SARAH HICKSON – THE CALAIS SESSIONS from Syria, a classically trained viola player and composer,...
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PRESENTATION MADE AT THE 6 TH EUROPEAN FORUM ON MUSIC WROCLAW, POLAND / 19 – 22 MAY 2016 MUSIC MAKES A DIFFERENCE: WORKING WITH REFUGEES SARAH HICKSON – THE CALAIS SESSIONS Hello everyone. My name is Sarah Hickson and I’m delighted to be here to talk about The Calais Sessions. I’m a freelance photographer and arts consultant with a background in the performing arts as a producer in both large institutions and small artist-led companies. I now concentrate mostly on my photographic work, the main focus of which is in the arts and cultural sector. Since December 2015 I’ve been involved as a photographer on a collaborative music-based project called The Calais Sessions in the refugee camps in Northern France. You may have already seen the article about this initiative and some of my photographs in the magazine in your conference pack. I’ve travelled on three separate visits to the camp in Calais known as the ‘Jungle’ to document the work of The Calais Sessions and to tell visual stories about the project and the people involved. The Calais Sessions is a collective of musicians and music industry professionals from the UK who use the universal language of music to empower and entertain refugees in the ‘Jungle’ by facilitating a shared space for making music.
Transcript of SARAH HICKSON – THE CALAIS SESSIONS from Syria, a classically trained viola player and composer,...
PRESENTATIONMADEATTHE6THEUROPEANFORUMONMUSIC
WROCLAW,POLAND/19–22MAY2016
MUSICMAKESADIFFERENCE:WORKINGWITHREFUGEES
SARAHHICKSON–THECALAISSESSIONS
Helloeveryone.MynameisSarahHicksonandI’mdelightedtobeheretotalk
aboutTheCalaisSessions.
I’mafreelancephotographerandartsconsultantwithabackgroundinthe
performingartsasaproducerinbothlargeinstitutionsandsmallartist-led
companies.Inowconcentratemostlyonmyphotographicwork,themainfocusof
whichisintheartsandculturalsector.
SinceDecember2015I’vebeeninvolvedasaphotographeronacollaborative
music-basedprojectcalledTheCalaisSessionsintherefugeecampsinNorthern
France.Youmayhavealreadyseenthearticleaboutthisinitiativeandsomeofmy
photographsinthemagazineinyourconferencepack.
I’vetravelledonthreeseparatevisitstothecampinCalaisknownasthe‘Jungle’to
documenttheworkofTheCalaisSessionsandtotellvisualstoriesabouttheproject
andthepeopleinvolved.
TheCalaisSessionsisacollectiveofmusiciansandmusicindustryprofessionalsfrom
theUKwhousetheuniversallanguageofmusictoempowerandentertainrefugees
inthe‘Jungle’byfacilitatingasharedspaceformakingmusic.
TheprojectwassetupbyVanessaLucas-Smith,thecellistfromtheAllegriString
Quartetandabrilliantcreativeentrepreneur.TheCalaisSessionsisagrass-roots
organizationwithverylittlefunding.Somemoneyhasbeenraisedthroughcrowd
fundinganddonations,butthetripsarerunonassmallabudgetaspossible,with
thoseinvolvedgivingvoluntarilyoftheirtime.WegotoCalaisforshorttripsof2-3
daysatatimeaboutonceevery4-6weeks,dependinglargelyontheavailabilityof
thoseinvolvedwhofitthevisitsaroundtheirprofessionalcommitments.
Theteamtravelswithacolourfularrayofinstrumentsandsoundgear.Darbuka
drumsandguitarsareparticularlypopularcallingcardsandaswewanderthrough
thecampweconnectwithmusicians,heartheirstoriesandseewherethereare
opportunitiestocollaborate.
Wesetupamakeshiftrecordingstudioinwhichtocapturetracks,aswellasan
informalspaceforperforming.Bothspacesaresetupbyexperiencedsound
engineerswhohavetocontendwiththenoiseofachugginggeneratoroutsidethe
door,heavy-dutytarpaulinsflappinginthewindandoftenthepatterofrainona
corrugatedplasticroof.Despiteallthesedistractions,forafewhourstheuniversal
languageofmusicconnects,buildsfriendships,andprovidessomerespitefromthe
harshrealityofdailylifeinthe‘Jungle’.
TheUK-basedmusicianswhoareinvolvedwithTheCalaisSessionscomefrommany
differentculturalandmusicalbackgrounds.Examplesofmusicianswhohavejoined
TheCalaisSessionsincludeBogdan-aRomanianviolinist,membersoftheBalkan,
folk-inspireddancebandMolotovJukeboxledbyNatalia(whoisperhapsbetter
knowntomanypeoplefromherrolesinHarryPotterfilmsand“GameofThrones”),
membersoftheUKGospelChoircalledGetGospel,anArabicflautistand
percussionistfromSyria,aclassicallytrainedviolaplayerandcomposer,Sola
Akingbola–aNigerianpercussionist&memberofthebandJamiroquaiandhisown
collectiveCriticalMass,aSpanishguitarandvocalduo,aKurdishsinger,singer-
songwriters,folk,jazzandrockguitaristsandbassplayers.
MusicianscurrentlylivingintheJunglewhohaveplayedwithTheCalaisSessions
includetraditionalsingersfromKuwaitandSyria,adamburaplayerfrom
Afghanistan,Sudanesedrummers,womensingersfromtheEthiopian&Eritrean
Protestantchurch,Kurdishpercussionists,anIraqirapper,andmanybudding
guitaristsanddrummers.
SomeofthetracksmadewithTheCalaisSessionshavebeenrecordedinthe‘Jungle’
foranalbum,whichistobereleasednextmonth.Tracksincludetraditionalsongs
fromSyria,poptracksfromAfghanistan,Sudanesedrumming,are-workingofa
Bollywoodinspiredclassic,Americanfolktunes,gospelsongsandEritreanhymnsof
praise.
Theunifyingfactorthatbringsalltheseartiststogetherwherevertheycomefromis
amusicalpassion,curiosityandimagination.
Photo:DSC_9581©SarahHickson
ThesimplewoodenshelterTheCalaisSessionsuseasamakeshiftrecordingstudiois
normallyadesignatedspaceforlanguagelessonsorotherclasses.Whenit’snot
beingusedforteaching,it’sareadingroom,orawarmanddryspacetosit,chat,
andjusthangout.ThearrivalofmusiciansandinstrumentsintheJunglealways
attractsacrowd,andsothestudiobecomesaninformalmeetingplaceformany
differentpeople,languagesandcultures.
Photo:DSC_0704©SarahHickson
AbdullahisaKuwaitiBedoon.TheBedoonhavenopassports,andnorightto
education,healthcare,housingorwork,andareoftenmarginalizedandpersecuted.
ThegenerositywithwhichAbdullahsharedhismusicandstories,andthebeautyof
hissingingwasoneofmanymemorableexperiencesonmyfirsttripwithTheCalais
Sessions.
Photo:DSC_0827©SarahHickson
IntheshelternexttotheKabulCaféinwhatusedtobetheheartoftheSouthern
areaofthecampbeforeitwasbulldozedearlierthisyear,traditionalfabricslined
thewallsandceilings,andrugscoveredtheseatingareaaroundtheedgeofthe
room.Cigarettesmokehungintheair.Urgedonbytheclappinganddrumming,
youngmengotuptodance,whilstothersjoinedinthesinging.Thefacesofthese
youngmen,strandedinCalais,litup.
Photo:DSC_7174©SarahHickson
IsmailisfromAfghanistan.He’sanaccomplishedsinger,andplaysthedambora,a
traditional,two-stringed,long-neckedlute.Ismailtoldusthroughaninterpreterthe
harrowingstoryofwhyhefledAfghanistanwithhiswifeandchildren.Herolledup
hisrightsleevetorevealburnscars,explainingthattheTalibanplungedhisarminto
scaldingwatertopreventhimfromplaying.Healsoshowedusagunshotwoundto
hisstomach.AsherecordedinthemakeshiftstudiointheCalaisJungle,Ismailwas
completelyimmersedinthemusic–animatedandexuberantonemoment,
reflectiveandabsorbedthenext.
Photo:DSC_4346©SarahHickson
DavidWilson,whowasinvolvedinsettingupthePavarottiCentreinBosnia20years
ago,cametotheJunglewithTheCalaisSessionslastmonth.HereIphotographed
himandanEthiopianmancalledAssiquietlyexchangingmusicalskills.Davidtaught
AssithechordsofC,G,AandF,afterwhichAssishowedDavidhowtoplay
Ethiopianpentatonicscales.
Photo:DSC_0780©SarahHickson
Theenvironmentofthecampsisfragileandvolatile-theconstantmovementof
displacedpeoples,theinsecurityoflifeinthecamp,theuncertaintyofthefutureof
thecampitself,thelackofresourcesandbasicfacilities,nottomentionthe
extremelyanxiousstateofmindofmanyofthepeoplelivingatthecamp,not
knowingwhatliesaheadforthemselvesandtheirfamilies.Inwinteritwas
particularlyinhospitable,themainroadthroughthecampwasthickwithgrey,sticky
mudanddeeppuddles.
Whatalwaysstrikesmeaboutthisprojectisthatitfocuseson‘connection’rather
than‘difference’.Thestoriesabouttherefugeecrisisweseeinthemediahavea
tendencytoemphasisethe‘other’,thesenseof‘usandthem’.TheCalaisSessions
facilitatesmeaningfulandbeautifulexchangesthroughmusic,friendshipandshared
momentsofcreativity.Thestrengthofthehumanspiritandtheneedtoconnect
shinesthroughinthetoughestofcircumstances.
I’llleaveyouwithjustafewotherimages:
TheoutsideofTheCalaisSessions’makeshiftrecordingstudio:
Photo:DSC_9885©SarahHickson
PortraitofSudaneseguitaristduringTheCalaisSessionsworkshop:
Photo:DSC_4326©SarahHickson
MusiciansfromTheCalaisSessionswalkingthroughthe‘Jungle’
Photo:DSC_9149©SarahHickson
MusiciandancingwithguitarduringTheCalaisSessionsworkshop
Photo:DSC_9673©SarahHickson
YoucanseeshortvideoclipsandreadmoreabouttheprojectonTheCalaisSessions
website,aswellasonmyblog.Herearethelinks:
http://www.thecalaissessions.com
http://sarahhickson.tumblr.com
ThealbumTheCalaisSessionswillbeavailabletobuyandfordownloadnextmonth.
Sarah Hickson, 22 May 2016
