The "Talking Peace Festival' hosted by 'The House of Vans' in London on International Peace Day Sept.21, 2016. The peace talks lasted two weeks with an array of cultural events that allowed people to discover how creativity can bring people together and resolve conflicts. One of the biggest conflicts affecting humanity today is that of the Syrian Refugee Crisis, and in honor of that the first week was dedicated to the installation 'Create Syria', which explores how arts can build a better future in the wake of crisis.

The exhibition, curated in the atmospheric tunnels of House of Vans, Waterloo, London (22 September- 2 October 2016) will showcase the stories and works of several exiled Syrian artists and cultural figures living in Lebanon and working in diverse art forms such as theatre, film, painting, animation and music.

The featured artists have all been running workshops for displaced Syrian children and young people in refugee camps and other communities across Lebanon, using art to promote self-expression and collaboration. Their message is that Syria is not just about destruction and crises, but also re-growth and creativity.

The exhibition was inspired by a project run by Alert in partnership with the British Council and the independent cultural organisation Ettijahat in Lebanon. It is curated by Ying Hsuan Tai of Goldsmiths, University of London.

Charlotte Onslow, who co-ordinates the Create Syria project at International Alert, says:

“We hope Create Syria will showcase the vibrant artistic scene alive among Syrian artists living in exile and highlight how creativity and expression is opening up space for wonder and calm in a time of crisis and the opportunity to imagine a future without violence.”

This video is an interview with syrian refugeee filmmaker, Hisham al-Zouki who directed a short film, The camp and my parents‘ story, which documents the oral memories of Syrian refugees living in Lebanon. The film has been created as part of a series of workshops for Create Syria teaching young refugees how to direct and edit films.
For Hisham, art is a process of dismantling society and putting it back together again. The goal of their project is to overcome the marginalisation of young people, to transform the current conflict and to continue using the power of film to foster change through storytelling.

For more information or to learn about 'Create Syria' and see when the next Peace Talks will occur please visit: http://talkingpeacefestival.org

* Photos of the Europe-wide UN Anti-Racism Day Demonstration 'Refugees Welcome' by 'Stand up to Racism' in London March 19, 2016

For more information or to learn about 'Create Syria' and see when the next Peace Talks will occur please visit: http://talkingpeacefestival.org

* Photos of the Europe-wide UN Anti-Racism Day Demonstration 'Refugees Welcome' by 'Stand up to Racism' in London March 19, 2016

Video Made by Photo journalist Raquel Natalicchio , #RNPExplores @RockmyworldRocky
www.raquelnatalicchio.com