SARAH HICKSON – THE CALAIS SESSIONS from Syria, a classically trained viola player and composer,...

PRESENTATIONMADEATTHE6THEUROPEANFORUMONMUSIC

WROCLAW,POLAND/19–22MAY2016

MUSICMAKESADIFFERENCE:WORKINGWITHREFUGEES

SARAHHICKSON–THECALAISSESSIONS

Helloeveryone.MynameisSarahHicksonandI’mdelightedtobeheretotalk

aboutTheCalaisSessions.

I’mafreelancephotographerandartsconsultantwithabackgroundinthe

performingartsasaproducerinbothlargeinstitutionsandsmallartist-led

companies.Inowconcentratemostlyonmyphotographicwork,themainfocusof

whichisintheartsandculturalsector.

SinceDecember2015I’vebeeninvolvedasaphotographeronacollaborative

music-basedprojectcalledTheCalaisSessionsintherefugeecampsinNorthern

France.Youmayhavealreadyseenthearticleaboutthisinitiativeandsomeofmy

photographsinthemagazineinyourconferencepack.

I’vetravelledonthreeseparatevisitstothecampinCalaisknownasthe‘Jungle’to

documenttheworkofTheCalaisSessionsandtotellvisualstoriesabouttheproject

andthepeopleinvolved.

TheCalaisSessionsisacollectiveofmusiciansandmusicindustryprofessionalsfrom

theUKwhousetheuniversallanguageofmusictoempowerandentertainrefugees

inthe‘Jungle’byfacilitatingasharedspaceformakingmusic.

TheprojectwassetupbyVanessaLucas-Smith,thecellistfromtheAllegriString

Quartetandabrilliantcreativeentrepreneur.TheCalaisSessionsisagrass-roots

organizationwithverylittlefunding.Somemoneyhasbeenraisedthroughcrowd

fundinganddonations,butthetripsarerunonassmallabudgetaspossible,with

thoseinvolvedgivingvoluntarilyoftheirtime.WegotoCalaisforshorttripsof2-3

daysatatimeaboutonceevery4-6weeks,dependinglargelyontheavailabilityof

thoseinvolvedwhofitthevisitsaroundtheirprofessionalcommitments.

Theteamtravelswithacolourfularrayofinstrumentsandsoundgear.Darbuka

drumsandguitarsareparticularlypopularcallingcardsandaswewanderthrough

thecampweconnectwithmusicians,heartheirstoriesandseewherethereare

opportunitiestocollaborate.

Wesetupamakeshiftrecordingstudioinwhichtocapturetracks,aswellasan

informalspaceforperforming.Bothspacesaresetupbyexperiencedsound

engineerswhohavetocontendwiththenoiseofachugginggeneratoroutsidethe

door,heavy-dutytarpaulinsflappinginthewindandoftenthepatterofrainona

corrugatedplasticroof.Despiteallthesedistractions,forafewhourstheuniversal

languageofmusicconnects,buildsfriendships,andprovidessomerespitefromthe

harshrealityofdailylifeinthe‘Jungle’.

TheUK-basedmusicianswhoareinvolvedwithTheCalaisSessionscomefrommany

differentculturalandmusicalbackgrounds.Examplesofmusicianswhohavejoined

TheCalaisSessionsincludeBogdan-aRomanianviolinist,membersoftheBalkan,

folk-inspireddancebandMolotovJukeboxledbyNatalia(whoisperhapsbetter

knowntomanypeoplefromherrolesinHarryPotterfilmsand“GameofThrones”),

membersoftheUKGospelChoircalledGetGospel,anArabicflautistand

percussionistfromSyria,aclassicallytrainedviolaplayerandcomposer,Sola

Akingbola–aNigerianpercussionist&memberofthebandJamiroquaiandhisown

collectiveCriticalMass,aSpanishguitarandvocalduo,aKurdishsinger,singer-

songwriters,folk,jazzandrockguitaristsandbassplayers.

MusicianscurrentlylivingintheJunglewhohaveplayedwithTheCalaisSessions

includetraditionalsingersfromKuwaitandSyria,adamburaplayerfrom

Afghanistan,Sudanesedrummers,womensingersfromtheEthiopian&Eritrean

Protestantchurch,Kurdishpercussionists,anIraqirapper,andmanybudding

guitaristsanddrummers.

SomeofthetracksmadewithTheCalaisSessionshavebeenrecordedinthe‘Jungle’

foranalbum,whichistobereleasednextmonth.Tracksincludetraditionalsongs

fromSyria,poptracksfromAfghanistan,Sudanesedrumming,are-workingofa

Bollywoodinspiredclassic,Americanfolktunes,gospelsongsandEritreanhymnsof

praise.

Theunifyingfactorthatbringsalltheseartiststogetherwherevertheycomefromis

amusicalpassion,curiosityandimagination.

Photo:DSC_9581©SarahHickson

ThesimplewoodenshelterTheCalaisSessionsuseasamakeshiftrecordingstudiois

normallyadesignatedspaceforlanguagelessonsorotherclasses.Whenit’snot

beingusedforteaching,it’sareadingroom,orawarmanddryspacetosit,chat,

andjusthangout.ThearrivalofmusiciansandinstrumentsintheJunglealways

attractsacrowd,andsothestudiobecomesaninformalmeetingplaceformany

differentpeople,languagesandcultures.

Photo:DSC_0704©SarahHickson

AbdullahisaKuwaitiBedoon.TheBedoonhavenopassports,andnorightto

education,healthcare,housingorwork,andareoftenmarginalizedandpersecuted.

ThegenerositywithwhichAbdullahsharedhismusicandstories,andthebeautyof

hissingingwasoneofmanymemorableexperiencesonmyfirsttripwithTheCalais

Sessions.

Photo:DSC_0827©SarahHickson

IntheshelternexttotheKabulCaféinwhatusedtobetheheartoftheSouthern

areaofthecampbeforeitwasbulldozedearlierthisyear,traditionalfabricslined

thewallsandceilings,andrugscoveredtheseatingareaaroundtheedgeofthe

room.Cigarettesmokehungintheair.Urgedonbytheclappinganddrumming,

youngmengotuptodance,whilstothersjoinedinthesinging.Thefacesofthese

youngmen,strandedinCalais,litup.

Photo:DSC_7174©SarahHickson

IsmailisfromAfghanistan.He’sanaccomplishedsinger,andplaysthedambora,a

traditional,two-stringed,long-neckedlute.Ismailtoldusthroughaninterpreterthe

harrowingstoryofwhyhefledAfghanistanwithhiswifeandchildren.Herolledup

hisrightsleevetorevealburnscars,explainingthattheTalibanplungedhisarminto

scaldingwatertopreventhimfromplaying.Healsoshowedusagunshotwoundto

hisstomach.AsherecordedinthemakeshiftstudiointheCalaisJungle,Ismailwas

completelyimmersedinthemusic–animatedandexuberantonemoment,

reflectiveandabsorbedthenext.

Photo:DSC_4346©SarahHickson

DavidWilson,whowasinvolvedinsettingupthePavarottiCentreinBosnia20years

ago,cametotheJunglewithTheCalaisSessionslastmonth.HereIphotographed

himandanEthiopianmancalledAssiquietlyexchangingmusicalskills.Davidtaught

AssithechordsofC,G,AandF,afterwhichAssishowedDavidhowtoplay

Ethiopianpentatonicscales.

Photo:DSC_0780©SarahHickson

Theenvironmentofthecampsisfragileandvolatile-theconstantmovementof

displacedpeoples,theinsecurityoflifeinthecamp,theuncertaintyofthefutureof

thecampitself,thelackofresourcesandbasicfacilities,nottomentionthe

extremelyanxiousstateofmindofmanyofthepeoplelivingatthecamp,not

knowingwhatliesaheadforthemselvesandtheirfamilies.Inwinteritwas

particularlyinhospitable,themainroadthroughthecampwasthickwithgrey,sticky

mudanddeeppuddles.

Whatalwaysstrikesmeaboutthisprojectisthatitfocuseson‘connection’rather

than‘difference’.Thestoriesabouttherefugeecrisisweseeinthemediahavea

tendencytoemphasisethe‘other’,thesenseof‘usandthem’.TheCalaisSessions

facilitatesmeaningfulandbeautifulexchangesthroughmusic,friendshipandshared

momentsofcreativity.Thestrengthofthehumanspiritandtheneedtoconnect

shinesthroughinthetoughestofcircumstances.

I’llleaveyouwithjustafewotherimages:

TheoutsideofTheCalaisSessions’makeshiftrecordingstudio:

Photo:DSC_9885©SarahHickson

PortraitofSudaneseguitaristduringTheCalaisSessionsworkshop:

Photo:DSC_4326©SarahHickson

MusiciansfromTheCalaisSessionswalkingthroughthe‘Jungle’

Photo:DSC_9149©SarahHickson

MusiciandancingwithguitarduringTheCalaisSessionsworkshop

Photo:DSC_9673©SarahHickson

YoucanseeshortvideoclipsandreadmoreabouttheprojectonTheCalaisSessions

website,aswellasonmyblog.Herearethelinks:

http://www.thecalaissessions.com

http://sarahhickson.tumblr.com

ThealbumTheCalaisSessionswillbeavailabletobuyandfordownloadnextmonth.

Sarah Hickson, 22 May 2016