A programme of events from In Place of War, in partnership with Index on Censorship and funded by the AHRC.
Ethnic tensions; religious intolerance; economic crises; environmental disaster, growing inequality. Today’s news is full of stories of conflict and crisis, their pain, their impact and their threat to humanity. And yet, across the world, people living in challenging contexts are thinking and acting creatively to make positive change in their communities.
Discover a world of international change-makers who are taking the fight for basic human rights for all into their own hands. From local grassroots initiatives to multinational citizen movements.
Through a series of unconventional live talks, demonstrations, debates and performances, we ask our global network of grassroots change-makers what informs the way they work; how their contexts define their visions; and what we, as UK citizens, can take from their innovations, ingenuity and tenacity in order to create our own positive social change.
The In Place of War Culture. Conflict. Change. series creates a hub of incredible and truly unique activity in the heart of London, where people from across the city and the world will come together to share ideas, talk about change at both a grassroots and national level, and co-curate new ideas
and tools for creative social action together.
In Place Of War will programme two programmes of events at RichMix, London. The programme covers different art forms (spoken word, comics, art, drama, music, theatre, visual arts, film, dance, citizen journalism) and different themes such as censorship, politics, isolation, violence prevention and resistance, peace building, alternative culture, safe spaces, redefining and reclaiming space, art as a form of social and political change, art as identity, art as justice, social movements, alternative versions of events and historical memory. The aim of the IPOW programme is to highlight the amazing and often isolated artists that are working in areas of conflict, post-conflict and humanitarian disaster, creating a space for debate and discussion in an un-conventional way around the ideas, themes and concepts these artists explore and respond to.
CULTURE. CONFLICT. CHANGE.
Building an alternative global future through creativity
WHO ARE IN PLACE OF WAR?
Photo Credit: Mohamed Khayata
Right across the world in zones of violence and disruption In Place of War is building a creative movement, a networked and powerful platform that allows voices to be heard and opportunities to be created.
With words, deeds and music we are opening up new creative spaces; sharing stories, fostering radicals and fomenting creative resistance. From the grassroots up, our community of artists and collaborators are exchanging their ideas, their insights and their passions to bring about change in their communities.
IPOW Academies support artists who have been held back from realising their ambitions through the lack of equipment, facilities and support.
Our ground breaking creative entrepreneurial programme is empowering the world’s most marginalised communities to create sustainable organisations and social change through their creativity.
We provide artists with a larger international platform to tell the human stories of war, curating work for a range of institutions, festivals, galleries and spaces.
WHO ARE INDEX ON CENSORSHIP?
Index on Censorship is an international organisation that promotes and defends the right to freedom of expression.
The inspiration of poet Stephen Spender, Index was founded in 1972 to publish the untold stories of dissidents behind the Iron Curtain. Today, we fight for free speech around the world, challenging censorship whenever and wherever it occurs.
Index uses a unique combination of journalism, campaigning and advocacy to defend freedom of expression for those facing censorship and repression, including journalists, writers, social media users, bloggers, artists, politicians, scientists, academics, activists and citizens.
Index believes that free expression is the foundation of a free society and endorses Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression”.
Index is delighted to be an event partner on The Power of Hip Hop event programme as part of Culture. Conflict. Change.
Rich Mix is East London’s independent arts venue.
Once a vast leather factory, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road was transformed into a multi-arts venue, all 62,000 feet of it. Stretched over five floors we have a three screen cinema showing the latest releases as well as taking part in a number of independent film festivals. There is also a multitude of flexible performance spaces where we work with both emerging and established artists, and support them to deliver and develop their artistic practice.
Our aim is to be a place where the communities of the world, who are the citizens of East London and beyond, can come together to experience and make world class art and feel that it’s a place where they belong. We are committed to delivering excellent art to increasing and increasingly diverse audiences.
We also have spaces for creative businesses, who help us to make Rich Mix the truly special place it is. As a charity and social enterprise we earn almost 85% of our overall running costs, and we are proud to be financially self-sufficient.
Rich Mix is delighted to be the venue partner on all events at
Culture. Conflict. Change.
WHO ARE RICH MIX?
WHO ARE THE AHRC?
The Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, along with the other UK Research Councils.
The AHRC’s vision is to:
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fund excellent research projects not fully supported from other sources, including those of field-defining or transformative potential and deploying interdisciplinary and thematic approaches
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take an overview of research in the arts and humanities in order to support new areas and important but vulnerable disciplines
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provide opportunities for outstanding researchers at key stages of their careers to develop intellectual leadership in their own disciplines and beyond
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support postgraduate research to ensure that capability across the disciplines is maintained and the best possible training is provided
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enable the exchange of knowledge to deliver civic, cultural and economic benefits
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on behalf of the UK, develop international opportunities to further arts and humanities research