About Us
Counterpoints Arts is a leading national organisation in the field of arts, migration and cultural change.
We support the arts by and about refugees and migrants and we produce a range of programmes in the UK and internationally, including Refugee Week, PopChange and Platforma festival.
Our work takes place at the intersection of climate, racial justice, mental health and displacement.
Our mission is to support and produce the arts by and about migrants and refugees, seeking to ensure that their contributions are recognized and welcomed within British arts, history and culture.
Central to our mission is our belief that arts can inspire social change and enhance inclusion & cultural integration of refugees & migrants.
We work across all art forms and collaborate with a range of people and partners, including artists, arts/cultural and educational organizations and civil society activists.
We are based in Hoxton, London working nationally and internationally.
The short film below, commissioned as part of our 10-year Anniversary celebration, offers a quick glimpse at how we work to support arts by and about refugees & migrants.
WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT US
I’ve had the joy of working with Counterpoints Arts for several years now, on the far-reaching and influential Refugee Week campaigns. The team at Counterpoints do a terrific job at inspiring fresh ideas, accessing new and unique artistic talent with a relevant creative vision, facilitating the complex partnership working, invoking the voices of the displaced, promoting the vast array of events and analysing the impact of this brilliant meeting of art and empathy. Their contribution has been invaluable to this important work of helping celebrate people reclaiming and rebuilding their stolen lives.
Caroline O’Connor, CEO at Migrant Help
Counterpoints Arts are an incredible collaborator and it’s one of the truest collaborations I’ve ever worked on. They bring lived experience and expertise that we might not have in-house which is really valuable. We are guided by them a lot. They introduce us to new artists that we might not have met before and together we work on really exciting programmes that speak to lots of people.
Ruth Hardie, Head of Public Programming at Southbank Centre
I think what makes Counterpoints Arts unique is that there’s a level of emotional, artistic and cultural literacy of what it is like to be an immigrant that the team have; a level of care and breadth of expertise which I haven’t found anywhere else.
AWATE, Artist
It’s been a true pleasure to work with the Counterpoints Arts team on Refugee Week. The team has a level of openness, expertise, kindness and deep understanding of the lived experience of migration that are rare to come by all in one place. It’s been a joy and an honour to be a part of it.
Dr Dima Mekdad, Co-Chair, Refugee Week
I worked with Counterpoints Arts during Refugee Week where they organised various different events at the Southbank Centre and around London. I curated their film programme and was delighted to work with such a principled, passionate and creative team. They also supported our future events connected to Arab and Palestinian cinema. It is clear that Counterpoints Arts is dedicated to elevating the voices of marginalised and oppressed communities. I believe their work and advocacy is important and meaningful, especially in the current climate.
Sarah Agha, Actor, Writer and Curator
