The School on Migration
The School on Migration is a space for exchanging knowledge, skills and tools. In the program, we address the most important issues concerning contemporary migration, analyze humanitarian crises at borders, and reflect on the intersection of migration and climate issues. We look at public, media and artistic representations of migration. We are looking for our own language to tell the stories of the experiences of people on the move, exchanging ways to give voice and agency to migrant and refugee groups. At the same time, we learn how to organize a meeting space for local and migrant communities, sharing experiences of artistic, social and aid work with migrants and refugees. The program focuses on how to build an open community of people with different cultural backgrounds, speaking many languages, tolerant of all kinds of otherness and focused on living together and building a multicultural community.
Program 2025
In the upcoming edition of The School on Migration, we will focus on reflecting on migration issues in the face of the ongoing climate catastrophe. We will be joined in our reflections by Pierluigi Musaro, Stefania Peca and Elena Giacomelli - researchers from the Italian collective Reimagining Mobilities at the University of Bologna specializing in the analysis and creation of narratives about migration in the era of climate change - and Mimi Sheller (Worcester Polytechnic Institute) who studies the concept of mobility justice. During the course, we will discuss the current legal situation of migrants and refugees in Poland and Europe. We will meet with Marta Górczyńska (Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights) and Aleksandra Chrzanowska (Legal Intervention Association, Border Group) to analyze the current law and the current situation at the borders. With Svitlana Matus (SGGW) we will consider how to talk about the climate catastrophe in a way that reaches different audiences, and with Ewa Bińczyk (Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń) we will look at the future of the Anthropocene.
The School on Migration is for everyone who organizes or wants to organize cultural initiatives in their local communities, including and supporting joint activities of people with different cultural backgrounds - for cultural animators, artists, social workers, activists, teachers, employees of NGOs and cultural institutions, leaders of grassroots local activities - regardless of previous experience in organizing such initiatives, regardless of gender, origin and time of living in Poland. We encourage especially those working with young people in multicultural environments or interested in implementing such activities to participate in this year's edition. As part of the program, the participants will receive substantive and financial support to enable them to implement initiatives aimed at migrant and refugee youth. During the workshops, we will meet with people working with refugee youth, including Iza Orłów from Przystanek Świetlica Foundation for Freedom, who will lead a workshop inspired by her methods of working with young people with the migration background. In addition, together with the teams from Strefa WolnoSłowa and Cantieri Meticci from Bologna, we will explore artistic tools and methods of working with people of different ages and cultural backgrounds.
Meeting calendar
Dates of meetings: March 22 and 23, April 26 and 27, May 24 and 25, June 28 and 29, September 27 and 28 + final meeting in November 2025 (date to be confirmed)
The Migration School program is conducted in Polish and English (depending on the workshop), with the possibility of translation into other languages if needed. Details will be discussed directly with those accepted to the School.
Fundings
Event co-organised by Strefa Wolnosłowa and Jasna 10: Społeczna Instytucja Kultury Krytyka Polityczna as part of the implementation of the public task ‘Jasna 10: Społeczna Instytucja Kultury’ funded by the City of Warsaw.
School on Migration is part of the NEW SPACE project co-financed by the European Union.
