VOICES FROM THE OTHER SIDE

Following highly successful tours in England and Canada during 2003 and 2004, Birmingham-based Banner Theatre takes its Migrant Voices production, a show about the real-life experiences of asylum seekers in the United Kingdom, on tour again in October / November 2005, partly to coincide with Black History Month (October).

Migrant Voices is the result of a residency with Iraqi Kurdish asylum seekers living in Salford in Greater Manchester and tells the stories of why these people have fled their homes and countries and what they have found in twenty-first century Britain.

"Our motivation in developing this show was to highlight what it really means to be an asylum seeker in contemporary Britain, rather than what some newspapers want us to believe," explained Banner's artistic director Dave Rogers. "The reality is much more complex and far more distressing than people realise."

Starting with the stories of real asylum seekers, Migrant Voices explores the history of Iraq and the Middle East during the twentieth century to show how the Iraqi Kurdish people of northern Iraq have been prevented from establishing their own country and taking control of their own destinies, and how they subsequently became the victims of Saddam Hussain's repression.

The show also traces the twentieth-century history of Salford, a typical northern British industrial town, and puts the arrival of asylum seekers here at the beginning of the twenty-first century into a wider context to show how immigration into northern England is a long-established pattern, and one from which the area has often benefited.

Using video and audio interviews with Iraqi Kurds and members of the host communities in Salford, Migrant Voices presents a powerful and thought-provoking piece of contemporary theatre, combining live performance - theatre, music and song - with still and moving images. The show also features original songs, written by the company.

"We believe the issues surrounding asylum seekers are one aspect of the trend towards globalisation and the increasing political instability in the world that is a result of that," explained Dave Rogers. "We hope the show will help people to understand how globalisation can impact on local communities and affect different people's lives. Certainly, our audiences so far seem to appreciate this. They have given the show a wonderful reception."

Audience responses include:
"A superb performance"
Jennifer Whybrow, Peterborough Racial Equality Council

"A great show"
Jason Pegg, Bath & NE Somerset Racial Equality Council

"Well researched and extremely thought-provoking"
Gyll Brown, Head of Religious Education, Coventry Blue Coat School

"Well presented . . . a stimulating show"
N Smith, Head of Performing & Visual Arts, Swinton High School, Manchester

"A wonderful event"
Frances Jones, Leeds Stop the War Campaign

"Enormously impressive . . . the quality of your performance helped to emphasise the powerful points you made so effectively"
Tony Brett Young, Mayor of London Borough of Sutton

"An excellent event"
IDC Refugee Project

Notes to Editors
The Migrant Voices project was co-funded by the Arts Council of England, the Home Office and the Baring Foundation.

More information about Migrant Voices is available from Banner Theatre on 0845 458 1909 (email: info@bannertheatre.co.uk), from Ian Gasse on 01743 357551 or from Banner's artistic director Dave Rogers on 0121 682 0730 or 0783 223 0511