Platforma Festival

A national festival celebrating arts and migration, co-founded with Counterpoints Arts bringing together artists and practitioners from across Europe.

Platforma Festival was a landmark national celebration of arts and migration, bringing together artists, practitioners, and communities to explore the creative contributions of migrants and refugees to British culture.

Origins

In 2011, I co-founded Platforma as a European network connecting arts and migration practitioners. This network grew into the national Platforma Festival in 2012, presenting work from across Europe and the UK.

The Festival

Platforma Festival showcased performances, exhibitions, workshops, and discussions exploring themes of migration, identity, and belonging. The festival created vital spaces for dialogue between established institutions and migrant-led organisations.

Legacy

The network and festival helped establish arts and migration as a recognised field of practice in the UK, influencing policy and programming across the cultural sector. Many artists and organisations who participated continue to shape the landscape of socially engaged arts practice.