PAST EVENT: This was part of the 2024 programme
In the opening weekend of the 2024 Festival, EAF invited people to gather for a day of discussions, readings, film, and food, opening lines of conversation on how to sustain creative practices during times of global political crisis.
The Opening Provocation began with a discussion in the round, featuring perspectives on creative modes of resistance from art platform Cooper Gallery (DJCAD, University of Dundee), Beirut-based cultural feminist collective Haven for Artists, EAF Director Kim McAleese, and Edinburgh’s oldest radical bookshop Lighthouse Books.
Screenings of film work curated by Palestinian art collective Falastin Film Festival and Haven for Artists followed the discussion, including a showing of short film interpretation of Walid Daqqa’s essay Uncle… Give Me a Cigarette and work from Firas Shehadeh and Mona Benyamin exploring Palestinian resistance through lenses as diverse as biometrics, RPGs, and news broadcasts.
Along with a peaceful soundscape from Colombian environmentalist foundation Más Arte Más Acción, the space hosted activist poster and print fundraisers by risograph artist Matilda Bull and creative collective Sumud, including live screen-printing from Karina Pasuit, alongside a queer resistance-themed book pop-up from Lighthouse Books. Gazan storyteller and author Diline Abushaban invited participants to join in a Palestinian salad-making demonstration, followed by poetry and music from Sumud in a moment of sharing and reflection.
Live illustration by Jules Scheele documenting the Opening Provocation’s discussion and food demonstration.
Resources
Taking care with the emotionally challenging themes of the event, please find below a list of relevant events and resources, curated by our facilitator, migrant justice activist Loa Pour Mirza:
Events
- Healing Justice London | Healing Justice LDN (HJL) builds community-led health and healing to create capacity for personal and structural transformation. Healing Justice LDN has created an aftercare menu with calming and grounding techniques, which you can find here.
Resources
- Radical Therapist Network | Radical Therapist Network works to dismantle white supremacy and systems of violence using abolitionist, healing justice and anti-colonial frameworks.
- Coping with Trauma workbook | A selection of resources put together by Good Thinking designed to help people cope with trauma.
- ‘We keep each other safe’ Reproductive Justice Initiative CIO | An Instagram post with tips on keeping yourself and communities safe during periods of heightened Islamophobia, racism, and anti-migrant attacks.
- Mental Health in the Palestine Solidarity Movement: Supporting Each Other | An article presenting a resource to Palestinians and solidarity movements on how sustain ourselves and groups through incredibly stressful and distressing times.
EAF24 Opening Provocation was co-presented by EAF, Cooper Gallery, Falastin Film Festival, Haven For Artists, Lighthouse Books, and Más Arte Más Acción. This work was generously supported by British Council Scotland and the University of Edinburgh.