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Journeys Festival is back – bigger and better than ever – now International

We are pleased to work with ArtReach on their fourth Journeys Festival in Leicester which has gone international.  Don’t miss this year’s events, which include the amazing Refugee directed Belarus Free Theatre at the Curve – “One of the bravest and most inspired underground troupes on the planet” – New York Times.  The show – “Burning Doors” runs from 23rd to 27th August and includes Pussy Riot’s Maria Alyokhina to share stories of persecuted artists, living under dictatorship, who will not be silenced. This is not to be missed and bookings are open now. 

There will be more of the popular coffee shop conversations – an opportunity to meet and talk to refugees and refugee artists in the intimate surrounding of a coffee shop. The Container Project (6th – 28th August) on Orton Square will host a range of visual installations and informative exhibitions.

de801c_0e33109f7d364cf2a8bf3ee9d67393dc The Look Up project (17th – 27th August) will bring Syrian born Mohamad Khayata’s “Stitching My Syria Back” artworks to iconic buildings in Leicester.

There will also be pop up theatre (with many refugee actors), a digital kite flying project and more!

de801c_74712e6834124a8ebfd8f02f94985796See the JourneysFestival International Press Release, which you can download and share with your friends and keep an eye on the Journeys International Festival website for any updates.  Events also in Portsmouth and Manchester in October.

Photos from last year: Coffee shop conversation and Look Up project which featured a series of large format artworks by Kurdish-British artist Behjat Omer Abdulla adorning 5 iconic buildings in Leicester.

The aims and aspirations of the Journeys Festival are to:

 Provide a platform that identifies and presents the exceptional work of refugee artists.
 Highlight the experiences of refugees and asylum seekers through great art, and transmit these experiences to a public realm.
 Enable a positive interface between the UK population and refugees and asylum seekers.
 Use art and culture to support integration of refugees.
 Challenge perceptions, raise issues, and share experiences to create greater understanding of the refugee crisis.
 Create a rich, powerful, provocative and accessible artistic programme that reaches and engages a wide cross section of the public.
 Support the emergence and development of a new generation of creative festival producers and festival personnel.
 Build partnerships that will facilitate an ongoing and positive legacy from the first three years of Journeys Festival International.

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