Whilst there are more refugees and displaced people now than at any other time on record, public and media discourse is often apathetic, misguided or even hostile. In contrast to the rising numbers of people seeking safety, media coverage is minimal, and often focuses on the potential dangers of accepting insignificant numbers of refugees. And whilst there have been many effective interventions from governments and civil society, it has also been made increasingly difficult to provide essential humanitarian aid to those making such perilous journeys.

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We want to interrupt this trend, by bringing the migrant crisis back into the public eye in a dignified light. The Odyssey Project, an offshoot of Refugee Aid Serbia, is a documentary following three humanitarian aid workers as they trace one of the main migration routes into Europe, from Turkey to Brussels, the heart of the European Union. Throughout the journey, they will be stopping off at key transit points and engaging the local population and refugee communities through “Routes” festivals, based on similar events we have piloted in Serbia. The festivals aim to bring together local communities and the local refugee populations through workshops, discussions and performances. We want to offer a chance for interaction, but also a day of recreation on what is often a perilous journey for refugees.

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“Creativity is discontent translated into arts”, and as such the van will also serve as a canvas, allowing for refugees and local artists to express themselves on a mobile art installation. Their messages will cross borders and change at every stop-off point.

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Our hope is to provide a platform for critical engagement on migration issues through both the festivals and the resulting documentary. We want to humanize the refugee route and make some noise to disrupt the current discourse.