Sat, 31 May. 2025
17:30
29 Aischylou Street (New Nicosia Town Hall)
A journey which began eight months ago! The “Face Forward...into my home” program, involving individuals with a migratory background, started with experiential workshops and culminated in a homonymous photography exhibition by Yiannis Kourtoglou.
As part of its Parallel Program, the Nicosia International Festival takes a step further by organizing another event titled “Face Forward…into my story.” This experiential walk will be led by the program’s Cultural Ambassador, Jacqueline Akawi from Togo. Together with her husband, they will guide us through the neighborhoods that shaped their arrival and signified their life in Cyprus. Aischylou Street, Perikleous Street, the Dignity Center, Eleftheria Square, and the Nicosia Municipal Theatre come alive through the eyes and experiences of this young couple. They share their journey since arriving in Cyprus, how the country welcomed them and helped them build a new life from scratch. They recall the alleyways where their daughter took her first steps, the places that inspired them, and they offer a hopeful message: dreams do come true.
The walk will take place on Saturday, May 31, at 5:30 p.m.
The “Face Forward...into my home” program was implemented as part of the Parallel Program of the 5th Nicosia International Festival, in collaboration with EMST | National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens, along with the kind support of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Cyprus. It consisted of a series of workshops attended by refugees and migrants from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East who were forced to flee their homelands and rebuild their lives in Cyprus. Participants were invited to share emotions, memories, hopes, and expectations inspired by works of art from the EMST collection and the Cyprus State Gallery, which address themes of migration and other contemporary issues. The photographic portraits and personal stories of the refugees and migrants are currently exhibited on the first floor of the Nicosia Municipal Theatre.
The program also gave rise to seminars and workshops created by and for the participants, enabling them to become Cultural Ambassadors, providing them a platform to share the stories of their countries and their work. It also led to the spectacular African Fashion Show, where nine fashion designers of migrant background and two Cypriot designers presented their creations, showcasing the power of fashion as a means of expression and inclusion. As a continuation of the show, the “Face Forward...into my journey” experiential workshop was designed in collaboration with the Department of Arts and Communication at Frederick University, aimed at supporting the professional development of migrant fashion designers.
Who is Jacqueline
Jacqueline is the embodiment of hope. For her, Cyprus represents peace and new beginnings. In Togo, she worked as a bank cashier, but her passion was designing clothes. She first learned under her mother’s guidance and later attended fashion design courses. This is how she began creating her own pieces. Now 29 years old, Jacqueline continues to design clothing to stay connected to her heritage and her mother. Her goal is to help others, and her dream is to create a community where people can work while having a safe space for their children. As she says, the “Face Forward...into my home” program and the Nicosia Municipal Theatre became her second home, helping her express her personality and art, and giving her the hope and courage to move forward far from her homeland and loved ones.
Tour Information:
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Date: Saturday, May 31
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Meeting Point: 29 Aischylou Street (New Nicosia Town Hall)
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Time: 17:30
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Language: English
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Registration: 22797979 or theatre@nicosia.org.cy