PLATFORMA COMMUNITY TAKEOVER

From 12.00pm-6.00pm

Vibrant. Courageous. Uplifting.

A day of sharing and celebration, giving space to artists and arts made by and with migrant and refugee communities to tell stories and highlight the important role of the arts and the fantastic work that takes place across Ipswich. The Jerwood DanceHouse will come alive with performances, artwork, films, poetry, spoken word and much more. An enriching day of arts and culture not to be missed!

Theatre

Our studio theatre will showcase a vibrant programme of dance, theatre and music brought to you by local Bollywood group, Dance Folks, Norwich Theatre’s Being Migrant group, and Status Creative’s young refugee musicians, to name a few.

There will also be a range of films and presentations, showcasing some amazing projects from The Hold’s Arrivals project to Addictive TV’s Orchestra of Samples global music project.

Ipswich Windrush Society, Ipswich Romanian Community and This is Ipswich join forces to highlight stories of resilience and migration through film and Hannah Aria will present a virtual gallery for her Window to the Soul exhibition, sharing artwork, poetry and creative writing from women and girls from Afghanistan.

See below for the full programme and timings.

Art, Textile & Photography

A range of local artists and photographers will exhibit their work in our Whistler Gallery and throughout the building, including one of the photographers behind the brilliant Portrait of Norwich Road exhibition. Three local artists successfully secured funding from Suffolk County Council and Counterpoints Arts to support their work for the festival – Omidreza Ziadlou, Sadaf Niazi and Rabab Elshrife.

In the Foyer, Suffolk New College will be showcasing artwork, photography and a fabulous quilt made by their ESOL students and Colchester-based RAMA (Refugee, Asylum seeker & Migrant Action) will be exhibiting some of their communities artwork, alongside local photographer, Gillian Allard, with her beautiful Touchstones project.

Workshops and Activities

Catch Gecko Theatre’s Associate Director, Helen Baggett, for a movement workshop in the Wellbeing Studio from 12.30pm – 1.45pm, delving into the companies practice and extensive work with refugees and migrant groups. The Hold will be running family-friendly arts & crafts activities in the Foyer alongside a range of other stands and stalls (see Community Marketplace). Join Future Female Society’s Woman 2 Woman Radio live sessions and listen to the 1SAF podcasts sharing personal stories of migration.

Community Marketplace

At the heart of the event will be the Community Marketplace in our Foyer with a range of stalls sharing information about local groups and organisations run by, and working with, refugees and migrants. These include: The Hive, Suffolk Archives, Future Female Society, Ipswich Romanian Community, This is Ipswich, Ipswich Windrush Society, Gillian Allard, RAMA and 1 Step Away From.

Food

We’re excited to be working with The Hive and their incredible group of community cooks to offer an array of delicious Middle Eastern food for all to enjoy throughout the afternoon.

Theatre Programme

12.30pm Dance Folks | Veer Shivaji Raja – A Dance Ballet Tribute

12.45pm Ipswich Windrush Society, Ipswich Romanian Community and This is Ipswich | Resilience

1.15pm Hannah Aria | Window to the Soul Virtual Gallery

1.45pm Addictive TV | Orchestra of Samples

2.30pm Norwich Theatre | 3 Migrant Women (followed by Q&A)

4.00pm The Hold | The Arrivals Project

5.30pm Status Creative presents Darius | Performing live a selection of Kurdish songs

About Platforma Festival

Platforma Festival takes place in a different English region every two years, produced by Counterpoints Arts in collaboration with local partners to showcase work, build capacity and share learning across the arts, migration and other sectors.

In October 2025, the 8th Platforma Festival will take place across the East of England with a range of performances, exhibitions, talks and other events celebrating and supporting art by and about refugees and migrants. This edition’s programme will embed a particular focus on exploring mental health and wellbeing through the lens of the arts and its impact on individuals and communities affected by experiences of displacement.

The Platforma Community Takeover has been co-commissioned and co-produced by Counterpoints Arts, DanceEast and Suffolk County Council.