Exil·s & Création·s

Pro dayWorkshop

21.09.23 | 10h
FR

Duration: The whole day (10-18h)

Place: Bellone

Discussions and perspectives on the representation of migration and exile in art. Whose voices are heard, who is supported and who can support? What can be passed on, passed down? What needs to be archived for the future?

Day of Reflection
10h – 16h (discussions) + 16h – 18h (screenings)

For: Undocumented and documented artists, cultural, arts and social professionals, activists allied with the struggle for undocumented migrants.

TW Mentions and shares experiences of institutional violence, racism, sexism and classism in arts and cultural venues.

The Exil·s & Création·s project emerged from a series of undervalued or missing things from the art world that were identified by members, artists and non-artists alike from the Voix des Sans Papiers de Bruxelles and the Comité des Femmes Sans Papiers: A feeling of disappointment with the content, form and dissemination as related to the topics of exile and migration. An overly utilitarian approach to the subjects despite numerous requests to artists (individuals, groups, students) and associations (cultural, social, continuing education, etc) to better address these topics. The need for persistence among some artists in engaging in aesthetics and representations of struggle, retaliation, and resistance based on their own imaginary worlds due to academicism, racialism, humanitarianism, and emotional impediments, not to mention the difficulty of conveying the methods used in fighting against related issues within activist circles, the precariousness of the economic means of undocumented collectives, the lack of time and incessant urgency, the loss of energy, etc.

What stories are (not) being told? How can we go beyond what is proclaimed as fact and what is denounced? What fictions are possible to create? What ethics should be applied in dealing with the involved parties? Who is allowed to speak, to report? What are the appropriate dissemination and production methods? What is a critical perspective in context? Can failures be passed on? What is strength and power? What are the prospects for the archives of the future?

These are some of the issues that will be addressed throughout the event. The day is open to professionals working in the performing arts field and cultural sector, among others, from artists to mediators. The struggle of undocumented migrants is at the heart of the event, but it is of course difficult to separate this from its context meaning gender, class and anti-racism will also be explored.

Following this day of discussions and discourse, film screenings will take place from 16h30 to 18h in the presence of several directors allied to the struggle of undocumented migrants.

Acknowledgment

All the undocumented migrants who devote their time to educating and supporting people in their activist and artistic endeavours. La Bellone for welcoming us. La Voix des sans papiers de Bruxelles (VSP BXL) and la Voix des sans papiers de Liège, the Comité des femmes sans papiers, in collaboration with the Ecoles supérieures d'Arts Saint-Luc & l'ERG, les ateliers du Toner, l'Atelier210.

La Voix des Sans-Papiers de Bruxelles

VSP Bruxelles VSP Brussels was born in 2014 from the spontaneous occupation of a building in Ribaucourt by 250 so-called undocumented migrants, and quickly become a space for a struggle both political as it is logistical. VSP operates according to a manifesto: “We are undocumented migrants, we are not even citizens… (Definition: A person who enjoys the right of citizenship. A person who enjoys civil and political rights, including the right to vote, in the state to which he or she belongs (as opposed to foreigners)). We are simply trying to live our lives with dignity, as individuals and as families. We are human beings in the same way as everyone else. We reject all forms of racism, exploitation, and discrimination. That’s why we, the Sans Papiers (literally Without Papers), have decided to organise ourselves to fight those who oppress us, control us, exploit us, criminalise us, discriminate against us and incriminate us. Our anger is shared by citizens who reject the racist and repressive migration policies of the European Union, particularly in Belgium. The VSP is a self-managed collective of hundreds of undocumented migrants fighting for access to fundamental rights and for legislation based on clear and permanent criteria.

La Voix des Sans-Papiers de Liège

VSP Liège is a collective of people known as "Sans-papiers". Behind these words lie children, women and men who have fled their country and sought asylum in Belgium but whose residence permits were refused. Since then, they have been living in precarious conditions, in every aspect of their lives. They survive only thanks to the help and solidarity of citizens and associations. What is the Liège VSP fighting for? Since 2015, the Liège VSP has brought together Belgian supporters, allies, and undocumented migrants living in Liège. By joining forces, we give our struggle a higher profile. We want to be protected, welcomed, and registered. Only registration will enable us to escape extreme precariousness or exploitation in clandestine labour networks. Most of the Sans-Papiers in Liège have been there for several years and are only asking for one thing: to be able to lead dignified and safe lives in Belgium.

Le Comité des Femmes Sans Papiers

Facebook · We are undocumented women from different backgrounds who are looking to meet other undocumented and documented women to share difficulties, experiences, and knowledge. What do we do? We try to find solutions to make our lives without papers and without rights easier, so we can survive, but above all, so that our children can have a dignified future. We learn and work together to make clothes, cook, and other things through sharing and mutual aid. We speak out to raise awareness of our situations as undocumented women and show how we survive with and without children. Whenever there is an opportunity to express ourselves, we do so by creating and hosting events and protests aiming to reach out to the Belgian population. We, as a committee, are mobilising undocumented women to come out of their homes and become visible so that we can fight together and help each other. We are mobilising everyone to support all undocumented migrants in their fight to gain access to fundamental rights and a dignified life as full citizens.

ESA Saint-Luc, ERG and some artists with and without papers

Aliette Griz, Léïla Duquaine, MIlady Renoir, Mieriën Coppens & Elie Maissin, Pauline Fonsny & Anaïs Carton