Kings Place Performance ‘Flight for Freedom’

We've been so busy making music and art that we simply haven't had the time to update our favourite public about everything we've been up to since the new year! 

One of the highlights for certain, was when one of our young leaders (J) took centre stage at Kings Place alongside members of the Orchestra of St John's, and brilliant jazz trio Alice Zawadzski, Misha Mullov-Abbado, and Rob Luft as part of OSJ's Displaced Voices concert, back in January. J wrote an exceptional piece of poetry called Flight for Freedom, which he and his violin teacher, Alice, developed into a GORGEOUS semi-improvised work that highlighted the vital importance of resting in a space of unknown, together, reaching towards one another beyond the realm of language. It was one of the most powerful performances we have ever seen, and our family couldn't have been more proud. We hope to be able to share a recording of this performance with you sometime this year, as we are making plans to record it in studio. If you would like to help make sure this happens, please donate on our home page!

Until then, with gratitude for this young person's astounding resilience, brilliance, and humanity, here is J's poem Flight for Freedom:
Flight for Freedom
I am a refugee. I am a bird, who has no wings with which to fly.
My wounds have not healed and I have so much sorrow. 
My path is full of danger, and my hopes lie on the other side. 
In Turkey they said "sinir kapali"
In Germany they said "die Grenze ist geschloßen"
In America they say "la frontera está cerrada"
<Chiuso!>
In England they said "the border is closed, you have to turn back..."
<Fermé!>
I know that your land and your people are free. I can feel it. If you let me in, I promise I will fly for you, always.
Long live humanity.
~Azizi

Programme: https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/classical/displaced-voices/

And here if the follow up performance we gave with our full forces at the Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall later that weekend: