Exiled Lives on the Stage: Matters of Censorship, Resilience and Self-Care through the Arts 

Ever since rising political tensions in Turkey after the Gezi protests in 2013, artists from Turkey have left their home country to find places in Europe to continue their artistic and, in some cases, political work in more free circumstances. The latest attempt to curb freedom of expression in Turkey is the introduction of a new disinformation law that passed through Parliament, which could jail anybody found guilty of intentionally spreading untrue or ‘fake news’ including social media.

In this special panel discussion, organised as part of the Arcola Participation program, we will debate the role and impact of artistic migrants in London and the UK, including lived experiences, affects but also politics of support, solidarity, resilience and (self-)care. We will explore what is to be uprooted or self-exiled; what options and ‘response-ability’ artists can still have to continue their work in London, at the Arcola or elsewhere; what the risks and conditions are of making art in Turkey’s current political conjuncture; what limitations the new exilic city brings; as well as which strategies of self-care artists have used to find new opportunities.

Please email production@arcolatheatre.com to book your free ticket.

Supported by:

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 893827.