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. 10
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. 17
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
