Counterpoints Arts

So much creativity and so many different sounds have been born from generations of migration 🌍 Musician @anoushkashankarofficial and @counterpointsarts have co-curated a night of music and poetry with community and solidarity at its centre for @refugeeweekuk ➡️ Swipe to see the unbelievable lineup of artists with lived experience of displacement, musicians with migrant heritage and high-profile allies in the fight for justice and equality 📅 It Sounds Like Courage: Music and Solidarity, Fri 26 Jun - link in bio for more

“Being a refugee is something so strong and so brave. It’s about saying no” - Waad’s View From A Bridge @waadalkateab We’re super proud to work alongside @counterpointsarts and @refugeeweekuk for a second year in a row to help amplify voices which are so often suppressed. . Filmed, interviewed + edited @joe___bloom Audio edit @sam_instagraham Production @8bitfaz Original music @olly__morgan__ . #refugeeweek #refugee #waadalkateab #syria #london

Artist Spotlight: Shizza Majeed (@shizzamajeed ) 📍 Babaji’s Britain (2025) ‘Babaji’s Britain’ centres on my grandfather, Ghulam Abbas, a Pakistani man who moved to Britain in the early 1960s. Now 85, he carries an identity shaped by both Pakistani and British cultures. Through a series of portraits created in collaboration with him, we explore how over half a century of life in Britain has influenced his sense of self and what that identity looks like today. The work shows how he has held onto his cultural roots while embracing aspects of British life, from football and food to new traditions and old values. His experience captures the quiet resilience of the many immigrants who have helped shape the multicultural fabric of modern Britain. In a climate where the meaning of ‘Britishness’ is constantly questioned, these portraits reclaim space, celebrating belonging and the wider story of immigrants who adapt without forgetting, carrying their histories with them and quietly shaping the fabric of a nation simply by being here.

Flyer Reveal! Keep an eye out as these go out to all your favourite venues - the run-up to the festival begins!! Get your tickets via our website and find out more about the films! Thank you to Chalk Cliff Trust and @enjoolatafoundation for their support. And to @tobyilikecats for the cat illustration and @privartidahos for the logo and other illustrations. #FilmFestival #BrightonAndHove #Cinema #Documentary #RefugeeWeek

Are you looking for some creative inspiration? this is your invitation. Come and be part of the creative process at About Us! Artists’ Scratch Showcase. On Sunday 24 May, six artists will share bold new works in progress at the Southbank Centre, and the audience becomes part of the journey. Watch performances at their earliest stage, ask questions, give feedback, and help shape what these works could become. From music and comedy to film, theatre and design, every Scratch night is different. Past artists have gone on to tour the UK, screen films at BFI London Film Festival, launch new shows and build long-lasting creative collaborations. 📍 Clore Ballroom, Royal Festival Hall @southbankcentre 🗓 Sun 24 May 2026, 5pm 🎟 Free Hosted by Awate and produced by Counterpoints Arts and the Southbank Centre. @counterpointsarts @southbankcentre @awate_music

In this sharp and thought-provoking video, winner of the Counterpoints Digital Creators Awards, Lukhi Soren (@unlukhi ), brings a bold and distinctive voice to conversations around migration, identity, and belonging. The Counterpoints Digital Creators Awards celebrate original digital storytelling and support emerging creators exploring migration and social justice through creative short-form work. We’re proud to platform artists like Lukhi, whose work challenges perspectives and opens up new conversations. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing all 10 winning videos from this edition of the awards.

Our friends @lipstomoon  are launching their debut album at Cafe OTO with a night of live electronics, poetry, improvisation and experimental performance. @pouyaehsaei and @tarafteh bring together poets and musicians from four years of From the Lips to the Moon shows and collaborations. Expect twisted beats, heavy subs, glitchy words, unearthly melodies and unexpected encounters as the collective celebrates the release with a special live performance. Since 2022, From the Lips to the Moon has become a vital part of London’s experimental arts scene, creating bold interdisciplinary work across venues including the Southbank Centre, Victoria and Albert Museum and beyond. Link in @lipstomoon bio. “Lively – hypnotic – surreal” — The Wire

We warmly invite you to take part in a series of workshops developed as part of a newly commissioned project by artist @aliaskar______abarkas . Exploring sound, music, and listening through faith and collective experience, these sessions bring together members of our community with Muslim backgrounds to reflect on how sonic practices shape spiritual, emotional, and communal life. From recitation and prayer to breath, rhythm, and silence, participants will consider how sound moves through and connects us. The project begins with Ayat al-Kursi — a Quranic verse carried across generations, often whispered as both lullaby and protection, forming a shared point of departure for collective listening and interpretation. To-Recite is co-commissioned by Counterpoints Arts and Whitechapel Gallery, for Backyard Biennial. 🗓 Sunday 17 May ⏰ 11am 📍 Whitechapel Gallery link in bio

Meet Zarmeeneh Khan 👋 This Sunday, 17 May, Zarmeeneh will be taking on the Hackney Half Marathon alongside Team Counterpoints 🏃‍♀️ Running 13.1 miles through East London, she’s helping raise funds to support Counterpoints’ work with artists and communities affected by displacement. We’re incredibly thankful to Zarmeeneh for taking this on, and so grateful for all the support our runners have received so far. Together, the team has already raised close to £3,500. You can support Zarmeeneh and the team through the link in bio

Shout out to director @hasan_kattan_92 , the filmmaker behind the forthcoming, and deeply moving, @alliesinexilefilm . Hasan is a Syrian director and producer with over 14 years of experience documenting the human cost of war and displacement. During the Syrian revolution, Hasan co-founded the @aleppomediacenter , a pioneering platform for citizen journalism that exposed the brutal realities of conflict in Syria. His work has not only captured global attention but has also redefined documentary storytelling in conflict zones. Over his career, Hasan served as cinematographer on the Oscar-winning THE WHITE HELMETS and is known for his contributions to the Oscar-nominated LAST MEN IN ALEPPO. His dedication to capturing truth in the midst of chaos continued with DEATH WITHOUT MERCY, a film examining the aftermath of the Turkey-Syria earthquake and the fight for accountability in an environment marred by corruption. Now living in the UK as a refugee, Hasan brings a deeply personal perspective to his directorial debut ALLIES IN EXILE, made with co-director @fadialhalabi94 . In this film Hasan and Fadi document 15 years of shared struggle, resilience, and storytelling— from covering the horrors of war in Syria to navigating the complexities of the UK asylum system. It’s a beautiful film and we’re excited for people to see it. Allies in Exile has its UK premiere at @sheffdocfest . We’re thrilled to be working with Hasan, he is a talent to watch! @counterpointsarts @aleppomediacenter

We're delighted to share with you today the ✨six ✨ brilliant shortlisted writers from our Footnote x @CounterpointsArts Prize in collaboration with the Southbank Centre (@southbankcentre ). This iteration of the prize is dedicated to fiction. The prize aims to highlight writers from refugee and migrant backgrounds whose work explores themes of displacement, courage and belonging. We want to champion bold new literary voices whose stories offer fresh perspectives on our world. Congratulations to the below writers! 🎟️ You can take part in supporting them at the event hosted by @southbankcentre on 31st May where there will be readings from them all! 🔗/whats-on/counterpoints-x-footnote-prize-readings/ 📘 When I Bleed it is Like a Squashed Raspberry by Eleanor Chan (@thoroughlyearlymodernellie ) 📘 What The Trees Remember by Jose Hall (@joyfuljomad ) 📘 A Thousand Rivers of Time by Erica Li (@erica.szewa ) 📘 Backward Into the Future: Her Past Was His Future by Joel Mordi (@Mordiofficial ) 📘 The Weight of Staying by Ahmed Najar (@ahmed.najar48 ) 📘 Bird of Dawn by Maryam Namazie ( @maryamnamazie ) We look forward to announcing the winner around Refugee Week in June. Swipe right to find out more about each of the writers submissions. #WritingPrize #FictionPrize

A huge thank you to Laura Gibson, who is taking on the Hackney Half Marathon this Sunday, 17 May 🏃‍♀️ Laura will be running 13.1 miles through East London to support Counterpoints’ work with artists and communities affected by displacement. We’re incredibly grateful for her support, energy and generosity in taking this on. Together, the team has already raised close to £3,000 so far. If you’d like to support Laura and Team Counterpoints, you can donate through the link in bio