. Open to all skill levels. \nFull information and booking \nFree entry for Migrant\, refugee & asylum seeking groups. \nAbout Platforma in Peterborough \nPlatforma 2025 in Peterborough is produced by 62 Gladstone Street\, a community-rooted arts space in the heart of Peterborough with a particular focus on supporting South Asian and MENA artists. Through exhibitions\, residencies\, and public programmes\, it provides a vital platform for underrepresented voices and fosters meaningful dialogue between artists and the wider community. \nPartners: Counterpoints Arts\, Landmark Theatres\, Peterborough Cultural Alliance\, Metal Peterborough\, Peterborough Presents\, Peterborough Museum\, HELP Charity & the Aziz Foundation \nDedication: “Our programme is dedicated to the innocent men\, women\, and children who have lost their lives\, those who have been displaced by war\, and all those seeking a safe place to call home.” \n62 Gladstone Street’s Platforma programme is supported by Arts Council England as and presented as part of the wider Platforma Festival across the East of England\, produced by Counterpoints Arts.
URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/stitching-aya-haidar/
LOCATION:Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery\, 51 Priestgate\, Peterborough\, PE1 1LF\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Platforma,Textiles
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/aya.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251005
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251009
DTSTAMP:20260419T120802
CREATED:20250711T152311Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250902T092206Z
UID:10000534-1759622400-1759967999@counterpoints.org.uk
SUMMARY:You Never Asked My Name
DESCRIPTION:Artist Jill Eastland brings to life the dark blue tabards typically worn by the lowest paid and most precarious workers\, with embroidery and sound; co-creating stories of work and migration with asylum seekers\, refugees and migrant workers. \nSunday 5th October to Wednesday 8th October – 10am to 6pm \nPresented as part of the Platforma Festival (October 2025) produced by Counterpoints Arts. \nPreview: Saturday 4th October 5pm to 7pm\nIncluding discussion: How can art assist in the understanding of the experience of migrant workers\, refugees and asylum seekers in the UK? With artist Jill Eastland\, Tom Green (or Maren) from Counterpoints Arts and other guest speakers. \nWorkshop: Wednesday 8th October 1 to 4pm\nAn interactive talk with artist Jill Eastland. Jill invites you to wear the dark blue tabards most often worn by workers such as carers and cleaners\, who are frequently migrants\, refugees\, women\, precarious workers\, disabled workers and low paid workers. These workers are contradictorily marked as different by the wearing of this uniform\, but also rendered invisible. Jill will discuss how she has used these tabards as a kind of canvas to draw and stitch onto with words and images about workers rights and migration\, as a tool for solidarity and to investigate the everyday experience of wearing them. \n \nJill Eastland is an activist artist and a survivor of mixed heritage. Her work explores themes of social and climate justice. She favours community based and collaborative working practices. She often employs multiples; to create a more detailed discussion of a theme and she tends to produce open-ended bodies of work\, as well as finished pieces. Her work is often very detailed and can contain elements of realism and abstraction together.
URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/you-never-asked-my-name/
LOCATION:Cambridge Junction\, Clifton Way\, Cambridge\, CB1 7GX\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Platforma,Textiles,Visual Arts
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/3-Tabard-3-Nothing-to-See-Here-Detail-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251005T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251005T133000
DTSTAMP:20260419T120802
CREATED:20250916T065331Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250919T075432Z
UID:10000573-1759658400-1759671000@counterpoints.org.uk
SUMMARY:Big Sunday: Mapping Movment in Colour
DESCRIPTION:Join a collaborative art session with community artist Shathy Bano\, inspired by Sainsbury Centre artworks. \nPresented by Sainsbury Centre as part of the Platforma Festival 2025\, produced by Counterpoints Arts. \n10.00-1.30pm \nAge 15+ \nExplore personal journeys and cultural influences through colour and creative markmaking\, using a range of materials including paint and textiles. \nNo experience required\, just an interest and curiosity in visual maps\, migration and storytelling.
URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/big-sunday-mapping-movment-in-colour/
LOCATION:Sainsbury Centre\, University of East Anglia\, Norfolk Road\, Norwich\, NR4 7TJ
CATEGORIES:Community & Participation,Platforma
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screen-Shot-2025-09-16-at-07.51.31.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251005T113000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251005T150000
DTSTAMP:20260419T120802
CREATED:20250716T110805Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250813T084013Z
UID:10000538-1759663800-1759676400@counterpoints.org.uk
SUMMARY:The Canoe Race
DESCRIPTION:A collaboration between Storyteller Marion Leeper and artist Tonka Uzu.\nFull details and booking. Presented as part of the Platforma Festival (October 2025) produced by Counterpoints Arts. \nLet storyteller Marion Leeper and illustrator Tonka Uzu take you on a timeless journey to a remote atoll in the Pacific ocean to meet Sky Mother and her nine splendid sons. What are they arguing about and how will they settle the quarrel? \nAs the brothers race across the water\, watch the pictures come alive on a big screen as Tonka draws in response to this story from the Marshall Islands. \nAnd then: what next?  Can you help tell the story of their next quest of finding their way safely to a new home? How would you solve the pressing real-world problems pictured in this centuries-old story? \nFor ages 4+ (based on interest of subject matter) but all welcome\nDuration: 40-60 minutes (Shows at 11.30am and 2pm) \nDigital live drawing meets the oral storytelling tradition in this engaging and thought-provoking audio-visual performance which will touch a chord in the heart of any adventurers in the audience. An event for adults and children with interactive elements to engage in together on equal terms.\n \nphoto credit: Francesca DB\nimage credit: Tonka Uzu\nnight sky photograph by Emilian Primov\nPleiades constellation photograph by Emilian Primov
URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/the-canoe-race/
LOCATION:Cambridge Junction\, Clifton Way\, Cambridge\, CB1 7GX\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Platforma,Theatre
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/The-Canoe-Race-Cambridge-Junction.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251005T150000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251005T173000
DTSTAMP:20260419T120802
CREATED:20250830T191934Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250830T195641Z
UID:10000554-1759676400-1759685400@counterpoints.org.uk
SUMMARY:Creative Peer Meetup and Sharing: Leaving Were the Ones Who Could Not Stay
DESCRIPTION:Metal Peterborough present a reflective session with exhibiting artists Olga Jurgenson and Idit Nathan\, part of a long-standing mentoring group.\nCo-commissioned and presented as part of the Platforma Festival (October 2025)\, produced by Counterpoints Arts. \nFull information and free booking  \nLeaving Were The Ones Who Could Not Stay is an exhibition presented by the Broadway Gallery in Letchworth featuring the work of Beverley Carruthers\, Bettina Furnée\, Olga Jürgenson and Idit Elia Nathan as part of Platforma 2025. \nThe exhibition features four Cambridge-based artists who explore the socio-political forces shaping familial bonds\, migration\, and intergenerational memory. Through sound\, video\, collage\, and interactive installations\, they draw on personal histories\, interviews\, found material and family archives to reimagine borders\, displacement\, and the meaning of home. \nThis collectively created project encourages sharing of prescient stories of migration and displacement to question societal change and bonds. \nImage: Olga Jurgenson_Aleksander and Arnold from Snezhinki (Snowflakes). 2025 prints on mixed media\, collaged on paper\, 42×59.4 cm \nAbout Platforma in Peterborough \nPlatforma 2025 in Peterborough is produced by 62 Gladstone Street\, a community-rooted arts space in the heart of Peterborough with a particular focus on supporting South Asian and MENA artists. Through exhibitions\, residencies\, and public programmes\, it provides a vital platform for underrepresented voices and fosters meaningful dialogue between artists and the wider community. \nPartners: Counterpoints Arts\, Landmark Theatres\, Peterborough Cultural Alliance\, Metal Peterborough\, Peterborough Presents\, Peterborough Museum\, HELP Charity & the Aziz Foundation \nDedication: “Our programme is dedicated to the innocent men\, women\, and children who have lost their lives\, those who have been displaced by war\, and all those seeking a safe place to call home.” \n62 Gladstone Street’s Platforma programme is supported by Arts Council England as and presented as part of the wider Platforma Festival across the East of England\, produced by Counterpoints Arts.
URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/creative-peer-meetup-and-sharing-leaving-were-the-ones-who-could-not-stay/
LOCATION:Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery\, 51 Priestgate\, Peterborough\, PE1 1LF\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Platforma,Visual Arts
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/metal.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251006
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251026
DTSTAMP:20260419T120802
CREATED:20250830T203815Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250830T203946Z
UID:10000560-1759708800-1761436799@counterpoints.org.uk
SUMMARY:Gateway Film Festival Programme
DESCRIPTION:Gateway Film Festival presents a series of free screenings of shorts and feature films\, in partnership with 62 Gladstone Street.\nCo-commissioned and presented as part of the Platforma Festival (October 2025)\, produced by Counterpoints Arts. \nProgramme listings: \n4 October 18:00: Britain & Refugees: Return to Life + Hostile \n11 October 16:00: Stories of Migration- Short Films \n11 October 18:00: Io Capitano (2024) \n18 October 16:00: Child Migrant Stories – Films of Home\, Sanctuary & War\n18 October 18:00: Focus on Women’s Experiences – Films & Director Q&A \n25 October 16:00: Lyd (2023) \n25 October 18:00; No Other Land (2024) \nBringing together venues and organisations in the Peterborough area\, the Gateway Film Festival launched in November 2019. Gateway aims to celebrate local history\, community as well as being Peterborough’s gateway to film culture from the past and around the world. \nAbout Platforma in Peterborough \nPlatforma 2025 in Peterborough is produced by 62 Gladstone Street\, a community-rooted arts space in the heart of Peterborough with a particular focus on supporting South Asian and MENA artists. Through exhibitions\, residencies\, and public programmes\, it provides a vital platform for underrepresented voices and fosters meaningful dialogue between artists and the wider community. \nPartners: Counterpoints Arts\, Landmark Theatres\, Peterborough Cultural Alliance\, Metal Peterborough\, Peterborough Presents\, Peterborough Museum\, HELP Charity & the Aziz Foundation \nDedication: “Our programme is dedicated to the innocent men\, women\, and children who have lost their lives\, those who have been displaced by war\, and all those seeking a safe place to call home.” \n62 Gladstone Street’s Platforma programme is supported by Arts Council England as and presented as part of the wider Platforma Festival across the East of England\, produced by Counterpoints Arts.
URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/gateway-film-festival-programme/
LOCATION:Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery\, 51 Priestgate\, Peterborough\, PE1 1LF\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Film
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/io-capitano.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251006T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251006T193000
DTSTAMP:20260419T120802
CREATED:20250818T085429Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250818T085546Z
UID:10000549-1759773600-1759779000@counterpoints.org.uk
SUMMARY:Words of Welcome: In conversation with Marjorie Lotfi and George Szirtes
DESCRIPTION:Join award-winning poets Marjorie Lotfi and George Szirtes in conversation with Peggy Hughes of the National Centre for Writing for an evening of readings and reflection on the idea of sanctuary in poetry. \nThis special event marks the culmination of Words of Welcome\, a multilingual poetry exchange delivered by Norfolk Library and Information Service with Creative Arts East and National Centre for Writing. \nLotfi and Szirtes will read some of their work and share their own personal insights to celebrate the launch of a new collection of poems on the theme of ‘welcome’\, written by visitors to Norfolk’s libraries. \nFree booking \nPresented as part of the Platforma Festival (October 2025) produced by Counterpoints Arts. \n 
URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/words-of-welcome-in-conversation-with-marjorie-lotfi-and-george-szirtes/
LOCATION:Great Yarmouth Library\, The Place\, 37-39 Market Place\, Great Yarmouth\, NR30 1LX\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Literature & Spoken Word,Platforma
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Eventotron-Menu-Image-600-x-600px-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251007
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251009
DTSTAMP:20260419T120802
CREATED:20250815T114636Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250815T114725Z
UID:10000546-1759795200-1759967999@counterpoints.org.uk
SUMMARY:Think Tank: Music and Displacement
DESCRIPTION:Produced by Britten Pears Arts in partnership with Counterpoints Arts as part of the Platforma Festival (October 2025). \nThis strategic ThinkTank is being convened to explore and address the intersections between music\, migration\, and displacement. This initiative brings together artists\, cultural leaders\, policy makers\, academics\, funders\, and grassroots organisations to collectively envision more inclusive\, sustainable\, and impactful ways to create opportunities for refugee and migrant musicians and foster meaningful musical participation among displaced communities. \nMigration is as old as humanity and as it continues to shape our society\, music emerges not only as a form of cultural expression and emotional survival but also as a tool for community-building\, advocacy\, and socio-economic inclusion. This ThinkTank aims to generate actionable insights\, identify structural barriers\, and propose frameworks for ethical\, long-term support\, career development\, and community engagement. \nThis is an invitation only curated Think Tank\, with learnings and outcomes to be shared as appropriate in due course.
URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/think-tank-music-and-displacement/
CATEGORIES:Music,Platforma
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Screenshot-2025-08-15-at-12.38.20.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251007T120000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251007T190000
DTSTAMP:20260419T120802
CREATED:20250620T102751Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250904T103011Z
UID:10000524-1759838400-1759863600@counterpoints.org.uk
SUMMARY:Theatres of Sanctuary Away Day
DESCRIPTION:As part of our Platforma Festival 2025 across the East of England this October\, Counterpoints are partnering with City of Sanctuary to host an Away Day at Norwich Theatre for Theatres of Sanctuary across the country.\nSanctuary in Arts Awards celebrate the arts organisations who go above and beyond to welcome people seeking sanctuary. \nThe key criteria for the awards are: \n-Learn: find out what it means to be seeking sanctuary; and be actively involved in awareness raising. \n-Embed: take positive action to make welcome and inclusion part of the values of your organisation or community\, to support sanctuary seekers and refugees\, and to include them in your activities. \n-Share your vision and achievements: let others know about the positive contribution refugees make to our society and the benefits of a welcoming culture to everyone. \nFor this Away Day we are bringing together theatres and theatre companies who hold the Sanctuary Award to meet\, connect\, share practice and consider how best to work together. This event is by invitation only – if you are interested to know more\, please contact tom@counterpoints.org.uk \nWe are grateful to Norwich Theatre for hosting the event and for sharing some of their work. \nAgenda for the day (Venue: Norwich Theatre)\n12-1: Arrivals and lunch \n1.00 pm: Welcomes\, introductions and checking in on the current context for this work \n2 pm : Progression Routes for theatre makers from refugee and migrant background (presented by Norwich Theatre) \n2.25pm: Group discussions on progression routes. \n3pm: Tea break \n3.30: Building a bank of resources for the network: introduction and then group discussion \n4.30: What next? \n5pm: Close \n5.30pm: Performance “3 Migrant Women” by Norwich Theatre + Q&A (also open to the public) \n7.00pm: Close \nImage credit: Norwich Theatre / Donna Thompson
URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/theatres-of-sanctuary-away-day/
LOCATION:Norwich Theatre\, Theatre St\, Norwich\, NR2 1RL\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Platforma,Theatre
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Wendy-MUST-CREDIT-DONNA-THOMPSON.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251007T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251008T203500
DTSTAMP:20260419T120802
CREATED:20250701T071343Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250813T084113Z
UID:10000528-1759865400-1759955700@counterpoints.org.uk
SUMMARY:Penguin @ Cambridge Junction
DESCRIPTION:Performed and co-created by Hamzeh Al Hussien\, directed and co-created by Amy Golding. Presented in Cambridge as part of the Platforma Festival (October 2025)\, produced by Counterpoints Arts.\nBooking link \nFull tour details \nSee also: Displaced\, Disabled & Dynamic – an online discussion featuring Hamzeh Al Hussien and Amy Golding discussing the experiences\, triumphs and challenges touring Penguin \nHere’s what you need to know.. \nI am Hamzeh. My favourite shisha flavour is double apple. I love dancing. \nHere’s what’s going to happen… \nThere will be loud music. A wedding. My first time on a plane. A lot of moonlight. This is the story of my life (so far). People have a lot of questions. The answer is\, \n“Yes. \nI can do anything.” \n \nFull of humour and beauty\, Hamzeh Al-Hussien’s extraordinary story takes you on a personal tour of the places he knows best: his village in the Syrian mountains\, Za’atari camp in Jordan\, Gateshead and inside his mind\, a place full of music\, dancing\, fantasies and marbles. Hamzeh invites the audience to be his childhood friends\, to hold up the moon to light his way into his dreams\, brushing the dust from his clothes…and taking the stage. \n“From dodging bombs to dancing in nightclubs\, Syrian theatre-maker Hamzeh Al Hussien enacts the story of his life.”\n★★★★ The Guardian \nCreative Team\nPerformed and co-created by Hamzeh Al Hussien \nDirected and co-created by Amy Golding \nDramaturg : Lindsay Rodden \nMovement Director : Nadia Iftkhar \nLighting and Creative Caption Designer : Simon Cole \nStage Manager : Andrea Scrimshaw \nAssistant Director/Translator : Olivia Furber /Yasmeen Ghawri \nSound design : Hamza Arnaout \nSet and costume design : Jida Akil \nCostume Superviser : Lou Duffy \n​Access\n​The show is captioned in both English and Arabic. \n​The set has 2 screens on stage – the English subtitles are on the left (as you look at the stage) the Arabic on the right. \nReviews and Feedback\n​The Scotsman **** “An extraordinary solo show” \n​The Observer **** “A genuine encounter” \n​The Guardian **** \n​The Stage **** “Uplifting tale of finding self-acceptance and joy” “Golding directs with a lightness of touch that never allows the piece to feel voyeuristic” \n​I Love Manchester **** “It is truly charming and an extremely wonderful reflection of a life touched and changed but not entirely uprooted by war.” \n​West End Best Friend **** “A joyous and uplifting story of hope in the face of adversity\, and of celebrating the individual”. \n​The Reviews Hub **** “A born storyteller\, Hamzeh effortlessly performs..the show brilliantly directed by Amy Golding combines moments of delightful comedy.. alongside chilling and harrowing moments”. \n​Theatre and Tonic **** “Hamzeh is a charismatic and engaging performer…The piece moved with pure ease on stage due to the capable direction of Amy Golding.” \n​Disability Arts Online “an extraordinary tale\, told with beautiful simplicity” \n​North East Theatre Guide “A wonderful piece of storytelling”. \n​North East Bylines “Hamzeh in Arabic means lion\, steadfast\, strong – and so he is.” \n​NARC Magazine “Hamzeh is charismatic and compelling\, and his enduring sense of optimism is so present in the writing and in his performance” \n​Live Theatre Young Reviewer “a triumph for modern theatre… This show leaves you feeling immensely privileged for having seen it. It’s radical\, it’s heart breaking\, it’s Penguin.” \nAwards\nHamzeh Al Hussien – North East Culture Awards 2023 \, Best Newcomer for PENGUIN
URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/penguin-cambridge-junction/
LOCATION:Cambridge Junction\, Clifton Way\, Cambridge\, CB1 7GX\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Platforma,Theatre
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Penguin.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251008
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251201
DTSTAMP:20260419T120802
CREATED:20251008T143005Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251127T114916Z
UID:10000578-1759881600-1764547140@counterpoints.org.uk
SUMMARY:Our Shared Futures – Climate & Migration Community Film Festival
DESCRIPTION:We are excited to announce the Our Shared Futures: Climate & Migration Community Film Festival 2025\, curated by Counterpoints Arts in partnership with Earth Refuge\, CMJ (Climate & Migrant Justice Organising Group)\, and City of Sanctuary. \nTaking place 21-30 November 2025\, to coincide with COP30 and Climate & Migrant Justice Day (22 Nov)\, this free\, new community-powered film festival shares powerful stories at the intersection of climate and migration. \nThe festival features a curated selection of feature-length and short films from around the world. These films explore themes of climate crisis\, displacement\, colonialism\, conflict\, resilience\, and hope – creating accessible entry points into urgent conversations that affect us all. \nHow it works\nAnyone in the UK can take part by hosting a screening—whether in a community centre\, library\, cinema\, school\, workplace\, outdoors\, or even at home. \n\n\nFilms are available free of charge via UK online streaming during the festival dates (21–30 November). \n\n\nYou don’t need to worry about rights or licensing – we’ve arranged these for everyone. \n\n\nWe have created resources and discussion prompts to help spark reflection\, dialogue\, and action – strengthening solidarity across communities and movements. (See below under “Free Resources”) \n\nFind a screening near you at the bottom of this page & social media.\n\nSo all you need to do is pick a film\, invite people\, and press play. \nThe Films\nFEATURE FILMS\n\nUtama (2022) dir. Alejandro Loayza Grisi\nTrailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9Hv7HFDIOc\nRun time: 1hr 27 mins\nWhere available to screen: UK\nAge Certification: 12A (PG)\n \nSynopsis: An elderly Quechua couple in Bolivia confronts a devastating drought that threatens their traditional way of life. The film reckons with the grief that individual families contend with in the face of climate change\, as well as intergenerational reactions to climate change. How do the younger and older generations respond to climate change and the need to move? \n\nThank You For The Rain (2017) dir. Julia Dahr and Kisilu Musya\nTrailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO1-Z7kEyzo\nWhere available to screen: UK\nCategory: Feature documentary\nAge Guidance: 12A (PG)\nRun time: 1hr 27 mins \nSynopsis: This powerful documentary follows Kisilu Musya\, a Kenyan farmer who begins filming his daily life to show the real impacts of climate change on his community. Over five years\, his story evolves from local struggle to global activism as he journeys to the UN climate talks in Paris. The film captures the personal toll of changing weather patterns while exposing the deep inequalities that shape who is heard (and who is not) in global climate debates. \nYou can support Kisilu’s campaign here: https://www.mchanga.africa/fundraiser/36981 \nSHORT FILMS\n\nAnd Still\, It Remains (2023) dir. Arwa Aburawa & Turab Shah\nTrailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EEgh08ch1I\nWhere available to screen: UK\nCategory: Short documentary\nAge Guidance: 12+ (*please note this film is not certified\, this is a guidance- please watch films in advance to assess suitability to your audience)\nRun time: 28 mins  \nSynopsis: A poetic and unsettling reflection on the long shadows cast by French nuclear tests in the Algerian Sahara. Combining archival footage\, testimony\, and striking imagery\, the film explores how radioactive contamination and environmental damage continue to affect local communities decades after colonial powers left. It asks what justice means when the land itself remembers violence. \n\nDead As A Dodo (2022) dir. Leena Habiballa\nTrailer: no trailer available\nWhere available to screen: UK\nCategory: Short experimental\nAge Guidance: 12+ (*please note this film is not certified\, this is a guidance- please watch films in advance to assess suitability to your audience)\nRun time: 5 mins 9 seconds \nSynopsis: An experimental short film that reimagines the extinction of the dodo to examine how colonialism\, science\, and ecological loss intertwine. Through sound and image collage\, it questions how stories of extinction are told\, and who gets to tell them; exposing how ideas of dominance over nature are rooted in colonial histories. This work is inspired by and is in conversation with a book of poems titled A Theory of Birds by the Palestinian-American poet Zaina Alsous. \n \nUntil The Last Drop (2020) dir. Tim Webster & Ernesto Cabellos\nTrailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSQpIsQAnOU\nWhere available to screen: UK\nCategory: Short documentary\nAge Guidance: 12+ (*please note this film is not certified\, this is a guidance- please watch films in advance to assess suitability to your audience)\nRun time: 20 mins 20 seconds\n\nSynopsis: Set in the occupied West Bank\, this documentary portrays the lives of two farmers struggling under an unequal\, apartheid system of water access. Their story reveals how control over natural resources becomes a tool of oppression\, linking environmental injustice with political conflict. The film makes visible the intimate\, everyday impacts of global debates about rights\, scarcity\, and survival. \nInterested in Watching or Hosting a Screening?\nRegister here. \n\n\nIndividuals: Watch at home\, by yourself or with friends and family. \n\n\nOrganisers: Host a community screening in your chosen venue. \n\n\nCost: Free. All rights and licenses have been secured. \n\n\nRegister to receive access to the films and resources ahead of the festival. \nFree Resources & Packs\nAccess the film guide here (covers how to organise a screening and helpful top tips e.g. staying safe\, ideas for venues\, equipments etc!) \nAccess our education pack here (lots of great information on language\, discussion prompts related to the films and more!) \nYou are welcome to use materials from the public marketing folder (photos\, posters\, social media assets\, holding slide etc.) \nFind a Screening Near You!\nOver 300 screenings are happening across the country! Below are just a few public events – with many more coming soon. \nEngland\n\nArnside\nBath\nBirmingham\nBradford\nBrighton\nBournemouth\nBristol (21 Nov)\nBristol (22 Nov)\nBristol (30 Nov)\nCambridge\nChichester\nColchester\nCheltenham\nExeter\nHove\nLeeds\nLincoln\nLondon\, Bethnal Green/ Tower Hamlets\nLondon\, Bloomsbury\nLondon\, Brixton\nLondon\, Dalston\nLondon\, Hackney\nLondon\, Holborn\nLondon\, Islington\nLondon\, Kensington and Chelsea\nLondon\, Maida Vale\nLondon\, Stoke Newington\nLondon\, Westminster (24 Nov)\nLondon\, Westminster (26 Nov)\nLondon\, Westminster (27 Nov)\nReading (21 Nov)\nReading (25 Nov)\nStockport\nTynemouth\nWorcester\n\nWales\n\nAbergavenny \nCardiff\n\nScotland\n\nAberdeen (14 Nov)\nAberdeen (28 Nov)\nGlasgow\n\nHosting a screening?📩 Share your event link with us: hello@counterpoints.org.uk \nFAQs\nHow do I take part?\n \n\nJust complete this short google form here. Everyone is welcome to take part!\nOptional: watch this 30min recording of Information Sharing and Q&A\n\nDo I need to pay for rights or licensing?\nNo. All rights and licenses have been paid & secured by Counterpoints Arts and partners. There is no charge to you to screen any of the films. \nCan I charge tickets to my events?\nNo\, you cannot charge for tickets\, but optional donations are fine (you can collect donations for any cause/ charity/ venue/ project of your choice) \nCan I host in a cinema\, community venue\, or outdoors etc?\nYes! Screenings can take place in cinemas\, community centres\, schools\, libraries\, churches\, faith spaces\, pubs\, outdoor spaces etc. Absolutely everywhere and anywhere! Private or public screenings is fine. \nCan I download the films?No. The films are only available via a secure online streaming platform during the festival dates only. \nCan I watch the films in advance?\nWe apologise the films are not available to watch beforehand\, only during 21-30th November 2025. Check the film synopsis and age range for their suitability to your audience. Some of the films are available to hire on different streaming platforms if you need to watch in advance. \nWhen will I receive the link to the films?\nAll registered organisers will receive a link the week before the festival on Monday 17th Nov to test tech etc. \nHow do I promote my event?\nYou are welcome to use materials from the public marketing folder (photos\, posters\, social media assets\, holding slide etc.) You are welcome to promote your event in any platform e.g. eventbrite\, your website\, social media etc. Registered organisers will also be contacted if they want to promote their screenings on our website. \nHow do I access the free resources & discussion prompts?\nAccess the film guide here (covers how to organise a screening and helpful top tips e.g. staying safe\, ideas for venues\, equipments\, how to have good post-screening conversations etc!). Access our education pack here (lots of great information on climate & migration language\, discussion prompts related to the films and more!). Plus\, you are welcome to use materials from the public marketing folder \nAre there subtitles?Where provided by the filmmakers\, English subtitles will be available. \nI’m not based in the UK\, can I take part?\nNo\, this year the films are only available in the UK. \nI’m not available 21-30 Nov\, can I watch the films before or after?\nNo\, we only have rights & licenses for the films 21st-30th November 2025. \nIs there a selection process?\nNo\, everyone is welcome to organise a screening. No selection process. \nI am a filmmaker\, can you add my film to the programme?\nUnfortunately the programme is finalised but please do introduce your work to us for future opportunities. \nAny other questions please email hello@counterpoints.org.uk
URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/our-shared-futures-climate-migration-film-festival/
CATEGORIES:Film,Pop Culture
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Climate-Festival-A2-Landscape-4.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251009T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251009T203500
DTSTAMP:20260419T120802
CREATED:20250701T071835Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250813T084135Z
UID:10000529-1760038200-1760042100@counterpoints.org.uk
SUMMARY:Penguin @ The Garage\, Norwich
DESCRIPTION:Performed and co-created by Hamzeh Al Hussien\, directed and co-created by Amy Golding. Presented in Cambridge as part of the Platforma Festival (October 2025)\, produced by Counterpoints Arts.\nBooking link \nFull tour details \nSee also: Displaced\, Disabled & Dynamic – an online discussion featuring Hamzeh Al Hussien and Amy Golding discussing the experiences\, triumphs and challenges touring Penguin \nHere’s what you need to know.. \nI am Hamzeh. My favourite shisha flavour is double apple. I love dancing. \nHere’s what’s going to happen… \nThere will be loud music. A wedding. My first time on a plane. A lot of moonlight. This is the story of my life (so far). People have a lot of questions. The answer is\, \n“Yes. \nI can do anything.” \n \nFull of humour and beauty\, Hamzeh Al-Hussien’s extraordinary story takes you on a personal tour of the places he knows best: his village in the Syrian mountains\, Za’atari camp in Jordan\, Gateshead and inside his mind\, a place full of music\, dancing\, fantasies and marbles. Hamzeh invites the audience to be his childhood friends\, to hold up the moon to light his way into his dreams\, brushing the dust from his clothes…and taking the stage. \n“From dodging bombs to dancing in nightclubs\, Syrian theatre-maker Hamzeh Al Hussien enacts the story of his life.”\n★★★★ The Guardian \nCreative Team\nPerformed and co-created by Hamzeh Al Hussien \nDirected and co-created by Amy Golding \nDramaturg : Lindsay Rodden \nMovement Director : Nadia Iftkhar \nLighting and Creative Caption Designer : Simon Cole \nStage Manager : Andrea Scrimshaw \nAssistant Director/Translator : Olivia Furber /Yasmeen Ghawri \nSound design : Hamza Arnaout \nSet and costume design : Jida Akil \nCostume Superviser : Lou Duffy \n​Access\n​The show is captioned in both English and Arabic. \n​The set has 2 screens on stage – the English subtitles are on the left (as you look at the stage) the Arabic on the right. \nReviews and Feedback\n​The Scotsman **** “An extraordinary solo show” \n​The Observer **** “A genuine encounter” \n​The Guardian **** \n​The Stage **** “Uplifting tale of finding self-acceptance and joy” “Golding directs with a lightness of touch that never allows the piece to feel voyeuristic” \n​I Love Manchester **** “It is truly charming and an extremely wonderful reflection of a life touched and changed but not entirely uprooted by war.” \n​West End Best Friend **** “A joyous and uplifting story of hope in the face of adversity\, and of celebrating the individual”. \n​The Reviews Hub **** “A born storyteller\, Hamzeh effortlessly performs..the show brilliantly directed by Amy Golding combines moments of delightful comedy.. alongside chilling and harrowing moments”. \n​Theatre and Tonic **** “Hamzeh is a charismatic and engaging performer…The piece moved with pure ease on stage due to the capable direction of Amy Golding.” \n​Disability Arts Online “an extraordinary tale\, told with beautiful simplicity” \n​North East Theatre Guide “A wonderful piece of storytelling”. \n​North East Bylines “Hamzeh in Arabic means lion\, steadfast\, strong – and so he is.” \n​NARC Magazine “Hamzeh is charismatic and compelling\, and his enduring sense of optimism is so present in the writing and in his performance” \n​Live Theatre Young Reviewer “a triumph for modern theatre… This show leaves you feeling immensely privileged for having seen it. It’s radical\, it’s heart breaking\, it’s Penguin.” \nAwards\nHamzeh Al Hussien – North East Culture Awards 2023 \, Best Newcomer for PENGUIN
URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/penguin-the-garage-norwich/
LOCATION:The Garage\, 14 Chapel Field North\, Norwich\, NR2 1NY\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Platforma,Theatre
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Penguin.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251010T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251010T130000
DTSTAMP:20260419T120802
CREATED:20250831T102254Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250831T102254Z
UID:10000563-1760090400-1760101200@counterpoints.org.uk
SUMMARY:Creative Writing Workshop with Amanda Hodgkinson
DESCRIPTION:Join award winning writer Dr Amanda Hodgkinson for a creative writing workshop taking inspiration from stories of arrival\, community\, and belonging. As well as from the stories of migration within her novel 22 Britannia Road. \nPresented by Suffolk Archives as part of the Platforma Festival (October 2025) produced by Counterpoints Arts. \nFree booking \nAge 16+
URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/creative-writing-workshop-with-amanda-hodgkinson/
LOCATION:The Hold\, Ipswich\, IP4 1LN\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Literature & Spoken Word,Platforma
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Amanda-Hodgkinson-creative-writing.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251010T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251010T211500
DTSTAMP:20260419T120802
CREATED:20250820T145931Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250820T150452Z
UID:10000551-1760124600-1760130900@counterpoints.org.uk
SUMMARY:Sami Abu Wardeh - Palestine: Peace de Resistance
DESCRIPTION:A historical collage of conflict\, colonialism and clowning from multi-talented Sami Abu Wardeh.\nThe rockstar voice of the Palestinian Diaspora’ – Alexei Sayle \nFresh from his award-winning run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe\, Sami Abu Wardeh brings his new show to the Ballroom in Diss\, presented in partnership with No 8 @ The Ballroom as part of Platforma 2025\, produced by Counterpoints Arts. \nFull details and booking \nYou can run from resistance but it will always catch up with you – as Sami finds out in his latest show. Join his open call for mass civil disobedience\, equitable distribution of hand puppets and more! Find out once and for all: can resistance be funny? \n“An absurdist response to an abominable situation … a compelling collage of historical storytelling\, jokes about colonialism\, and a silent-comedy style that remains defiantly goofy in the face of abomination.” ★★★★ The Guardian \n“Irish-Palestinian comic Sami Abu Wardeh’s densely layered Fringe comeback roars with defiance” ★★★★ FestMag \n“The show is thoughtful\, very visually funny and constantly has the audience laughing” ★★★★ British Theatre Guide \n“Charm\, humour\, and a presence that lingers long after he leaves the stage” ★★★★ The Wee Review \n“It just may be the most vital show you could and should see” ★★★★ The Comic’s Comic \nWinner of the Heart Award\, Edniburgh Festival Fringe 2025 \nWritten and Performed by Sami Abu-Wardeh\nDirected by Sam Beale\nProduced by Qasim Salam
URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/sami-abu-wardeh-peace-de-resistance/
LOCATION:The Ballroom\, No 8 Marketplace\, Diss\, IP22 4AB\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Comedy,Platforma
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/sami-diss-1.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251011T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251012T170000
DTSTAMP:20260419T120802
CREATED:20250815T152353Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251001T083911Z
UID:10000547-1760176800-1760288400@counterpoints.org.uk
SUMMARY:DIASPORA
DESCRIPTION:Cambridge Black Creatives annual exhibition: DIASPORA. \n11th – 12th Oct. 10am – 5pm\nPrivate View Fri 10th 6pm -8pm \nCo-commissioned and presented as part of the Platforma Festival (October 2025) produced by Counterpoints Arts. \nCambridge Black Creatives is a unique arts collective supporting black and brown creative people in Cambridge. They host imaginative workshops for art making and honest discussion on racial issues. Non-artists and allies are always welcome\, and we hold a yearly exhibition to celebrate the artwork of our community. This year’s show\, DIASPORA explores our experience of migration. The show displays a diverse range of creative talent from oil painting to installation\, and textile art to sculpture. \nAt the opening we will be launching a new collection of poetry “An Outsider Inside – Verse and Rhymes from Post-Truth Times” by Lee Codrington. \nWorkshop: Sunday 12th 2.22pm: Asim Khairdean will be running his 2-hour workshop DETOURNE DEFACE DECOLONISE a flag-making workshop looking\nat the history of the diaspora in decolonial art movements and an opportunity to try out their techniques.
URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/diaspora/
LOCATION:Artworks and Artspace\, 5 Green's Road\, Cambridge\, CB4 3EF\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Platforma,Visual Arts
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DIASPORA-poster-crop.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251011T123000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251011T133000
DTSTAMP:20260419T120802
CREATED:20250830T192656Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250830T195653Z
UID:10000555-1760185800-1760189400@counterpoints.org.uk
SUMMARY:Roots & Rhythm: An Afro-Jazz and Poetry Workshop
DESCRIPTION:62 Gladstone Street present a workshop led by Oloyede Michael: participants will blend improvisation\, storytelling\, and performance to create original pieces that celebrate us!\nCo-commissioned and presented as part of the Platforma Festival (October 2025)\, produced by Counterpoints Arts. \nDiscover the powerful synergy of sound and word in Roots & Rhythm\, a vibrant workshop exploring the soulful world of Afro-Jazz and Poetry. This immersive experience invites musicians\, poets\, and curious creatives to explore the rhythm of African jazz traditions alongside the lyrical depth of spoken word. \nLed by Peterborough-based poet Oloyede Michael\, participants will blend improvisation\, storytelling\, and performance to create original pieces that celebrate identity\, heritage\, and self-expression. Whether you’re a budding poet or a seasoned saxophonist\, come ready to vibe\, write\, and jam. \nNo prior experience needed—just bring your voice and your rhythm. \nFull information and booking \nOloyede Michael Taiwo is a poet\, storyteller\, copywriter\, scriptwriter\, screen-writer spoken-word artiste\, playwright\, producer and philomath. Based in Peterborough\, the Lagos-born artist wrote and produced the play\, ‘Wrinkles\, dimples\, naira and bets’\, during the Lagos Theatre Festival\, 2020\, in partnership with the British council. He has performed in several literary events and one of the largest gospel concert in Lagos – Cross Concert. He curates diverse didactic and literary events\, such as: Learning with celebrities’ conference\, Lagos poetrython\, Fireflies & Bumblebees and the Lagospoetrython spoken word academy. He has been shortlisted for the Etisalat prize for Flash fiction and long listed for the Quramo writer’s prize for literature and was a Peterborough Poet Laureate finalist. \nAbout Platforma in Peterborough \nPlatforma 2025 in Peterborough is produced by 62 Gladstone Street\, a community-rooted arts space in the heart of Peterborough with a particular focus on supporting South Asian and MENA artists. Through exhibitions\, residencies\, and public programmes\, it provides a vital platform for underrepresented voices and fosters meaningful dialogue between artists and the wider community. \nPartners: Counterpoints Arts\, Landmark Theatres\, Peterborough Cultural Alliance\, Metal Peterborough\, Peterborough Presents\, Peterborough Museum\, HELP Charity & the Aziz Foundation \nDedication: “Our programme is dedicated to the innocent men\, women\, and children who have lost their lives\, those who have been displaced by war\, and all those seeking a safe place to call home.” \n62 Gladstone Street’s Platforma programme is supported by Arts Council England as and presented as part of the wider Platforma Festival across the East of England\, produced by Counterpoints Arts.
URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/roots-rhythm-an-afro-jazz-and-poetry-workshop/
LOCATION:Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery\, 51 Priestgate\, Peterborough\, PE1 1LF\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Music,Platforma
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/roots.jpeg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251011T133000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251011T153000
DTSTAMP:20260419T120802
CREATED:20250830T185011Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250830T194546Z
UID:10000552-1760189400-1760196600@counterpoints.org.uk
SUMMARY:Slidefest
DESCRIPTION:62 Gladstone Street presents Slidefest: a workshop featuring four photographers whose powerful visual storytelling explores first-generation migration.\nArtists: Hicham Gardaf\, Kalpesh Lathigra\, Amak Mahmoodian\, Chris Neophytou \nCurated by Aisha Zia & Mohamed Somji \nCo-commissioned and presented as part of the Platforma Festival (October 2025)\, produced by Counterpoints Arts. \nFull details and free booking \nSlidefest spotlights the work of four photographers whose powerful visual storytelling explores first-generation migration—both economic and conflict-related. \nThrough image-led presentations\, each photographer will share stories of migration that begin with departure: Why do people leave? What do they encounter along the way? And how do they build lives in unfamiliar places? \nThis intimate event will trace personal and collective journeys from displacement to arrival\, offering a deeper look into the lived experiences of those who have shaped diverse communities. Through photography and conversation\, Slidefest invites audiences to reflect on the stories behind the images—and the people behind the stories. \nF(I/U)GUE by Hicham Gardaf  \nA fig plant’s perspective. Uprooted from its homeland\, offered by the family\, we follow it crossing borders\, adapting and becoming\, in a new environment. What is it like to be foreign? To live in a state of constant waiting and delay\, in a perpetual quest of home? Hicham Gardaf (b. in Tangier\, Morocco) works across photography and moving image\, often engaging with ideas of time\, place and transformation. He is drawn to sites that carry social or spatial tension\, such as landscapes shaped by displacement\, urbanisation or quiet forms of resistance. Through slow\, observational processes\, he explores how environments reflect broader political and temporal conditions. Gardaf approaches these mediums not only as tools for documentation but as spaces for speculation\, perception and re-interpretation. His practice is concerned with what images hold and what they fail to reveal\, how they shape memory\, suggest presence or absence\, and shift meaning over time. Recent screenings and exhibitions include the 74th Berlinale in Berlin\, Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge\, Frac MÉCA in Bordeaux\, MACAAL in Marrakech\, and Fondazione MAST in Bologna. \nOne Hundred and Twenty Minutes (2019-2023) by Amak Mahmoodian \nIn One Hundred and Twenty Minutes (the amount of time we dedicate to dream every night)\, I have worked with 16 individuals who are exiled from their native countries. Through photography\, poetry\, drawing and video\, I examine the emotional and psychological landscapes of dreams in exile\, the new lives we create with these dreams\, and the ways in which they keep returning us to our past. “Amak Mahmoodian is a multidisciplinary artist and educator. She began her career as a research-based photographer in Iran in 2003. Since 2010\, she has been living in the UK\, unable to return to Iran. She practices as a visual artist at the intersection of conceptual image-making and documentary photography\, working with photographs\, text\, video\, drawing\, archives and sound. Her practice explores the presentation of gender\, identity and displacement\, bridging a space between personal and political across platforms and formats including installation\, books and films. Mahmoodian’s work has been shown internationally\, including the Carnegie Museum of Art. Pittsburgh; Fototeca Latinoamericana\, Buenos Aires; the Benaki Museum\, Athens; Arnolfini\, Bristol; Rencontres d’Arles\, Arles; and Peckham 24\, London. Her works are held in collections such as the Tate\, and the British Library in London. She has published two books\, Shenasnameh (RRB- ICV Lab\, 2016)\, and Zanjir (RRB\, 2019) which was the winner of The Best Photo Text Book award at Rencontres Arles\, 2020. Her work appears in key titles on photography such as Photography – A Feminist History (Tate Publishing\, 2021)\, Photography Now: Fifty Pioneers Defining Photography for the Twenty-First Century (Octopus Publishing\, 2021)\, and How We See: Photobooks by Women (10×10 Photobooks\, 2019). \nThe Planting of a Fig Tree by Chris Neophytou \n“I don’t know whether there are an infinite number of reasons why people leave home or whether they are all just many different versions of the same thing. Whatever the impulse or circumstance might be that propels us to travel in one way or another it is inevitably linked to our notion of home\, and what home should be. There always seems\, at least to me\, to be this undulating degree of tension between the place we have set out from and the place we arrive at; always this balance between expectation and doubt\, the unknown and the familiar\, the memory and the moment. The people and places captured in these images form a record of a particularly itinerant period in my life. Made in a number of different towns\, cities and countries\, the images that now congregate here suggest a narrative where disparate experiences and observations are unified by a persisting sentiment. My practice focuses on themes of place and is rooted in a documentary approach to photography. Growing up in rural England as a second-generation Cypriot\, navigating between two cultures\, helped inform my interest in place and connected themes surrounding history and identity. My process\, almost archaeological in nature\, involves collecting and recording material fragments and interrogating them for meaning about the past\, in the hope of better understanding the present.” \nDiscarded Fruit by Kalpesh Lathigra \nKalpesh Lathigra is a British Indian artist born in 1971 in Forest Gate\, a suburb of East London. He is a documentary photographer\, concerned with the democratisation of both the real and the ‘staged’ image. In 2000 he received the 1st prize of the “World Press Photo”\, a prestigious award for photojournalism\, and in 2003 he undertook a project documenting the lives of widows in India\, receiving the “W.Eugene Smith Fellowship” and the “Churchill Fellowship”. In 2014 he was awarded a ‘Lightwork Residency’ by the Brighton Photo Biennial to produce\, in collaboration with South African artist Thabiso Sekgala\, a cycle of photographs entitled A Return to Elsewhere. A project aimed at investigating Indian communities in Marabastad and Laudium in South Africa and Brighton in the UK\, studying their history\, memory and loss of civilisation. His first book ‘Lost in the Wilderness’\, published in 2015\, contains a corpus of photographs dedicated to the Oglala Sioux and Pine Ridge Indian reservations\, and has been defined by critic Sean O’Hagan as ‘one of the photographic books of the year’. \nImage: Chris Neophytou \nAbout Platforma in Peterborough \nPlatforma 2025 in Peterborough is produced by 62 Gladstone Street\, a community-rooted arts space in the heart of Peterborough with a particular focus on supporting South Asian and MENA artists. Through exhibitions\, residencies\, and public programmes\, it provides a vital platform for underrepresented voices and fosters meaningful dialogue between artists and the wider community. \nPartners: Counterpoints Arts\, Landmark Theatres\, Peterborough Cultural Alliance\, Metal Peterborough\, Peterborough Presents\, Peterborough Museum\, HELP Charity & the Aziz Foundation \nDedication: “Our programme is dedicated to the innocent men\, women\, and children who have lost their lives\, those who have been displaced by war\, and all those seeking a safe place to call home.” \n62 Gladstone Street’s Platforma programme is supported by Arts Council England as and presented as part of the wider Platforma Festival across the East of England\, produced by Counterpoints Arts.
URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/slidefest/
LOCATION:Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery\, 51 Priestgate\, Peterborough\, PE1 1LF\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Photography,Platforma
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/ChrisNeophytou_002.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251011T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251011T193000
DTSTAMP:20260419T120802
CREATED:20250812T161610Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250831T092925Z
UID:10000544-1760205600-1760211000@counterpoints.org.uk
SUMMARY:Hearts\, Bodies & Words: Migration Stories with Sulaiman Addonia 
DESCRIPTION:A fascinating in-conversation event about writing the refugee experience with Eritrean-Ethiopian-British novelist Sulaiman Addonia\, whose acclaimed novels offer an insider’s view of life\, love\, and language through the lens of displacement.\nIn partnership with the National Centre for Writing. Presented as part of the Platforma Festival (October 2025) produced by Counterpoints Arts. \nPay what you wish. Suitable for ages 18+ \nFull details and booking \nDrawing on his darkly poetic novels The Seers and Silence Is My Mother Tongue\, Addonia will reflect on the role of intimacy and agency in narratives of migration\, the healing power of art\, and how writing has shaped his personal journey\, from arriving as an unaccompanied minor seeking asylum to becoming a celebrated author and activist. \nSulaiman Addonia’s third novel\, The Seers\, follows the first weeks of a homeless Eritrean refugee in London. Set around a foster home in Kilburn\, in the squares of Bloomsbury where its protagonist sleeps\, and against the backdrop of the labyrinthine bureaucracy of the UK asylum system\, the novel considers intergenerational histories and colonial trauma alongside the psychological and sexual lives of refugees\, insisting that the erotic and intimate side of life is as much a part of someone’s story as land and nations are. \nAbout the author \nSulaiman Addonia is an Eritrean-Ethiopian-British novelist. He spent his early life in a refugee camp in Sudan\, and his early teens in Jeddah\, Saudi Arabia. He arrived in London as an underage unaccompanied refugee without a word of English and went on to earn an MA in Development Studies from SOAS and a BSc in Economics from UCL. \nHis first novel\,  The Consequences of Love (Chatto & Windus\, 2008)\, was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and was translated into more than 20 languages. His second novel\, Silence is My Mother Tongue (Indigo Press\, 2019; Graywolf\, 2020)\, was a Finalist for the Lambda Literary Awards 2021\, the Firecracker (CLMP) Awards\, the inaugural African Literary Award from The Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) in San Francisco\, and longlisted for the 2019 Orwell Prize for Fiction. The Seers (Prototype\, 2024) was longlisted for the Republic of Consciousness Prize 2025 and the Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize 2025. \nHis essays appear in LitHub\, Granta\, Freeman’s\, The New York Times\, De Standaard and Passa Porta. He is a contributor to Tales of Two Planets (Penguin\, 2020) and Addis Ababa Noir (Akashic Books\, 2020). A lifelong advocate of the value of creative writing for refugees\, Addonia is also the founder of the Creative Writing Academy for Refugees and Asylum Seekers and the Asmara-Adiss Literary Festival in Exile (AALFIE). \n‘The Seers is an incandescent howl of anti-colonial rage and insatiable desire; a powerful and taboo-breaking love letter to a London made of stories\, and a scathing indictment of the UK asylum system’s ability to break hearts and bodies to pieces again and again.’ — Preti Taneja\, author of Aftermath \n‘The Seers is a knockout. A complex novel of generational history\, trauma\, eroticism…Not only is this a novel that needs to be read now\, its ambition\, humanity\, anger and an unforgettable narrator mark it out as a classic.’ — Niven Govinden\, author of Diary of a Film \nPhoto: Fred Debrock \nAbout the National Centre for Writing \nNational Centre for Writing is a National Portfolio Organisation for Arts Council England and the literature development agency for the East of England based in Norwich\, England’s first UNESCO City of Literature. NCW promotes\, commissions\, and supports new writing\, writers\, and underrepresented voices; inspires communities through the power of writing\, reading and literary translation; nurtures literary talent and has a year-round creative writing learning programme of courses\, workshops\, and resources. Find out more \n  \n \n \n 
URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/hearts-bodies-words-migration-stories-with-sulaiman-addonia/
LOCATION:National Centre for Writing\, Dragon Hall\, 115-123 King Street\, Norwich\, NR1 1QE\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Literature & Spoken Word,Platforma
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Sulaiman-Addonia_credit-Fred-Debrock-e1754562374760.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251013T140000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251013T150000
DTSTAMP:20260419T120802
CREATED:20250922T153730Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251008T073734Z
UID:10000576-1760364000-1760367600@counterpoints.org.uk
SUMMARY:Embers of Care by Yayen
DESCRIPTION: Embers of Care by Yayen – Online Presentation\n\nPlease email hello@counterpoints.org.uk to receive the online link \nPresented in association with Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as part of the Platforma Festival (October 2025) produced by Counterpoints Arts. \n“Embers of Care” is a 100-artwork series by Yayen\, a nurse\, migrant\, and artist\, dedicated to honouring the journeys\, resilience\, and contributions of migrant healthcare workers in the UK. This project sheds light on the often-overlooked everyday realities within the healthcare system. \nEach artwork tells a unique story. There’s the nurse from Zimbabwe\, who arrived with excitement\, only to be met by Britain’s “summer” chill at 15°C. A Burmese medical student\, a refugee\, adding a layer of loss while losing a loved one to war while striving to rebuild her life here. A Nigerian physiotherapist\, who spent months familiarizing himself with British television\, only to struggle with the many regional accents that left him not understanding anything during his first handover. Similarly\, a mental health nurse from Turkey discovered that the diversity of international accents—such as British-Indian\, British-African\, and British-European among many—made learning a new language all the more challenging. \nAmong these stories are the unsung heroes like Fred\, who answers emergency calls at night. He reminds his colleagues that in countries like Kenya or the Philippines\, they don’t have heaters and its something that most people should understand. \nThis 2025\, Yayen has collaborated with 19 NHS Trusts\, gathering narratives from migrant healthcare workers across England\, informing him and giving inspiration to his artwork. Through these portraits and stories\, he illustrates the ways in which migrants navigate cultural shifts\, isolation\, and personal sacrifices as they cross borders and build bridges to new communities. His goal is to celebrate these experiences\, fostering empathy and solidarity among all.
URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/embers-of-care-by-yayen/
CATEGORIES:Platforma,Visual Arts
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Embers-of-Care-3.jpg
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251014
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251017
DTSTAMP:20260419T120802
CREATED:20250902T160615Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250924T165759Z
UID:10000568-1760400000-1760659199@counterpoints.org.uk
SUMMARY:The Table
DESCRIPTION:THE TABLE \nA new play written by Aisha Zia. \nA version for Platforma Festival directed by Suba Das\, with Musical Direction by Rob Green and Movement Direction by Miguel Hernando Torres Umba. \nWhat does it take to become a refugee\, migrant\, or asylum seeker today? \nDeveloped from real interviews with first-generation economic and war migrants in Bournemouth and Peterborough\, this bold new play is made to change. Every production of The Table is uniquely put together by each performance company using 40 scenes written by Scotsman Fringe First & Amnesty International Award-winning playwright\, Peterborough-born Aisha Zia\, and based on three years of research with migrant communities across the UK. \nThis production as part of Platforma Festival has been made by a company of three professional actor-musicians living in the UK and born in Turkey\, Iran and Zimbabwe. Directed by Suba Das (whose diverse credits include the world premiere production of Ravi Shankar’s only opera Sukanya for The Royal Opera House and London Philharmonic Orchestra)\, with musical direction by Rob Green(an Ivor Novello “In The Making” artist) and Movement Direction from Miguel Hernando Torres Umba (Rumble In The Jungle: Rematch\, Secret Cinema\, Terminal 1 @ Glastonbury); this version of The Table threads together deeply humane scenes about the challenging and joyous shared experiences of migrants in the UK with haunting folk music and songs from across the world. \nWriter: Aisha Zia \nDirector: Suba Das \nMusic Director and Composer: Rob Green \nMovement Director: Miguel Hernando Torres Umba \nStage Manager: Laura Whittle \nCast: Didem Atasoy\, Tara Fatehi\, Taku Mutero \nCasting: Jenkins McShane Casting CDG \nProducer: Matthew Schmolle for Matthew Schmolle Productions \nPresented by 62 Gladstone Street in partnership with Landmark Theatres. \nSupported by Counterpoints\, Arts Council England\, Peterborough Cultural Alliance and The Aziz Foundation.
URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/the-table/
LOCATION:Key Theatre\, Peterborough\, Embankment Road\, Peterborough\, PE1 1EF\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Platforma,Theatre
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Landscape.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251014
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251026
DTSTAMP:20260419T120802
CREATED:20250818T094751Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250819T082830Z
UID:10000550-1760400000-1761436799@counterpoints.org.uk
SUMMARY:Gaza Remains The Story
DESCRIPTION:Created by The Palestine Museum: “In loving memory of the late Hikmat Maher Kaddoura\, may his soul rest in eternal peace” \nPresented by Diss Palestine Solidarity as part of the Platforma Festival (October 2025) produced by Counterpoints Arts. \nGaza Remains the Story exhibits the cause and context of the Palestinian experience\, focusing on the land\, places\, and people of Gaza. The exhibition strives to inform\, educate\, and narrate stories of historical locations and cultural practices in Gaza\, providing a glimpse into Gaza’s arts\, aspirations\, and uniqueness—what remains of it in these harsh times. \nWhile the deafening noise of never-ending bombardment drowns out the daily life\, heritage\, artistic expression\, and creativity of the people of Palestine\, this exhibition strives to look behind the curtains of the theatre of war and conquest. By narrating the stories of Gaza and countering misinformation\, “Gaza Remains the Story” aims to provide a global audience with information and references to contextualise Gaza within Palestine\, the region\, and the world. This exhibition employs text\, drawings\, and audiovisual material to explore historical\, economic\, geographic\, demographic\, and creative aspects of life in Gaza. \n \n \nArtist: Malak Mattar\nTitle: When Family is the Only Shelter\, 2022 \nOil on Canvas\, 60 x 50cm\nCourtesy of the Ghiath and Nadia Sukhtian Collection
URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/gaza-remains-the-story/
LOCATION:The Ballroom\, No 8 Marketplace\, Diss\, IP22 4AB\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Platforma,Visual Arts
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=application/pdf:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Platforma-Landscape-Artwork-Image.pdf
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251014
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251027
DTSTAMP:20260419T120802
CREATED:20250721T141103Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251003T100517Z
UID:10000539-1760400000-1761523199@counterpoints.org.uk
SUMMARY:Confluence
DESCRIPTION:Confluence: a place where ideas merge or flow together\nAn exhibition curated and co-ordinated by Shathy Bano exploring cultural influence\, identity and belonging in the community with a two-week programme of collaborative artwork\, interactive workshops & conversations. \nCo-commissioned and presented as part of the Platforma Festival (October 2025) produced by Counterpoints Arts. \nCommunity gathering 18 October\, 1-4pm \nThis year community artist Shathy Bano has facilitated a series of 20 art sessions involving a total of over 40 participants with experience of migration in various small group settings. The sessions involved conversations exploring cultural influence\, memory\, identity and language\, using visual art as a tool for expression. \nThe exhibition at Anteros Arts Foundation brings all of the artwork together from different sessions and includes a programme of workshop activities that a free and drop-in. \nThe community gathering on the 18th is a celebration of the connections made by everyone who has participated in the projects. \nShathy Bano is a Bengali British visual artist with an extensive background in social work and therapeutic community art. Shathy focuses on cultural identity\, transformation and loss. As a child migrant herself\, her art practice draws on her life experience to create visual expressions of intersectional identity and cultural exchange through the generations\, representing how this relates to the evolving\, yet transitory notion of home and place. \nShathy has worked with Norfolk libraries and other community groups for several years leading art sessions. The creative sessions explores the links between culture\, language and place to explore belonging and connection working collaboratively with groups. \nThe exhibition is a collation of the various artwork undertaken over the past year through different projects and the connections and networks made. There is an opportunity to view the artwork\, and the two week programme provides a variety of art sessions and time and space for creativity and conversation. \n 
URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/confluence/
LOCATION:Anteros\, 11-15 Fye Bridge Street\, Norwich\, NR31LJ\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Platforma,Visual Arts
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/20250620_134133.jpg
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