A travelling podcast and arts project exploring new perspectives on migration begins a tour of Sheffield communities this month.
The Matter of Migration brings together podcast episodes reflecting on personal journeys, identity, culture and community.
The project starts its journey at Crystal Peaks Shopping Centre, where it will run from 22 January until 28 January, before moving on to other areas across the city.
Created and hosted by João Paulo Simões, a podcast producer, sound designer and film director, the project builds on his previous work documenting migration through his company Frontier Media.
He says: “With the podcasts, I wanted to give a new voice to migrants’ stories and make them pertinent to where we are right now with a very different, immersive experience.
“This project illuminates what migration really is on a personal level, rather than just talking about statistics or in very generic terms.
“I think it is unique, and the feedback we’ve had so far has been very positive.”
The Matter of Migration was first launched at Sheffield’s Migration Matters Festival last June and was later showcased at the city’s podcast festival Crossed Wires by João and Sam Holland of co-producer Arts on the Run.
At the heart of the project is a free multi-sensory experience designed by Liz Von Graevenitz. Known as The Pod, the structure surrounds listeners with artwork created in community workshops and symbolises both a safe place and a refugee camp.
Following Crystal Peaks, the project will move to Zest Upperthorpe from 29 January until 3 February, with four more Sheffield locations planned later this year. Each setting has been chosen to either reflect or challenge the themes explored in individual podcast episodes.
The six podcasts feature 14 contributors, including academics, artist Madeleina Kay, flamenco historian Rosa Cisneros, R&B singer Rumbi Tauro, young people from Element Society, and South Yorkshire councillor Kaltum Osman Rivers.
All episodes were recorded at Spring Tank Studios on Randall Street. The project is funded by Arts Council England, Sheffield Council’s Community Cohesion and Resilience Programme, and Sheffield Town Trust.
The first episode of The Matter of Migration is available on Spotify.
