Being Detained Indefinitely: A Day of Thought, Performance and Action

Refugee Tales 2016 will open with Being Detained Indefinitely: A Day of Thought, Performance and Action on 3 July 2016. The UK is the only country in Europe to operate a policy of indefinite immigration detention, a practice that does untold damage to tens of thousands of lives. The purpose of the day will be to seek to understand what it means to be and to have been indefinitely detained; to explore how the issue of detention touches on wider human themes; and to work out how the practice of indefinite detention can be brought to an end. People who have experienced indefinite immigration detention in the UK will be joined by support workers, campaigners, writers, academics, theorists, students, journalists and policy makers. Through a series of talks, lectures, discussions and performances the day will explore the human and political implications of this unsustainable practice, and will show how the act of story telling and listening to stories is crucial to a change of view. We are looking to reach as wide an audience as possible and in particular we are seeking to influence opinion formers. Confirmed speakers and chairs so far include our patron, Ali Smith, Shami Chakrabarti, Marina Warner, Sarah Turnbull​, Nick Gill, Marie-Benedicte Dembour, Jerome Phelps and Abdulrazak Gurnah. We can promise a highly stimulating day of thought and performance leading to action and we very hope much hope you can join the debate.