Journeys Festival International celebrates this year’s Refugee Week with a great variety of exciting events taking place from 14 – 20 June, accompanied by the theme of unity and solidarity ‘We Cannot Walk Alone’.
Refugee Week 2021 is an invitation for everyone to extend their hand to someone new – in a bold, collective act of reaching out; in a space for everyone to listen, exchange and connect. To find out what each one of us can learn from others and what we can build together.
This year’s programme will cover a wide spectrum of events including multi-media art programmes, community projects, book launches and film presentations:
On the 14 June, Journeys Festival International presents Words of Welcome, created by Manchester City of Sanctuary members in collaboration with ArtReach and SBC Theatre. During lockdown, sanctuary seekers were helped to develop their own storytelling in a series of creative workshops whilst improving their English skills. In the ‘book of ideas’, which you can download from the website, they showcase these stories in their own words with beautiful illustrations.
Global Kitchen, the beloved community project in partnership with Soft Touch Arts and volunteer chefs led by Linton Magume, will be part of Refugee Week again! Global Kitchen unites people through food: With the first ever recipe book – available in shops and launched at a small event for participants and partners on 15 June – the recipe book features dishes shared by members of the local community from their home nations, allowing you to recreate a truly global menu.
The multi-media project Sun Up, Rain Falls, River Rises – an exciting interactive experience taking place in specially selected locations across the UK – introduces stories from around the globe whilst allowing a glimpse into the memories of each writer. Illustrated posters by Pickle Illustration, allow QR code access in each location to experience the amazing audio stories, illustrations and musical soundtrack.
Journeys into Film – supported by Film Hub North and Film Hub Midlands – showcases an extraordinary selection of contemporary short films that look into collective experiences of displacement – focusing on stories of the sounds, languages, histories and memories, which shape our relationship to space and identity.
On the 18 June, Journeys Festival International introduces Reckoning, a multimedia short film created in collaboration with European artists, telling the stories of generations of displaced people in their own words.
With this extraordinary programme the festival team invite you to visit, engage and participate in the events and activities in order to share the message of unity and solidarity as “We cannot walk alone”!
Get more information on each of the events on www.journeysfestival.com and visit Refugee Week 2021!