Hull Freedom Festival to showcase women's war survival stories

The Freedom Women Collective said it wanted to "shine light on misrepresentation of refugees lives and reflect on tomorrows"

Women who have survived war are to tell their stories in an art exhibition in Hull after receiving £20,000 from the Imperial War Museum (IWM).

The exhibition by The Freedom Women Collective is to be included in the 2023 Freedom Festival in the city.

The festival is one of nine new partners taken on by the IWM as part of a £2.5m art commissioning programme.

A spokesperson for the collective said the commission would allow them to "reflect on our tomorrows".

The Freedom Festival celebrates Hull's links with anti-slavery campaigner William Wilberforce.

'Experiences of displacement'

It offers a programme of ticketed and free street theatre, art and music at indoor and outdoor locations across the city.

The Freedom Women Collective said their multi-artform exhibition would be presented by women who had "survived war, conflict and persecution and would weave stories from Ethiopia, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Sudan using art, sculpture, performance, poetry, and photography".

A spokesperson said the commission would provide space and opportunity to "reflect on our tomorrows, how we faced them, how we dealt with them and why tomorrow is precious".

"These pieces continue our ongoing support of artists who explore their experiences of displacement, giving space to represent themselves to shine light on misrepresentation of refugees lives and experiences," the spokesperson added.

Rebecca Newell, Head of Art for Imperial War Museums, said, "The IWM 14-18 NOW Legacy fund builds on Imperial War Museums' rich and longstanding history of commissioning art.

"We look forward to expanding this work with artists, organisations and communities across the UK, continuing to highlight stories of conflict in engaging and creative ways."

The 2023 Freedom Festival in Hull is set to begin on 30 August and run until 3 September.