Festival to host 'celebration of immigration' at Manchester Art Gallery

More than a hundred Manchester residents, hailing from 53 countries all around the world will deliver classes on a wide-ranging curriculum - including languages, food, customs, ethics and politics. Open and free to all, the school will run classes daily from 5 to 20 July at Manchester Art Gallery.

Every teacher will pass on their own experiences, sharing skills, knowledge, culture and information in a different kind of communal integration and learning experience. 

Visitors will be able to see world events through the perspective of others, explore different cultures, and examine how they have been absorbed into local everyday life. 

Classes include ‘Kurdish Kolours,’ an exploration of the rich history of Kurdish culture through the art of calligraphy by Kurdish Teaching Assistant Akhter Ali, a former journalist from Iraq; ‘Buckets, Fruit & Tiles: A Crash Course for Cape Verde,’ a personal meditation on a migration path by Carlos Vicente, who grew up in a fishing family in Cape Verde before moving to Manchester via Portugal and France; ‘Raag of the Moment’, a history of raags (aka ragas) music by Pakistan-born Abbas Qureshi whose passion for music was inspired by his memories of a soldier’s flute playing; and ‘Dante’s Journey for Today’, a reimagining of Dante as a contemporary story by Italian-born, Emma Marigliano, former Head Librarian of Manchester’s Portico Library. 

A number of the cookery classes are hosted by members of Heart & Parcel, a Manchester-based food and women’s project that has launched a new cookbook, focused on developing English language skills whilst cooking. Classes by the collective range from A Fruit Dumpling is a Savoury Main Course,’ a practical exercise in how to make fruit-filled Polish dumplings (pierogi, commonly served as a main dish in Poland) to There’s Only One Curry… In Peshawar, a guide to making the Pakistani staple. Each cookery lesson will be mirrored in the Gallery cafe’s daily changing menu, available to all Gallery visitors.

Other classes include: The Point of Hello (an exploration of the ultimate icebreaker), Tarot Cards for Brexit (making your own cards tailored to the current political environment); There Are No Corners in Africa; Art as Activism (banner making); Screen printing Spain (a lesson in Spanish history) and Do you take sugar in your tea? (the history, evolution and functions of tea drinking).

Tania Bruguera said: “I think it’s important to talk about integration and understanding that integration is a two-way road. There is a general concern with how we are living with one another and that we need to start operating in a different way. 

"There is a prejudice that exists towards migrants, immigrants, refugees and stateless people which is the thinking that their culture is less important and because they are going through a harsher moment that they are less than us.  

"By inverting integration policies intended for immigrants in ‘School of Integration’, we want to create a space for people in Manchester to experience the idea of transculturation as an alternative to the one-way traditional request to immigrants for assimilation.” 

Tania Bruguera's work explores issues of power and control, and several of her works interrogate and represent the role of immigrants in our society. 

As part of her work, Bruguera has launched an Immigrant Respect Awareness Campaign and in 2011, on 18 December (the annual UN designated International Migrants Day) an international artistic day of actions in which artists all over the world made work about immigration. 

She is known for initiating the Arte Útil movement, a platform from which to think and implement ideas about art as a tool for social change at an individual level as well as at institutions. She is also known for the political timing of her art works. Her most recent work was the commission for Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall.

Alistair Hudson, Director of Manchester Art Gallery and the Whitworth said: “Tania Bruguera has an extraordinary life as an artist. She has been dedicated to using art strategies to make real changes in society and politics. 

"Here in Manchester, a city with a famously radical history, she is going to produce what I think is a project of great significance and one that is full of humanity and life. School of Integration really encapsulates the new vision for Manchester Art Gallery as a civic think tank; generating new ideas, a place where people from all walks of life can learn about the role that art can play in forming a healthier and more equitable society.”

MIF Artistic Director and CEO, John McGrath, said: “Tania Bruguera is one of the most resonant artists working today. ‘School of Integration’ is both challenging and exciting and responds very precisely to the times that we’re in, in a way that is accessible and welcoming of everyone."

Tania Bruguera (born 1968) is a Cuban artist and activist. She lives and works between New York and Havana and has participated in numerous international exhibitions including Documenta and the Venice Biennale. Her work is also in the permanent collections of many institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art, Guggenheim, and Tate Modern, among others. 

Commissioned and produced by Manchester International Festival and Manchester Art Gallery. MIF19 runs from 4–21 July 2019 with artists from across the globe premiering a variety of new work in spaces throughout the city. For more details about this year’s program please visit mif.co.uk

FULL TIMETABLE

FRIDAY 5 JULY

10.30am
The Point of Hello 
The ultimate icebreaker! Develop your understanding of the word ‘Hello’ and discover how many different languages are spoken in Manchester. 
Teacher: Saira Qureshi
Location: Gallery 12
 
Noon
A Fruit Dumpling Is a Savoury Main Course
Serving a sweet dish as a main course is a popular culinary custom in Poland. Learn to make fruit-filled Polish dumplings (pierogi) at this special cooking class from one of the Heart & Parcel cooking collective. May contain dairy.
Teacher: Karolina Koścień
Location: Gallery 12
 
2pm
Games Café
Discover board games with a difference – and find out how difficult topics can be made easier to discuss through play.
Teacher: Hwa Young Jung
Location: Gallery 12
 
3.30pm
Raag of the Moment
Capture the emotions of your environment by learning about the history and beauty of raags (aka ragas), the classic Indian musical form. 
Teachers: Abbas Qureshi with Saira Qureshi
Location: Permanent Galleries
 
SATURDAY 6 JULY

10.30am
Calm Palm
Learn the traditional technique for extracting the oil from the red palm seed and hear more about its healing and health-giving properties from an expert. 
Teacher: Imade Rosemary Alueboh
Location: Gallery 12
 
Noon
The ABC – Art, Beliefs and Culture – of Dumplings
An introduction to the significance of dumplings in Chinese and Malay culture – including how to make some of their many variations. May contain dairy. 
Teachers: Sheung Lok Wellbeing Centre Wai Yin Society
Location: Gallery 12
 
2pm
I Am from Italy – Ask Me a Question (Not Football!) 
Face up to stereotypes of Italy – from the perspective of a stand-up comedian. 
Teacher: Gaetana Trippetti
Location: Gallery 12

2.30pm
The Music of the Rhine
A guided tour exploring the myths and music surrounding and inspired by the River Rhine.
Teacher: Renate Wendel
Location: Permanent Galleries
 
3.30pm
If You Can Survive in Nigeria, You Can Survive Anywhere – Plus Egg Rolls!
A storytelling session set in the Giant of Africa – followed by street food and conversation.
Teacher: Lara Kazeem
Location: Gallery 12

SUNDAY 7 JULY

10.30am
Journey into the Unknown 
Part-lecture and part art-lesson – Iwona will teach painting while talking about Russia and her experiences of as a stranger travelling through societies and living on the margins.
Teacher: Iwona Torowin
Location: Gallery 12
 
Noon
(Chicken) Pilaf: The Prince of Rice
Rizwana from the Heart & Parcel cooking collective with a definitive guide on how to cook the prince of rice with techniques adapted across Central Asia and North India. Contains meat.
Teacher: Rizwana Hameed
Location: Gallery 12
 
2pm
Made Up, Natural or Dramatic
Uncover the different looks and significance of make-up across global cultures, from the Middle East to the Western World. 
Teacher: Elika Ghaseman
Location: Gallery 12
 
3.30pm
Art as Activism
Art can be a tool kit for change and transformation. At this practical workshop, you’ll make a group banner that displays a collective message promoting the ethos of the School of Integration.
Teacher: Lotte Karlsen
Location: Gallery 12
 
MONDAY 8 JULY

11am
There Are No Corners in Africa
Conflicts, people and the scramble for resources. An exploration of the meaning and impact of national and colonial borders. 
Teacher: Saira Qureshi
Location: Gallery 12
 
Noon
Shushbarak from a Syrian Kitchen 
Tushbera, chuchvara, chüchüre, chüchpara, düshbärä, shishbarak, tatarbari, tushpara… One dumpling with many names – learn how to cook it from a master. May contain dairy and meat.
Teachers: Mais Afyouni & Rawia Alwani
Location: Gallery 12
 
2pm
Get Your Freek On 
Freek is a dish cooked and loved in many households in the Middle East. Mais and Rawia (Heart & Parcel) will share their expertise in how to make it, mastered through years of practice. May contain dairy and meat
Teachers: Mais Afyouni & Rawia Alwani
Location: Gallery 12
 
2.30pm
The Art of Protest
From Tiananmen Square to Hong Kong, discover how you can use art to make your voice heard. 
Teacher: Mei Yuk Wong
Location: Permanent Galleries
 
3.30pm
Braiding Your History
A practical lesson on different braiding techniques and styles. Learn its history, from natural black hair to the introduction of the comb into Africa by European colonisers. 
Teacher: Evelyn Mbuluku
Location: Gallery 12
 
TUESDAY 9 JULY

10.30am
In My Own Image
Make your self-portrait in clay, learning specialist tips from expert artist Manya. 
Teacher: Manya Alkhmri
Location: Gallery 12
 
Noon
There’s Only One Curry… Queen of Fish
A Bangladeshi village tradition of fish and mash is now a fashionable foodies’ dream – learn how to cook it! May contain fishbones.
Teachers: Aklima Akhter & Taskina Jasmin 
Location: Gallery 12
 
2pm
The Joy of Jollof 
Experience African culture through one of the continent’s staple foods – plantain.
Teachers: Bukky Toba & Eniola Toba
Location: Gallery 12

2.30pm
The Art of the Indus
Share Saira’s knowledge and passion about art from South Asia, from historical figures to contemporary masters.
Teacher: Saira Qureshi
Location: Permanent Galleries
 
WEDNESDAY 10 JULY

10.30am
Is Marriage for Now? 
Is marriage a suitable commitment for a 21st-century society? In an interactive Q&A-based session using examples drawn from cultures across the world, we’ll explore marriage in its many global guises. 
Teacher: Pat Mackela
Location: Gallery 12

Noon
Kubba Croquettes
Shape, fill, bake and fry kibbeh, a traditional Iraqi staple that mirrors the fast-changing cultural landscape from whence it comes. More than a cookery lesson! May contain dairy. 
Teachers: Sahar Kahalf & Rasha Mafrachi
Location: Gallery 12
 
2pm
Rags & Dolls
Give new purpose and meaning to your old clothes! Join Gloria to make dolls and learn a new upcycling skill.
Teacher: Gloria Saya
Location:Gallery 12
 
2.30pm
Dante’s Journey for Today
The timeless fascination of monsters and demons – reimagine Dante as a contemporary story. 
Teacher: Emma Marigliano
Location: Permanent Galleries
 
3.30pm
Leonardo’s Life Drawing
Use the paintings and poses in Manchester Art Gallery’s collections as inspiration for life-drawing – with dramatic lighting creating Goya-esque shadow play.
Teacher: Leonardo Mohammed
Location: Gallery 12
 
THURSDAY 11 JULY

10.30am
Care Under Communism
Explore the public perception of China, and the realities of its education and healthcare systems, from a communist perspective, followed by discussion and debate. 
Teacher: Denise Yuen Megson 
Location: Gallery 12

Noon
Crumbs! It’s Fatta
‘I love cooking, eating and feeding people. It makes me happy when they eat my food. Fatta is my favourite dish – and from what I can see, it brings people together.’ Contains dairy.
Teachers: Sahar Kahalf & Rasha Mafrachi
Location: Gallery 12
 
2pm
Find Your Character
Develop a character based on stereotypes, watch worlds collide – and learn theatre and drama skills along the way. 
Teacher: Adriana Buonfantino
Location: Gallery 12

2.30pm
Citizens of Nowhere
What group(s), if any, do you feel you belong to and why? Is your identity tied to a place, a group, a culture or an idea, or are we citizens of nowhere – and if so, is that really so bad?
Teacher: Lindsay Porter
Location: Permanent Galleries

3.30pm
Madeleine de Proust
What prompts a memory – a smell, a taste, a memory of home? Explore the same experience as Marcel Proust in the 19th century. 
Teacher: Stephanie Heude
Location: Gallery 12
 
FRIDAY 12 JULY

10.30am
Glass Relief
Luma explains how she used drawing and glass painting for meditation and wellbeing during an amazingly difficult journey towards a new home. 
Teacher: Luma Alsaif
Location: Gallery 12
 
Noon
Momo – NOT Tibetan Dumplings
Discover the real momo, a dumpling influenced both by East and South Asia, with Tsering from Heart & Parcel. May contain dairy.
Teacher: Tsering Lahmo
Location: Gallery 12
 
2pm
SSOL – Singhalese for Speakers of Other Languages
Learn Singhalese in the style of an ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) lesson – and discover how hard it is to pick up a language from scratch.
Teacher: Fathima Noorul Saly 
Location: Gallery 12

SATURDAY 13 JULY

10.30am
Do You Take Sugar in Your Tea? 
Taste teas from across the world while discovering the history and trade routes of the UK’s favourite drink. 
Teacher: Saira Qureshi
Location: Gallery 12
 
Noon
There’s Only One Curry… In Peshawar
No onions, garlic and ginger, no oil and no butter – and yet it’s still a curry! Discover more about this Pakistani staple with Zahida from Heart & Parcel. Contains dairy. 
Teacher: Zahida Akhtar
Location: Gallery 12
 
2pm
Harmony & Balance
Discover ikebana, the ancient Japanese art of flower-arranging – and make your own version of nature in your own little garden. 
Teacher: Junko Popham
Location: Gallery 12
 
2.30pm
I’m Russian – Don’t Be Afraid…
Part-lecture, part-performance – a personal journey into Napoleon’s invasion of Russia and a fiery connection to a painting on the Manchester Art Gallery walls… 
Teacher: Tatyana Maurer
Location: Permanent Galleries
 
3.30pm 
What do we mean by Mancunian?
Explore Manchester from an immigrant’s perspective. 
Teacher: Humberto Velez
Location: Gallery 12

SUNDAY 14 JULY

10.30am
Pottery & Polish
Promote good body image, challenge beauty ideals – and learn some basic Polish along the way…
Teacher: Anya Mikolajczyk
Location: Gallery 12
 
Noon
Shami & Shakira
Shami is a dish that was invented for a toothless Nawab – it literally melts in the mouth. Shakira is Shazia’s mother-in-law – and every day, she had to go to Shakira’s house to learn how to cook. Contains meat & dairy. 
Teacher: Shazia Mufeez
Location: Gallery 12
 
2pm
Grassroots
A personal lesson on herbology and the Northern European culture of foraging. 
Teacher: Irina Dubinska
Location: Gallery 12
 
3.30pm 
From Tai Chi to Samba
A global journey of movements – from tai chi to yoga to rumba to samba. 
Teacher: Beatriz Lazarus
Location: Gallery 12
 
MONDAY 15 JULY

10.30am
The Language of the Indus
The history of Sanskrit, Urdu and Farsi, three languages bound together through roots and travel. Learn to write in Urdu and Farsi, and explore their impact on the English language.
Teacher: Zeeshan
Location: Gallery 12
 
Noon
Dimitra’s Tiropitakia
Discover Dimitra’s recipe for this Greek meze classic, learned in her grandmother’s kitchen. Contains dairy.
Teacher: Dimitra Nitso 
Location: Gallery 12
 
2pm
Persia – As Big as Rome
Uncover the history and significance of Persia, whose influence extends to literature, science, the arts and much more besides. 
Location: Gallery 12

3.30pm
Healing Hands
An interactive workshop exploring how we can reconnect with each other through our hands.
Teacher: Juliet Davis
Location: Gallery 12
 
TUESDAY 16 JULY

10.30am
Kurdish Kolours
Explore the rich history and culture of Kurdish through the art of calligraphy. 
Teacher: Akhter Ali
Location: Gallery 12
 
Noon
Rudo & Dudu’s Sadza & Rugare 
Discover the significance of sadza, a traditional Zimbabwean meal – and enjoy rugare, grown in a Levenshulme allotment. 
Teachers: Rudo Mwoyoweshumba & Dudu Zella Mango
Location: Gallery 12

2pm
You Don’t Like Cricket – You Love It!
The cultural and emotional significance of cricket to people from South Asia and the UK. 
Teacher: Mohammed Umer Rafiq
Location: Gallery 12
 
3.30pm
The Meaning of Mendhi
There’s so much more to henna than temporary decorative tattoos: learn the meanings, the history and the symbolism while also learning the technique. 
Teachers: Resham Butt & Zeyneb Syed
Location: Gallery 12
 
WEDNESDAY 17 JULY

10.30am
Augmenting Wishful Thinking
What does magic mean to you? Make your very own magic wand at this special workshop – and then uses it in an augmented-reality program on your phone. 
Teacher: Lena Munday 
Location: Gallery 12

Noon
Show the Love
Bastilla is a luxury dish often served at Moroccan weddings or ceremonies to show the love, mixing sweet and savoury flavours and bringing people together. Contains meat.
Teacher: Hanane el Hadioui
Location: Gallery 12
 
2pm 
Coffee, Cotton & Chocolate
‘My education was funded by cocoa! Our houses are built with cocoa! The foundations of society are cocoa! Our government runs on cocoa! All our policies focus on sustaining cocoa!’ A conversation on… cocoa.
Teachers: Kouame Kouakou & assistant Rosema Nawaz
Location: Gallery 12

3.30pm
Buckets, Fruit & Tiles: A Crash Course for Cape Verde
Explore Carlos’s migration path from Cape Verde to Portugal to France and, finally, the UK. Experience three different stages of Carlos’s life, starting with buckets and ending with drawing.
Teacher: Carlos Vicente 
Location: Gallery 12

THURSDAY 18 JULY

10.30am
Crossing Culture, Crossing Time
Share best practices in Chinese health and well-being, and explore issues of community and self-identity, with the Wai Yin Society, which has been serving the communities of Greater Manchester since 1988. 
Teacher: Circle Steele
Location: Gallery 12

Noon
There’s One Curry… Lassi di Karri & Pakoras
From the heartlands of the Punjab comes the definitive curry, not found in Indian restaurants but both a luxury and a staple in many South Asian households. Learn to cook it with Shamim and Shazia. Contains dairy.
Teachers: Shamim Akhtar & Shazia Mufeez
Location: Gallery 12

2pm
Bazaar Painting
Learn the history of bazaars while discovering your voice through painting with Moj.
Teacher: Moj Bakh
Location: Gallery 12
 
3.30pm 
Screen-Printing Spain
How much do we know about the real Spain? Learn about the history and culture of the country at a practical printmaking workshop combining skills with knowledge.
Teacher: Claudia Alonso
Location: Gallery 12
 
FRIDAY 19 JULY

10.30am
Nostalgic Perceptions
Through the Swedish language, discover how translating from one language to another can lead to a loss of meaning and nuance. 
Teachers: Sara Davies & Helena Lee
Location: Gallery 12

Noon
Barly’s Puff Puffs
Also known as mikate, puff-puff doughnuts are a staple of Congolese culture – eaten outdoors while embedded in debate and discussion. Learn how to make this deep-fried delicacy with Barly.
Teacher: Barly Koyangbwa & Evelyn Mbuluku
Location: Gallery 12

2pm
Starter Sourdough Social (with an Aussie)
Bread is a signature of so many cultures and communities worldwide – including Australia. Explore sourdough as a multicultural concept. 
Teacher: Rachel de Ridder
Location: Gallery 12

2.30pm 
My Napoleon
History isn’t an uncontested narrative – there are two sides, at least, to every story. Stephanie will share her relationship with Napoleon, her hero, going against the French opinion of him as a dictator. 
Teacher: Stephanie Heude
Location: Permanent Galleries

3.30pm 
Leonardo’s Life Drawing
Use the paintings and poses in the Manchester Art Gallery’s collections as inspiration for life-drawing – with dramatic lighting creating Goya-esque shadow play.
Teacher: Leonardo Mohammed
Location: Gallery 12

SATURDAY 20 JULY

10.30am
The Book of Kings
Poetry, storytelling and performance – welcome to a retelling of the Shahnameh, where you’ll discover the moralities and controversies surrounding this classic Persian literature.
Teacher: Shahireh Sharif

Noon
The Purpose of Paratha
In South Asian communities, bread is given a new lease of life as the paratha. Learn to make a layered flatbread filled with aloo (potatoes) or keema (mince), or keep it simple with butter. Contains dairy.
Teacher: Nayab Butt
Location: Gallery 12
 
2pm 
Tarot Cards for Brexit
Explore the myths and images of tarot cards while making your own cards tailored to the current political environment.
Teacher: Vineta Gailite
Location: Gallery 12

2.30pm 
In the Eye of the Beholder
Pakistan is slowly losing its centuries-old traditions of beauty, adapted through history from Persia to China. Learn some of the practices that originated in the East but are now prevalent in the West – and have your eyebrows done while you learn!
Teachers: Shamim Afshin & Farzana Butt
Location: Permanent Galleries

3.30pm 
A Crash Course in Real Latin Music
A condensed history of music in Latin America and its roles in society, culture and politics. Find out about the evolution of Latin music and why it’s such an important form of expression.
Teacher: Gio Bagioli
Location: Gallery 12