Journeys Festival International 2021 (15 - 24 October) Leicester, Manchester and Portsmouth.

Image © Mikal Ludlow

15–24 October Leicester Manchester Portsmouth

www.journeysfestival.com

@journeysfest

One Festival Three Cities Ten Days Join us on the JOURNEY. Journeys Festival International (JFI) curates, presents and commissions a varied programme of work created by artists exploring the experiences of refugees and global cultures through artistic and creative encounters.

This year’s programme includes an inspiring and powerful mix of visual and digital art exhibitions, virtual reality installations, performances, food gatherings, films and animations created by artists (and chefs!) from around the globe.

JFI is an annual festival taking place in Leicester, Manchester and Portsmouth, which for the first time will happen in each of the three cities simultaneously between 15–24 October 2021.

ArtReach produces Journeys Festival International in collaboration with extraordinary artists, community groups, charities, arts organisations, funders, volunteers and partners. We would like to thank everyone who makes the festival possible — in particular the volunteer members of the ROOTS group that support our festival all year round.

We look forward to seeing you in Leicester, Manchester and Portsmouth! Share your experiences and enjoy the festival using #JourneysFestival on social media.

The Journeys Festival International Team at ArtReach

www.journeysfestival.com 2

@journeysfest

Festival Guide Page 4 Where There is Light

by Squidsoup Page 6 Bloodland Embrace

by Majid Adin and Kalico Jack Page 8 Wonderland

by Mohammad Barrangi Page 9 Reckoning

by Akeim Toussaint Buck Page 10 Look Up

by Various Artists Page 12 Sounds of Sanctuary

by Momtaza Mehri and Addictive TV Page 13 Journeys into Film

by Various Artists Page 14 Global Kitchen Page 15 Tale of Tresses

by Maral Mamaghanizadeh Page 16 Graffiti Art and Protest in Iran

by Parham Ghalamdar and Steven Lake Page 17 Local Programme Page 18 Leicester Listings Page 20 Manchester Listings Page 22 Portsmouth Listings

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Image © Hannah Brady

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Where There is Light

by Squidsoup

Leicester • 15–24 October Portsmouth • 15–24 October Manchester • 16 and 18–23 October See listings for regional times and venues

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 online 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.

Commissioned by ArtReach for Journeys Festival International, with funding from Arts Council England and BID Leicester.

Reserve your free* tickets at journeysfestival.com *Tickets are ‘Pay What You Decide’ – Free entry or make a donation of your choice. All donations go towards supporting the festival, our artists and to keeping our work accessible.

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Image © Majid Adin

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Bloodland Embrace

by Majid Adin and Kalico Jack Manchester • 18–20 October Leicester • 21–23 October

See listings for regional times and venues

Bloodland Embrace, an exciting new animation and projection piece, features original artwork by Majid Adin and 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.

This stunning projection takes place outdoors.

Presented by award winning interactive arts studio Invisible Flock and music by composer James Hamilton.

Commissioned by ArtReach for Liberty EU at Journeys Festival International, with funding from Leicester City Council, Phoenix Cinema and Arts Centre, and the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.

Reserve your free* tickets at journeysfestival.com *Tickets are ‘Pay What You Decide’ – Free entry or make a donation of your choice. All donations go towards supporting the festival, our artists and to keeping our work accessible.

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Image © Mohammad Barrangi

Wonderland

by Mohammad Barrangi Portsmouth • 13–24 October See listings for times and venue

Wonderland is an exhibition of new work by internationally renowned artist Mohammad Barrangi. Traditional Persian calligraphy techniques are beautifully woven through contemporary printing and collage processes to create an intimate and personal story of cultural identity and immigration.

As part of this installation of work, there will be a live painting led

by Mohammad Barrangi at the exhibition venue. You’ll be able to watch the artist as he creates a large-scale artwork in a day in front of a live audience.

Commissioned by ArtReach for Journeys Festival International, with funding from Arts Council England and the WOMAD Foundation.

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Image © Ashley Karrell Panoptial

Reckoning

by Akeim Toussaint Buck Manchester • 16 October Portsmouth • 19 October Leicester • 22 October

Reserve your free* tickets at journeysfestival.com *Tickets are ‘Pay What You Decide’ – Free entry or make a donation of your choice. All donations go towards supporting the festival, our artists and to keeping our work accessible.

See listings for regional times and venues

Created by choreographer and storyteller Akeim Toussaint Buck, filmmaker Ashley Karrell, animator Benedetta Fasson and writer mandla rae, Reckoning blends contemporary dance, spoken word and digital animation to depict the stories of generations of displaced people captured in the Reckoning with Refugeedom research led by the University of Manchester.

Join Akeim Toussaint Buck to watch the film and a short live work-in-progress performance, and hear more about the project in a Q&A session.

Produced by ArtReach for Liberty EU at Journeys Festival International, with funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.

Supported by the University of Manchester.

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Image © Bahzad Sulaiman

Look Up

by Ally Zlatar, Bahzad Sulaiman, Parham Ghalamdar, Rita Adib Leicester • Manchester • Portsmouth 15–24 October See listings for regional times and venues

Look Up is a series of new visual artworks displayed in outdoor public locations across Leicester, Manchester and Portsmouth. The works have been created by international artists Ally Zlatar, Bahzad Sulaiman, Parham Ghalamdar and Rita Adib, with mentorship support from Rachel Dobbs and Adam Broomberg.

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Image © Bahzad Sulaiman

Each artist has created a unique and personal artwork, designed to share messages, stories and images that respond to themes of well-being and mental health, cultural greetings, national identity and borders, as well as privilege.

The Look Up artworks were developed in collaborative artistic residencies hosted by Aspex Portsmouth, UK, and coculture in Berlin, Germany.

Produced by ArtReach for Liberty EU at Journeys Festival International, with co-funding from the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.

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Image © Momtaza Mehri

Sounds of Sanctuary

by Momtaza Mehri and Addictive TV

Leicester • 15–17 October Manchester • 18–20 October Portsmouth • 22–24 October

Reserve your free* tickets at journeysfestival.com *Tickets are ‘Pay What You Decide’ – Free entry or make a donation of your choice. All donations go towards supporting the festival, our artists and to keeping our work accessible.

See listings for regional times and venues

Exploring the cultural connections between Somalia, Syria and beyond, Momtaza Mehri combines this new spoken word piece with an audio-visual music installation produced by UK artists Addictive TV. Blending sounds from across the world through sampling and connecting recordings of young musicians, Sounds of Sanctuary is a musical story sharing the journeys that each of the instrumentalists have taken before making Europe their home.

Commissioned by ArtReach for Liberty EU at Journeys Festival International, co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union. Created in collaboration with Sashwati Sengupta.

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Image: This is Not a Poem © Eric Ngalle Charles

Journeys into Film

by Various Artists

Leicester • 18 October Portsmouth • 21 October Manchester • 24 October

Buy tickets at journeysfestival.com Ticket prices range from £5–£7.50, concessions are available.

Please see website for details.

See listings for regional times and venues

Journeys into Film presents a rousing and reflective programme of short films made by filmmakers with sanctuary-seeking backgrounds.

The fantastic programme of five specially selected films offers both artistic intrigue and an injection of the reality of displacement and seeking refuge.

Short films include The Little Whale on the Beach by Parang Khezri, My Name is Anik by Bircan Birol, Ambience by Wisam Al-Jafari, Birds or Borders by Parham Ghalamdar and This is Not a Poem by Eric Ngalle Charles and Greg Lewis.

Curated by ArtReach, with funding from Film Hub North and Film Hub Midlands, awarding National Lottery funding on behalf of the BFI Film Audience Network.

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Image © Tom Wren Photography

Buy tickets at journeysfestival.com

Global Kitchen Portsmouth • 18 October Leicester • 18 October

Ticket prices range from £10—£20, concessions are available.

Please see website for details.

See listings for regional times and venues

Over the last year, Global Kitchen cookery sessions have been uniting our communities and breaking down barriers between people through their love of food.

For the first time, our volunteer chefs take their favourite recipes and head to professional kitchens to prepare a feast. Join us and celebrate these wonderful global dishes and the people behind them for a sit down celebratory meal in some of the best pop-up eateries in Leicester and Portsmouth.

Hosted by ArtReach in collaboration with Soft Touch Arts, Leicester City of Sanctuary and the British Red Cross.

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Image © Maral Mamaghanizadeh

Tale of Tresses

by Maral Mamaghanizadeh Portsmouth • 13–24 October Leicester • 15–23 October

See listings for regional times and venues

Tale of Tresses is a new film by artist Maral Mamaghanizadeh, 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 worn by solo dancer Chisato Minamimura. Each piece of jewellery represents an individual who has donated their hair for a bespoke piece, and as the dancer moves, the jewellery creates an instrumental chorus of sound accompanying the performance.

Commissioned by the LEVEL Centre, with funding from Arts Council England.

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Image © Parham Ghalamdar

Graffiti Art and Protest in Iran

by Parham Ghalamdar and Steven Lake Portsmouth • 21–22 October Leicester • 22–24 October

Reserve your free* tickets at journeysfestival.com *Tickets are ‘Pay What You Decide’ – Free entry or make a donation of your choice. All donations go towards supporting the festival, our artists and to keeping our work accessible.

See listings for regional times and venues

Take a virtual reality tour of a water tunnel in Iran that became a canvas for graffiti artists and a focal point for political and social protest. In this virtual reality installation, Parham Ghalamdar shares the stories behind the artworks and their destruction in the context of political freedoms and creative expression in modern day Iran.

Executive Produced by Limina Immersive.

Commissioned by ArtReach for Liberty EU at Journeys Festival International, with funding from Arts Council England and the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.

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Journeys Festival International Local Programme We’ve teamed up with fantastic partners and wonderful cultural venues to bring you events, exhibitions and discussions tailored to Leicester, Manchester and Portsmouth.

At Leicester Cathedral we’re screening Zarafa, an animation about a boy who, having escaped from a slave trader, befriends an orphan giraffe and sets out on a journey from Africa to Paris.

We’ll also host a panel discussion sharing stories of migration, journeys to Leicester and the experience of seeking sanctuary with special guests and local charities.

In Manchester, there’s a range of activities including live music performances and a Q&A after the Journeys into Film screening at HOME with the creator of one of the short films, Parham Ghalamdar.

In partnership with Portsmouth Cathedral, we’ll be sharing Halabja: In The Golden Age created by Gulan, an exhibition exploring Kurdish arts and culture from the Halabja region.

We’re also delighted to present Textile Journeys through Portsmouth with Splodge Designs, displaying a glorious carnival costume created by local participants, alongside Where There is Light.

Full details at journeysfestival.com Halabja: In The Golden Age Portsmouth Cathedral 14 October–3 November

Aspex Portsmouth hosts an exhibition of Maral Mamaghanizadeh’s jewellery pieces made of human hair and ceramic alongside her performance film.

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Leicester Listings

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Title

Dates

Times

Where There is Light

15–24 Oct

Mon–Sat: 11am–5pm Sun: 2pm–3pm Special Late openings on: Thu 21 Oct: 6pm–8pm Sat 23 Oct: 6pm–8pm Sun 24 Oct: 4.30pm–6.30pm

Bloodland Embrace

21–23 Oct

6.15pm–9pm Several screenings across the evening

Reckoning

22 Oct

7pm–8.30pm

Look Up

15–24 Oct

All day every day

Sounds of Sanctuary

15–17 Oct

4pm, 5.30pm, 7pm

Journeys into Film

18 Oct

6.30pm

Global Kitchen

18 Oct

7pm

Tale of Tresses

15–23 Oct

Mon–Fri: 10am–5pm Sat: 12pm–5pm

Graffiti Art and Protest in Iran

22–24 Oct

Fri: 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 5pm, 6pm, 7pm Sat: 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 5pm, 6pm, 7pm Sun: 1pm, 2pm, 3pm

Leicester Migration Story — Panel Discussion

19 Oct

6pm–7.30pm

Zarafa (PG) Film Screening

24 Oct

1pm–2.30pm

Venue

Tickets

Accessibility

Leicester Cathedral, 7 Peacock Lane, LE1 5PZ

Pay What You Decide leicestercathedral.org

Ramped access to the Cathedral with disabled toilets in St. Martin’s House

Green Dragon Square, LE1 5HB

Pay What You Decide journeysfestival.com

Fully accessible

Curve Theatre, 60 Rutland Street, LE1 1SB

Pay What You Decide curveonline.co.uk

Fully accessible with disabled toilets, parking and a hearing loop

Various Locations

Not required

Highfields Centre, 96 Melbourne Road, LE2 0DS

Pay What You Decide journeysfestival.com

Fully accessible with disabled toilets

Phoenix Cinema and Arts Centre, 4 Midland Street, LE1 1TG

Tickets cost £5 journeysfestival.com

Fully accessible with disabled toilets, parking and a hearing loop

Soft Touch Arts, 50 New Walk, LE1 6TF

Tickets cost £10 - £20, concessions available soft-touch.org.uk

Fully accessible with disabled toilets

The Gallery, Mill Lane, LE2 7PT

Not required

Fully accessible with disabled toilets

Phoenix Cinema and Arts Centre, 4 Midland Street, LE1 1TG

Pay What You Decide journeysfestival.com

Fully accessible with disabled toilets and parking

Leicester Cathedral, 7 Peacock Lane, LE1 5PZ

Tickets cost £5 leicestercathedral.org

Ramped access to the Cathedral with disabled toilets in St. Martin’s House

Leicester Cathedral, 7 Peacock Lane, LE1 5PZ

Tickets cost £5 includes popcorn leicestercathedral.org

Ramped access to the Cathedral with disabled toilets in St. Martin’s House 19

Manchester Listings

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Title

Dates

Times

Where There is Light

16 and 18–23 Oct

Mon–Sat 4pm–8pm

Bloodland Embrace

18–20 Oct

6.15pm–9pm Several screenings across the evening

Reckoning

16 Oct

7pm–8.30pm

Look Up

15–24 Oct

All day every day

Sounds of Sanctuary

18–20 Oct

4pm, 5.30pm, 7pm

Journeys into Film

24 Oct

1.30pm–3.10pm

Venue

Tickets

Accessibility

Holy Name Church, 339 Oxford Road, M13 9PG

Pay What You Decide journeysfestival.com

Fully accessible with a hearing loop

Hallé St Peter’s, 40 Blossom Street, M4 6BF

Pay What You Decide journeysfestival.com

Fully accessible with disabled toilets, parking and a hearing loop

Martin Harris Centre, University of Manchester, Bridgeford Street, M13 9PL

Pay What You Decide journeysfestival.com

Fully accessible with disabled toilets, parking and a hearing loop

Various Locations

Not required

Rethink Rebuild Society, Hamilton Road, M13 0PD

Pay What You Decide journeysfestival.com

Fully accessible with disabled toilets and parking

HOME, 2 Tony Wilson Place, M15 4FN

Full £7.50 / concessions £5.50 For HOME members discounts available homemcr.org

Fully accessible with disabled toilets, parking and a hearing loop

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Portsmouth Listings

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Title

Dates

Times

Where There is Light

15–24 Oct

Fri 15 Oct: 9am–12pm Mon–Sat (except Wed): 9am–12pm & 7pm–9pm Wed: 9am–12pm Sun: 3pm–8pm

Wonderland

13–24 Oct

Wed–Sun: 11am–4pm

Reckoning

19 Oct

7pm–8.30pm

Look Up

15–24 Oct

All day every day

Sounds of Sanctuary

22–24 Oct

4pm, 5.30pm, 7pm

Journeys into Film and Limbo (12A)

21 Oct

6pm–9.15pm

Global Kitchen

18 Oct

6pm

Tale of Tresses

13–24 Oct

Wed–Sun: 11am–4pm (Closed Mon & Tue)

Graffiti Art and Protest in Iran

21–22 Oct

Thurs: 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 5pm, 6pm, 7pm Fri: 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 5pm, 6pm, 7pm

Textile Journeys through Portsmouth

15–24 Oct

Same times as Where There is Light, see above.

Halabja: In The Golden Days

14 Oct– 3 Nov

Mon–Sat: 10am–3pm Sun: 12.45pm–3pm

Venue

Tickets

Accessibility

St Mary’s Church, Fratton Road, PO1 5PA

Pay What You Decide journeysfestival.com

Fully accessible with disabled toilets, parking and a hearing loop

Aspex Portsmouth, Gunwharf Quays, PO1 3BF

Not required

Fully accessible with disabled toilets and parking

New Theatre Royal, 20–24 Guildhall Walk, PO1 2DD

Pay What You Decide newtheatreroyal.com

Fully accessible with disabled toilets

Various Locations

Not required

Fratton Community Centre, Trafalgar Place, PO1 5JJ

Pay What You Decide journeysfestival.com

Fully accessible with disabled toilets and parking

No.6 Cinema, Boathouse 6 Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

Tickets cost £5 no6cinema.co.uk

Fully accessible with disabled toilets

Outside-In, 56 Middle Street, PO5 4BN

Tickets cost £10–£20, concessions available journeysfestival.com

Fully accessible

Aspex Portsmouth, Gunwharf Quays, PO1 3BF

Not required

Fully accessible with disabled toilets and parking

New Theatre Royal, 20–24 Guildhall Walk, PO1 2DD

Pay What You Decide newtheatreroyal.com

Fully accessible with disabled toilets

St Mary’s Church, Fratton Road, PO1 5PA

Included with Where There is Light ticket

Fully accessible with disabled toilets, parking and a hearing loop

Portsmouth Cathedral, High Street, PO1 2HA

Not required

Fully accessible with disabled toilets and a hearing loop 23

Festival Funders Co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union

Festival Partners

Distribution/Digital Partners

www.journeysfestival.com

@journeysfest