TRIPWIRES TRAINING

Fifteen young people aged between 18 - 25 are meeting every Saturday at a studio at Queen Mary University of London, Mile End, to take part in the TRIPWIRES pilot programme using the arts to create a safe space to explore and express ideas of freedom of expression, self-censorship and offence. Each week there is a different theme - music, satire, acrobatics, banned plays, film, photography. Belarus Free Theatre visited the group and we are setting up visits by Burmese artist Htein Lin, young visitors from Georgia and Abkhazia and Afghanistan and other Index contributors.

TRIPWIRES uses all art forms to process ideas creatively so exploring physically and intellectually what freedom of expression means to young Londoners today. The project creates a space for people who express themselves in all sorts of ways to contribute to debate.

This week TRIPWIRES trainees start dialogues with young people from other countries including Palestine, USA, Iran, India, Brazil and Argentina, to discuss what freedom of expression means to them.