Refugee Fest

WRITE DOWN THAT I AM
bike and picnic performance of Strefa WolnoSłowa
19 June

On the Polish-Belarusian border, on the Polish-Ukrainian border, in Ukraine, in centers for foreigners, in cities and towns, in forests, neighborhoods, in our own homes and apartments. Searching for safety, asylum and shelter became for the past months our common experience. More intensively than ever before. We shared stories, memories, moments of despair, hope and little joys. We were searching for the answers and solutions, improvising and trying our best. We have been learning how to give space, how to share it and how to build together from scratch. 

World Refugee Day is our common celebration – a celebration of the right to safety, to a home, to warmth, to a meal and water, to build a new life, to work, to friendship, to dreams and plans. To one’s own opinion, passion, place. 

We have plenty of room, we can share it with those who are looking for safety.  Whoever they are, wherever they come from, and whenever they are forced to flee.

Chapter 1. → start at 16.00 in front of the Powszechny Theater

We will take some space away from the city to give it to new stories and biographies. Our ride will be a manifestation of poetry and diversity.
We will be together in action, listening and talking while reading poetry from the countries of origin of refugees living now in Poland.
Where do people who come to Poland in search of shelter from war, hunger, persecution come from?
What are they fleeing from? Do we know what is happening in their countries of origin as far as our eyes can see?

We will get on bikes and set off on a refugee ride through Warsaw that everybody can join. 

Chapter 2. → start at 18.30 in Jazdów 1

It will be about what we want to save, what gives us joy in times of uncertainty, what empowers and gives us strength. In the city gardens and in the picnic atmosphere we are going to invite Warsaw inhabitants to the common storytelling and exchange. Small artistic interventions prepared by intercultural groups of Strefa WolnoSłowa and refugee artists will become an invitation to reflect on giving a space to others and building something new together. Public divided into small groups will explore diverse stories of building a new home told by the language of movement, music and poetry.

To keep up to date, check out our social media / FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM
REFUGEE FEST on Facebook

PARTICIPATIVE MAKING OFF THE PERFORMANCE FOR THE WORLD REFUGEE DAY 2022
DANCE /  MOVEMENT/ STORYTELLING / GRAPHIC / MUSIC

Between June 11-18, in Teatr Powszechny in Warsaw we are going to organize open creative workshops during which we will prepare different parts of the performance. We are going to write, dance, tell stories, improvise, draw, whisper, shout and create music. 

The workshops will be led by artists associated with the Strefa WolnoSłowa and refugee artists invited to cooperate. 

We invited dancers, choreographers, actresses, singers, illustrators and musicians from Ukraine, Belarus, Nigeria, Rwanda, Cuba, among others, to join us in creating music. 

The workshop will be open to a wide range of participants of different nationalities. 

The entrance to the workshops is free, no registration is required. 

◊ Workshop timetable ◊

11 & 12 June , 11.00-14.00

AFRO DANCE WORKSHOPS with Manzi & Vic 

We are Afro Dance teachers Manzi and Vic from Rwanda and Nigeria, we came from Ukraine and we are working as volunteers in Inclussive. We started the Classes 2 month ago and we are getting good feedback from people that our classes are nice and they enjoy them. We plan to continue our school from October intake in poland if things goes well. We will be teaching African choreography from Nigeria, Rwanda South Africa and Ghana. We also give classes to beginners who are interested to learn Afro Dance.

On the workshop we will work on simple choreography we can then perform it together during the event of Refugee Fest on 19.06 celebrating the World Refugees Day.

11 & 12 June , 15.00-18.00

ILLUSTRATION & STORYTELLING with Kateryna Kostelna

An illustration workshop where we will create a picture game together to inspire the sharing of stories. We will look for ideas together and learn to tell stories by pictures. During the workshop, we will also learn about the theory of illustration, explore different techniques for interpreting images, and learn about the work of refugee artists and illustrators.

♦ 13 June , 19.00-21.00

MUSIC IMPROVISATION with Sound in Space Orchestra

A meeting for all those interested in experimenting with sound, musical improvisation and learning to listen, for professional musicians and amateurs of different experience and cultural backgrounds. A workshop of open musical improvisation that will start the work on the musical setting of a performance for World Refugee Day 2022. 

♦ 14 June, 18.00-21.00

VIDEO & POETRY creation with Strefa WolnoSłowa team

During the meeting we will focus on creating short poetic video forms in which we ourselves will be performers. We will reflect together on the power of image and the possibilities of creating metaphorical visual content. We will explore the possibilities of the camera and work with sound and words.

♦ 15 June, 18.00 – 21.00

CONTEMPORARY DANCE with Misza Mikhaliuk 

Contemporary dance workshops: basics of contemporary dance, improvisation, modern jazz.
During the workshop we will create a piece of choreography and learn to listen to our body.

♦ 16 June, 11.00-14.00

TEXT & PERFORMANCE with Olia Kalakoltsava i Altro Volta

The main goal of the workshop is to integrate musical and acting methods of non-verbal expression. We will translate thoughts and texts into music, role, character. We will speak, rustle, be silent, make sounds depending on the text we will be working on and our personal reaction to it.We will use new musical and acting techniques related to improvisation based on our own experience.

♦ 17 June, 18.30-21.00

THEATER with Artem Manuilov

Artem Manuilov is a theater and film actor who works both in Poland and Ukraine. For many years he worked with the Lesia Kurbas Lviv Academic Theatre, and since 2018 he has been working with the Powszechny Theatre in Warsaw. The workshop will focus on the actor’s work with text and body, within the framework of the class we will work on the theatrical development of one of the scenes of the prepared performance. 

To keep up to date, check out our social media / FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM
REFUGEE FEST on Facebook

On 20 June we encourage you to join the World Refugee Day celebrations.

What can you do?

♦ Place information about World Refugee Day on your institution’s or organisation’s website or social media → DOWNLOAD FILE
DOWNLOAD ONLINE POSTER

♦ Change the background photo on your Facebook profile → Download file

♦ Write a poem, lyrics, compose a song, make a video related to World Refugee Day and post it on social media.

Don’t forget to add #WithRefugees