Long Roads Home is a collaboration between two West Wales artists Carrie MacKinnon and Lawrence Mathias. The show will explore journeys, home and refuge as ideals and realities, building on the experience of both artists volunteering and working with displaced young people and their families. Video, paintings and installation will feature prominently, with written word and text playing an important role in delivering the message of the artwork. Carrie's work draws partly upon her own experiences of working with displaced people across Europe, but mainly, upon the survivor stories of the refugees themselves. It often makes for uncomfortable viewing. More general and light hearted work is also featured, primarily in the animated video work of Lawrence and his satirical approach to subject matter. But at the heart of the show is the notion of togetherness and community - for all the triteness, the expression ‘all a part of the human family’ has never felt more real, the injustices and hardships visited on others in once remote parts of the world are now capable of being felt by us all. A large bell tent will be erected in the centre of the hall where young people and members of displaced families now living in Pembrokeshire will contribute artwork on the show’s central themes. A shared art experience, with a wide range of performers in other events throughout the weekend as well as art by young artists and contributors, will underpin the exhibition, which ultimately celebrates our shared humanity and desire for self expression.
A diverse schedule of music and performance is included in the event, with music, poetry and short talks on the Saturday night. The current programme is as follows:
Friday 19th April - opening night from 6:30 PM, featuring some live music and poetry from other participating artists in the event.
Saturday 20th April - open from 1pm with performance night from 6:45 PM. The following artists are so far confirmed for the evening:
Mark Perkins - Saxophonist
Ros Moore - Welsh traditional singer and songwriter
Nicky Lloyd and poets - award-winning Tenby based poet and writer joined at intervals through the evening by other local poets.
Chris Swales - singer and songwriter
Ten Minute Forum - volunteers and workers with displaced families and refugee groups talk about their work.
Mark Hutchins - a talk about journeys and travel from the teacher and writer who is writing a book about following the footsteps of Laurie Lee’s epic foot journey through 1930s Spain
The Florentines - 3 piece folk band from St Florence south of the county.
Sunday 21st April - open from 1pm until 5pm, with an open call for music and musicians from 2pm.
Monday 22nd April - a celebration of work done with local schools in the weeks preceding the show. The artwork will be done by local young people and young people and their families escaping from conflict and persecution in their own countries. The work will be on display in a large bell tent set up in the centre of the hall. Music and other performances will be offered by groups associated with Learning Pembrokeshire, subject to availability closer to the time.