Difference Festival - University of Westminster 25 February-1 March

Difference Festival is a week-long celebration honouring the history and roots of our institution whilst showcasing the work of staff, students, alumni and friends of the University of Westminster.

This year the Difference Festival focuses on the term 'radical', taking in ideas from our history and ethos to today's social, political and cultural concerns.

The University of Westminster has always been different. In 1838 The Polytechnic Institution in Regent Street was established to 'delight as well as to instruct' and was described as 'an intellectual treat'. Our predecessors created a place where the public could explore new ideas, discover new inventions, acquire new knowledge and learn new skills. We strive to continue those ambitions and to make a difference, embodying the link between theory and practice and changing the world for good.

Come and be delighted and instructed by our researchers and their guests, treat your intellect with lunchtime and evening talks, walks, workshops, film screenings and discussions. 

More information about the Festival here

Within the dDifference Festival I have organised the event 

Radical film: voyeurism in documentary filmmaking on migration
about which you can read (and register) here

Refugee Week Launch at Southbank Centre (London)_19 June 2016

Counterpoints Arts is delighted to collaborate with Southbank Centre for the launch of Refugee Week in London on 19 June as part of their world famous Meltdown festival – curated by Guy Garvey.
Under the heading of Refugees Welcome, there will be an entire day of free activity at Southbank Centre involving Refugee Week partners. Musicians, poets and dancers will pop ­up across the site, and the marketplace will host activities and craft workshops.
The activity will culminate in The Boat We’re In, a concert inspired by the Red Cross produced album The Long Road and featuring Led Zeppelin lead singer Robert Plant, Meltdown Director Guy Garvey, Mercury Prize nominated folk singer Nick Mulvey, Radio 6 Music favourite Nadine Shah, northern soul singer Josephine Oniyama and the Southbank Sinfonia.
Across the Royal Festival Hall there will be small boats installed as part of a project working with refugee communities.
More programme detail will be announced here shortly.

Papers. Festival of the art, culture and architecture of refugee crisis_ 12 June Barbican Centre, London

This critical celebration will examine the creative and urban culture which has emerged from refugee camps across Europe. It will bring together refugee artists, musicians, poets, chefs and builders with a programme of discussions taking place on multiple stages throughout the day.

DISCUSSIONS STAGE

A mix of short presentation and panel discussion with some of the world's leading thinkers on refugee camps and migration. Panels will examine the built responses which have emerged from camps in Calais, Dunkirk, Lesvos and Pikpa culminating in an open plenary discussion with all participants.

GARDEN ROOM

Music, film and discussion. This stage will incorporate a mix of live and recorded music with short films ma...de about and by those at the epicentre of the crisis.

THE CONSERVATORY

The Barbican's vast glass house will host a wide variety of art pieces and installations. It will become a gallery of the rich mix of strange and powerful art which has come from or been made in response to refugee camps. At the heart will be the Blue House by the artist Alpha - an art school and gallery rescued from the Jungle in Calais and rebuilt for the first time in the UK specially Papers.

THE TERRACE

Hanging above the tropical plants of the jungle-like conservatory is the terrace, a platform which will play host to a mix of built prototype demonstrations, makers and food. The Kent Refugee Action Catering will be running a micro restaurant showing their work with asylum-seeking boys in Folkstone.

Line up to be announced.

Curated by Robert Mull with The Worldwide Tribe, Phineas Harper, Daniela Puga, Grainne Hassett, Jake Raslan, Jayden Ali, Esme Mull and Cindy Palmano.


Papers is part of the London Festival of Architecture 2016
http://www.architecturefoundation.org.uk/papers

Facebook page of the event 

TICKETS available here

Refugee week 20-26 June in UK

 A series of exciting and interesting events will take place this year during the Refugee Week (20-26 June 2016). The RW is organized and managed by Counterpoint Arts.
Find all details here.

Don't miss the launch of the RW at Southbank Centre on the 19th of June.

The theme of this year RW is WELCOME.

Migrations Europa Exchange - 16-18 February 2016

When dance meets migration!
Migrations Europa Exchange starts soon. Don't miss it, book your tickets!

Platforma festival - De Montford University, Leicester 5-6 November 2015

Can't wait to join this very promising festival on aesthetics and migration.  There are a series of workshops that revolve around several aspects of art and refugees. Here a very detailed programme. Make sure you book your ticket.

Festival of Mediterrenean Literature 11-14 September 2008

This is a Literature Festival in Italy (Lucera, FG), promoted by the cultural association “Mediterraneo è Cultura”, where I have been invited as moderator of an Algerian writer, Amara Lakhous. Lakhous lives in Italy and writes in Italian and he is the author of a very interesting book "Scontro di civiltà per un ascensoore a Piazza Vittorio", recently available in English translation. The Festival is focused on Mediterranean cultures and the theme this year is “Conflicts”. It is going to be a very exciting experience. Looking forward to writing about that.