Sun Up, Rain Falls, River Rises is a beautiful storytelling project created by Journeys Festival International, the UK’s first Festival of Sanctuary, in partnership with Phosphoros Theatre Company, Danish Composer Mira Siegel and UK based illustration team Pickle Illustration.
Dotted around Rutland Water you will find a series of stunning posters that have been illustrated by Pickle Illustration. Each of the posters has been located in a specific spot for you to enjoy tales told by people seeking refuge in the UK. Scan the QR code on the posters and you’ll be whisked away to enjoy the stories from Eritrea, Sudan and Afghanistan. The locations have been carefully chosen to evoke the atmosphere of the narratives, enjoy The Dawning in the early morning, soak up the story behind After the Rain just after a downpour and take your time to delight in My Life as a River as you enjoy some time by the waterside. The posters link to some stunning artwork and an audio story, both of which are accompanied with a delightful musical score composed by the Danish composer Mira Siegel.
At Rutland Water you’ll be able to enjoy these stories by simply scanning the QR code on each poster from 14-20 June as part of this year’s Refugee Week celebrations. You can find each specific location by visiting www.journeysfestival.com
Maddie Smart, Executive Artistic Producer for ArtReach and Journeys Festival International said: “Mental health has really been brought to the forefront of everybody’s mind since the pandemic began and we’re hoping that taking some time to yourself, to enjoy these stories, will offer people a little mental respite from their daily chores. The stories, soundtrack and illustrations will allow people a chance to take a breather and be transported into a world far from their own. It’s easy to scan the codes at each location and we really hope that people will enjoy these little artistic insights into other people’s lives around the globe.”
For Refugee Week, Journeys Festival International is hosting a week's worth of events including live music, short films, dance and animation alongside the launch of a Global Kitchen recipe book, which features dishes from around the world for you to cook and enjoy at home.
2021 will be the 24th yearly celebration of the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary. As the UK’s first Festival of Sanctuary, Journeys Festival International, offers a platform for refuge seeking artists to share their work to a wider audience so it’s great to see them offer a varied programme for us all to enjoy as part of this year’s celebration.
You can find the locations for these wonderful stories, order a copy of the Global Kitchen recipe book and enjoy the rest of this year’s Refugee Week programme of events at www.journeysfestival.com
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