Stand & Be Counted announce celebratory programme for Refugee Week 2021

Can You Hear Me, Now? rehearsals - photo credit David Wilson Clarke

Stand & Be Counted (SBC) Theatre, the UK’s first Theatre Company of Sanctuary, today announces five new projects to mark Refugee Week 2021. These include a major new celebratory outdoor theatre production, an art exhibition, illustrated poetry collection and a series of events and panel discussions – all made with and for people seeking sanctuary across the country.

Can You Hear Me, Now? is a celebratory, large-scale outdoor performance at Swanswell Park, Coventry on Sunday 20 June - World Refugee Day. It will be an immersive and joyous experience, made with and for the people of Coventry, featuring over 30 performers from across the globe who have sought sanctuary in the city. Expect live music, dance, spoken word, storytelling and spectacle. Part of Coventry Welcomes Festival 2021, Can You Hear Me, Now? is a Stand and Be Counted Theatre Production, commissioned by Coventry City of Culture Trust, in partnership with Belgrade Theatre, Coventry and Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre. There will be a special Behind the Scenes Photo exhibition by Aya Wanli at the Burbidge Gallery in the Belgrade Theatre.

Rosie MacPherson, Artistic Director, says

‘We are thrilled to be back making work in person with sanctuary seekers across the country. The past year has been difficult and isolating for all of us but particularly those new to the UK, opportunities to connect and share creatively are a crucial welcome to a new home and we are thrilled to celebrate the contributions of all our new friends and participants.
For the past decade Stand and Be Counted has focused on the importance of theatre as a vital tool to promote social change, unity and hold the powerful to account. As we look to the future of an industry fighting to prove its value, companies developing engagement programmes that are intrinsically linked to their professional practice are needed more than ever.
Can You Hear Me, Now? has seen us collaborate with over 100 people seeking sanctuary in Coventry; sharing dance and music from all over the world, writing and recording multilingual poetry, song and speeches together. We welcome new people into our making room everyday because it is never too late to be part of something special and we know the value of theatre to build new communities. We can’t wait for Coventry to hear what this group has to say!’

Words of Welcome is a new collection of illustrated poetry, made available in print for Manchester Libraries and made available online. Throughout lockdown, Manchester City of Sanctuary, ArtReach and SBC have been running ‘Use Your Voice’ sessions for members across Manchester to use their creativity to have their say. The collection is illustrated by Lucy Bingham.

Windows on the World is a new art exhibition commissioned by SBC, made by Yemeni artist Maha Al-Omari for Bradford 2025’s gallery window space in Centenary Square.

Artist, Maha Al-Omari says

‘I am so, so happy. This is the first time I have had my art printed and exhibited even though I have been an artist for 10 years, it really is a dream come true. This opportunity has given me the confidence to focus more on my artwork and I feel that I am going to be able to pursue the arts in the UK which makes me feel really happy. I am so grateful to SBC for trusting and having faith in me and my work and I am so proud to be part of Refugee Week as it represents everything I work for and has helped me personally in so many ways.’

As part of Migration Matters Festival, the company will feature in an online panel discussion. If You Want to Go Far, Go Together is part of The University of Sheffield’s Migration Research Group and the MIMY Project - a participatory research programme that aims to improve the situation of young migrants throughout Europe by putting their experiences at the heart of its activity.

The company are also re-releasing their acclaimed interactive film Have Your Passport Ready, labelled as ‘an altogether simpler format than Charlie Brooker’s benchmark Netflix extravaganza Bandersnatch, but often just as affecting’ by The Guardian, alongside their documentary film Where We Are, which tells the real-life story of Tafadzwa Muchenje and the fight against the injustice caused by a Home Office admin error.