18 September 2019 | CIVIC LUNCH | Diversity and integration in Folkestone and Surroundings

Weds 18 September

Past Event

Weds 18 September | Diversity and integration in Folkestone and Surroundings | Civic Lunch with Aida Silvestri

at Urban Room Folkestone, One the Plaza, Tram Road Car Park, Folkestone

Aida is a UK based artist who creates work concerning the sensitive issues of culture, ethnicity, identity, health, politics and the urban landscape. She holds a BA (First Hons) in photography from the University of Westminster, London. She has experience of coordinating photo-shoot sessions, running workshops and public speaking on these issues. Her work explores new and unique approaches to documentary photography to raise awareness, give voice to voiceless and to promote acceptance within communities.

Aida has had work shown in London at Autograph ABP, Photographers’ Gallery, Saatchi Gallery, Roman Road Gallery, Mall Gallery and abroad in France, Greece, Luxemburg, Taiwan and Reunion Island. She was voted one of the British Journal of Photography’s two Best of Show Winners at the Free Range exhibition, London in 2013. She has won the Festival Audience 2017 Award Circulation(s) and was shortlisted for the 2017 Arendt, European Month of Photography awards.

She is currently working on a project called ‘Why Folkestone?’

Why Folkestone?

Why Folkestone? A question that newcomers to Folkestone are asked frequently.

This project explores and questions the idea of home, belonging and the implications of the influx of internal and international migration and the local communities in Folkestone.

Through portraiture, participatory workshops, food, music, discussions, talks and questioning, this project aims to address why people move to Folkestone and what are the concerns of the local people.

Furthermore, it aims to start difficult conversations around migration and its implications to identify tensions among various groups and create a new photographic narrative of a town that is changing demographically.

It hopes to push boundaries by bringing together different groups of people who generally don’t have much, if any, association with each other in a gallery and community space. In a hope to promote integration, acceptance and coexisting and enable their voices to be heard.

Two months-long project that leads to the end product being displayed at The Brewery Tap UCA Project Space, Folkestone from 16th -27th October to coincide with Counterpoints Arts’ Platforma 5 Festival in October 2019.