Battersea Arts Centre
Last night, went to Battersea Arts Centre to see a new film called Sea Sorrow, the directorial debut of Vanessa Redgrave, which highlights the plight and courage of refugees.
Ms Redgrave's film features Emma Thompson and Ralph Fiennes, it includes interviews and historical footage that sets the current refugee crisis in a meaningful historical context.
“This film is a requiem for the thousands of refugees who have died through lack of support and protection. I hope the film may be of some help to the agencies who do their utmost to support the refugees who have survived, most especially to their children”
Vanessa Redgrave
Questions were taken after the screening by Vanessa Redgrave and Lord Alf Dubs, who tabled the Dubs Amendment in the House of Lords, forcing the government to commit to taking 20,000 refugees and 3,000 unaccompanied refugee children. An unaccompanied child refugee himself, who travelled to the UK on the kinder transport, Lord Dubs is a former MP for Battersea.
A lot of people had their phones out, taking pictures during the event. I didn’t but instead took some photographs of the venue itself, which has a lovely human scale and some charming Arts and Crafts elements, such as a mosaic floor in the entrance hall incorporating flies and bees.
Battersea Arts Centre is a beautiful old building that was formerly Battersea Town Hall. It is a leading independent theatre and arts venue in south London, which was severely damaged by fire in March 2015 and is being slowly restored to its former glory.
