Ikon presents the third annual Migrant Festival

Ikon presents the third annual Migrant Festival. A four day programme mixing visual art, music, film and performance, it celebrates the contribution made by refugees and migrants to Birmingham and the UK, whilst bearing witness to the hardships and sacrifices involved.

The 2021 festival comprises digital and live events including performances by musicians curated by Celebrating Sanctuary Birmingham; our annual Soapbox event featuring quick-fire presentations from individuals and groups supporting migrants in the Midlands; a talk with artist Osman Yousefzada and author Sathnam Sanghera; plus a series of family events and guided tours.

This year’s festival is closely linked with Osman Yousefzada’s major new installation Infinity Pattern 1 at Selfridges Birmingham. The work is co-commissioned by Selfridges and Ikon, as is an instore exhibition and art trail which, along with new film, poetry and screenprints by Yousefzada, features the work of three Birmingham artists, Hira Butt, Farwa Moledina and Maryam Wahid, all informed by the experience of migration. Osman Yousefzada also curated Ikon’s first Migrant Festival in 2018.

The Migrant Festival is supported by Brindleyplace, Freelands Foundation, Paul Mellon Centre and Selfridges.

The Migrant Festival is organised to coincide with Ikon’s exhibition A Very Special Place: Ikon in the 1990s.

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