VOICES NOTES: A JOURNEY OF VOICES, CREATIVITY AND COLLABORATION
Image Credit: Empty Blue
Over the past two years, I’ve had the incredible privilege of working on Voice Notes, an international creative writing and sound arts project that celebrates and amplifies the voices of people who have experienced forced displacement. As Project Manager, I’ve been part of a journey that has taken us from workshops in London and Nottingham to Arbat Refugee Camp in Iraqi Kurdistan, and from intimate online sessions to live performances at Southbank Centre and exhibitions at SPACE21 Festival in Slemani, and broadcasts on Radio 3!
I vividly remember meeting Dr Sarah Jackson, the Artistic Director and Project Lead of Voice Notes, for the first time online during the COVID-19 lockdown, where she developed creative writing workshops as part of her AHRC-funded research on the role of the telephone for those experiencing forced displacement. Sarah ran creative sessions for our young people with such kindness, calm and generosity. I knew instantly that we must continue to work together. She had a very special creative touch, and it was so clear that her main aim was to honour the voices of the young people. Our first successful collaboration was “Calling Across Borders”, which used the motif of voicemail, where participants explored themes of loss, resilience, and hope through creative writing. The project resulted in a short film, animated by Maria Belik with sound design by Rosie Ash, shortlisted for ‘Best Research Film’ in AHRC Research in Film Awards 2021, and we knew we were onto something!
Image Credit: Tom Platinum Morley
When we were still floating heads on screens, we started cooking up the idea of Voice Notes, dreaming of a successful funding application that would turn this into a reality. Sarah submitted an application for AHRC Follow On Funding for Impact and Engagement, and then the good news came! Compass Collective was subcontracted to support the delivery of the project. Over time, the project grew to encompass recorded messages, sound installations, live performances, and a published anthology, Hold to Record, capturing the stories and experiences of more than 150 young people internationally.
Working alongside our brilliant artistic team - Sarah Jackson, Hardi Kurda, our incredible associate artists (Olja, Ganna, Anan) and amazing translator (Solin) - and in international partnerships with a wide network of cultural organisations, we were able to create an array of outputs that brought participant voices to new audiences. From installations in Ghent and Nottingham to performances in Bradford, London, and Newcastle, and even a broadcast on BBC Radio 3, the project demonstrated the power of collaboration, creativity, and listening across borders.
Image Credit: Tom Platinum Morley
From a personal perspective, the most memorable part of this project has been the connections forged with participants and partners. Working in Iraqi Kurdistan and across the UK, hearing stories firsthand, and sharing creative processes with young people from such diverse backgrounds has been a deeply moving and rewarding experience. The workshops and performances, but even more just the everyday conversations have left memories I will hold close to my heart forever.
Voice Notes leaves a lasting legacy: a toolkit, recordings, publications, and a methodology that can be adapted for future workshops, short-term projects, or DIY creative initiatives. Most importantly, it sets an example for participatory arts practice that values long-term engagement, collaboration, and recognition of all contributors.
On behalf of Compass Collective, I am profoundly grateful to Sarah Jackson and Sound Artist Hardi Kurda, for the incredible adventure we have been on! We were like the Three Musketeers, carrying suspicious-looking sound equipment through airport security together, chatting into the early hours of the morning like excited children, and caring for each other. I will never forget their kindness when I was incredibly sick with cholera after an outbreak in the camp in Sulaymania, and Hardi’s friend, who I’d never met before, rushed me to the hospital, or having electrolytes delivered to my bed by Sarah. I wouldn’t trade those memories for anything!
Image Credit: Maria Maza
But above all, thank you to the participants - the young people whose voices, creativity, and courage make everything possible. The work is YOURS. I hope that the shared experiences, the encounters, the creative expressions have helped you hear the strength of your own voice, and know that it has a place in this world.
And our deep gratitude to our partners and funders, including Counterpoints Arts, New Art Exchange, Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature, Refugee Roots, STEP, Another Sky Festival, and the New Music Biennial, as well as the Arts and Humanities Research Council and Arts Council England.
Voice Notes has been more than a project; it has been a journey of creativity, learning, and human connection. I feel privileged to have been part of it, and I am excited to see how its methodology and legacy continue to inspire and empower communities around the world.
Leah Gayer, Artistic Director, Compass Collective
To explore the project, access resources, and listen to recordings, please visit the Voice Notes website: https://crossedlines.co.uk/voice-notes/.
If you would like to discuss opportunities to work with the Voice Notes team, or if you are interested in hosting an exhibition or performance, please email Sarah Jackson at sarah7.jackson@northumbria.ac.uk.