A one-day festival of the art, culture and architecture of the refugee crisis.

This critical celebration will examine the creative and urban culture which has emerged from refugee camps across Europe. Bringing together refugee artists, musicians, poets, chefs and builders with a programme of discussions taking place on multiple stages throughout the day.

The festival is split across multiple venues in the Barbican arts centre in and around the remarkable conservatory – a large brutalist glasshouse. 

The Discussions Stage

A mix of short presentation and panel discussion with some of the world’s leading thinkers on refugee camps and migration. Panels will examine the built and cultural responses which have emerged from camps in Calais, Dunkirk, Lesvos, Lampedusa, Jordan and Turkey culminating in an open plenary discussion with all participants.

The Garden Room

Music, film and discussion. This stage will incorporate a mix of live and recorded music with short films made about and by those at the epicentre of the crisis.

The Jungle

The Barbican’s vast glass house will host a wide variety of art pieces and installations. It will become a gallery of the rich mix of strange and powerful art and activism which has come from or been made in response to refugee camps. At the heart will be the Blue House by the artist Alpha – an art school and gallery rescued from the Jungle in Calais and rebuilt for the first time in the UK especially for Papers.

The Terrace

Hanging above the tropical plants of the jungle-like conservatory is the terrace, a platform which will play host to a mix of built prototype demonstrations, makers and food. The Kent Refugee Action Catering will be running a micro restaurant showing their work with asylum-seeking boys in Folkstone.

More information about the event can be found here.

Suggested hashtag for this event: #Papers