In March 2020 Junction Arts will be travelling to Rotterdam to work on a prestigious new project. Commissioned by ICAF, we are thrilled to be working with the Rotterdam based women’s group Maia aan de Maas @ Formaat to make a banner that will be displayed at this year’s ICAF festival. Our staff will support the women to create a textile artwork, the theme of which will be identified by the group. Different stitching techniques, fabrics and textures will be applied to interpret the design. Maia aan de Maas @ Formaat are an established group who strive to influence the world around them, believing that humanizng humanity is the responsibility of us all. Most of the members came to the Netherlands as refugees – some as long as 30 years ago and have their roots in Kurdistan, Iran, Irak, Oeganda, Argentina and the Netherlands. They come together once a week at Formaat, a theatre and participatory drama venue that offers a safe space and a place of solidarity. Here they work on the challenges within their communities and give voice to it saying: ‘ Our life long activism never left us. One story can open up another story is what we always say – Art is such a helpful tool, it gets us to places within ourselves where words cannot reach.‘ To find out more about ICAF follow the link https://www.icafrotterdam.com