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Join us on the JOURNEY

Journeys Festival International is an arts festival which took place in Leicester, Manchester and Portsmouth. For the first time our annual festival was delivered in all three cities at the same time.

You can see the full festival guide here.

The festival curates, presents and commissions a varied programme of work created by artists exploring the refugee experience and global cultures through artistic and creative encounters.

See a few films from some of this year's festival programme below.

Where There is Light by Squidsoup

Where There is Light is an immersive sound and light installation sharing the voices and stories of sanctuary-seeking communities from across the UK. It raises questions about where we find light in our lives, in ourselves, in others and in the world around us. With the soundscape showcasing interviews that took place during lockdown in 2020, the installation wants to bring people together and encourage a sense of connection and hope. We hope to rebuild, reconnect and transform how communities connect in times where isolation and loneliness have impacted many people. Thanks to Solent Sky Services for drone footage!

Sounds of Sanctuary by Addictive TV

Originally designed as a performative installation to be accompanied by poetry reading, Sounds of Sanctuary is presented here as a musical film. This is an instrumental journey created by sampling improvised recordings with musicians who are all newly arrived in Europe from Syria, Iran, Zimbabwe, Democratic Republic of Congo and Uyghur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang, China (formerly known as East Turkestan).

Bloodland Embrace by Kalico Jack

Bloodland Embrace, an exciting new animation and projection piece, features original artwork by international collective Kalico Jack. This beautiful animation depicts a story about home and belonging, and how we connect to different people and cultures across borders, even when they are or might feel closed. With a particular spotlight on pan European friendships, Bloodland Embrace also highlights the experiences of refugees and displaced people seeking safety in Europe.

Reckoning by Akeim Toussaint Buck

Reckoning is a multimedia short film and performance piece created by a collaboration of Liberty EU Portfolio artists - Choreographer and Storyteller Akeim Toussaint Buck, Filmmaker Ashley Karrell, Animator Benedetta Fasson and Writer mandla rae.

Weaving together contemporary lyrical dance, archive, animation and storytelling, Reckoning has been created from the Reckoning with Refugeedom archives which tell the stories of generations of displaced people in their own words.

Tale of Tresses by Maral Mamaghanizadeh

Tale of Tresses: Redress is a new film by artist Maral Mamaghanizadh, exploring the stories of female migrants and refugees through dance, jewellery and costume.

For this work, Maral’s contemporary jewellery, made with human hair, is used in performance and worn by solo dancer Leila McQuaid. Each piece of jewellery represents an element of Maral’s identity and the jewellery as a collection represents Maral’s intersectionality as a Deaf female refugee.