Journeys Festival International Manchester

Journeys Festival International Manchester at The Whitworth, Manchester, 4–14 October 2018, free entry - Visit now

Manchester’s Journeys Festival International is set to burst across the city this October. Exploring the refugee experience through great art, expect huge amounts of talent and enriching experiences for all ages.

Free events, peformances, screenings and workshops from over 100 artists will share the stories of those who have experienced forced migration. We can’t think of a more perfect setting than one of the most culturally diverse cities in the UK, a city shaped by migration for many centuries.

We’ll be heading to Still I Rise, an interactive trail from acclaimed writer and director Yusra Warsama and collective of international women artists Travelling Heritage Bureau. Adventure around Manchester Art Gallery on a journey of women’s struggles, resistance, creativity, hope and freedom through film, textiles, painting music and poetry.

Over at The Whitworth, don’t miss Crossing Borders, an outdoor installation by artist Matilda Glen, informed by recent refugee experiences in Calais and Paris. Look up across the festival to spot giant outdoor artwork and street interventions by artist Kate Daudy.

Book soon for the UK premiere of Soufra at HOME. This wildly inspirational tale of intrepid social entrepreneur Marian Shaar who has spent her entire life in the Burj El Barajneh refugee camp in Lebanon, charts how she and her peers take their future into their own hands by launching a catering company.

Take the kids to Future Aleppo at Longsight Library. Inspired by 13 year old Mohammed Kteish who rebuilt his beloved Syrian city first as paper models, then in virtual reality, this mass participation event invites you to build your own city of Manchester from paper and VR. Experience Mohammed’s Aleppo too through his powerful virtual reality version.

Head to Cathedral Gardens on Saturday 13 for a day of free live world music for Journeys Live. Emerging and established artists from across the world is set to keep Manchester on its toes dancing, with street food vendors aplenty to warm our bellies. Highlights include the Amani Collective, Manchester International Roots Orchestra, Neda, Rafiki Jazz and Zee Guveya and the Heritage Survival Band.

Manchester, don’t miss this.