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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