Join us for this month's Forced Migration and The Arts indaba and conversations looking at work refugee and non-refugee artists, academics, activists and art spaces are doing at the intersection where forced migration and the arts meet.
The conversation takes place online on Thursday, 29 August 2024, from 3.30pm till about 5.00pm UK time.
Attendance and participation are free and open to all.
To attend, please register here.
SPEAKERS include:
● Dr Eithne Nightingale, a researcher, writer, photographer and filmmaker. She is also the author of Child Migrant Stories in Modern Britain: Oral Histories 1930s to the Present Day published by Bloomsbury in February 2024. This is based on research into child migration for a collaborative PhD between Queen Mary University of London and the V&A although the book is targeted at a readership beyond academia. She is also the founder of a co-produced award-winning website, films and events programme childmigrantstories.com drawing on skills and creativity of those with lived experience of child migration. She has over 40 years experience of working on issues of equality, diversity and social justice in both the education and cultural sectors.
● Stephen Okun, a professional filmmaker and photographer, and also an Artificial Intelligence researcher at FilmAid Kenya. Born in the eastern region of South Sudan and raised in the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya for 24 years, he gives telling visual stories using media as one of the experiences that has contributed to his growth and development as a person. His objective is to explore the ethical dimensions of AI in media, with an aim to push the boundaries of interactive storytelling, and develop AI tools that empower creators to tell more personalized and immersive visual stories.
As part of the conversation, we will also look at aspects that include:
● Children's experiences of forced migration, including children who are migrating unaccompanied;
● Issues affecting refugees, asylum seekers and people with lived experience of forced migration;
● What artists and the arts doing around the questions and issues;
● The challenges that refugee and non-refugee or asylum seeking artists, academics, activists and art spaces are experiencing in doing this work; and
● What can be done or what ought to be done about the challenges, by whom and how.
NETWORK NOTES
About The Network: Forced Migration and The Arts is an international network that brings together people with lived experience of forced migration, refugee and non-refugee artists, academics, activists and art spaces. The network encourages mutual support and collaboration and hosts monthly discussion panels around forced migration and the arts. A playlist of videos of some of the conversations we have had so far is accessible here.
On the Radical Potential of €5: We continue drawing attention to Sunday Lawrence's appeal for support. Lawrence, a refugee from South Sudan and a second year Law student at the International University of East Africa in Kampala, Uganda needs to raise €5,256 for tuition and sustenance. So far, he has raised €4,061 and needs to raise the remaining €1,195. Perhaps you can spare Lawrence a fiver (€5)?
September Indaba/Conversations: The next Forced Migration and The Arts forum/indaba takes place on Thursday, September 26, between 2pm and 7.30pm. If you are a refugee or non-refugee artist, academic, activist or organisation working at the intersection where forced migration and the arts meet, and you would like to speak as part of the forum, please register through this form.
September Indaba/Conversations: The next Forced Migration and The Arts forum/indaba takes place on Thursday, September 26, between 2pm and 7.30pm. If you are a refugee or non-refugee artist, academic, activist or organisation working at the intersection where forced migration and the arts meet, and you would like to speak as part of the forum, please register through this form.