I AM FROM REYKJAVIK RESIDENCY IN CITY OF LONDON and ROYAL DOCKS I want to meet people like me: A child of an immigrant. A woman in her 50s A single mother of a single child. Someone who cared for a parent with dementia. A fat woman. Someone who has recently started gardening. A partner in a mixed-race marriage. Someone who used to be a political activist Someone who has served a short sentence in jail. A person who loves cooking for friends Someone who occasionally goes to church but doesn’t believe in God. An artist who’s been making work for over 20 years. A Black person. If you share any of those descriptors above, I’d like to meet you some place in City of London or Royal Docks. You decide where, preferably somewhere which has something to do with your identity. We’ll chat and I’ll buy you a coffee, or tea maybe even a cake. This is the residency part of I AM FROM REYKJAVIK, my attempt to be a post-racial, global citizen. The second part is when I return and claim a piece of your public space to build myself a little dwelling. I am going from city to city to find a place where I can be free. Where I can be totally all of me, free to come and go, to stay and feel at home. Will you welcome me to London? To book a time to meet me, contact LIFT or me here on facebook. ENDS

An artist rocks up, builds a shelter and declares herself free. “So in 1965 my mum and dad book a holiday to the Isle of Wight; my mum’s pregnant with me. Dad gets a bit wary and writes to the hotel saying that we’re coloured and would it cause any problems as they don’t want to travel all that way, what with my mum’s condition, to be turned away. The hotel writes back cancelling the reservation. This time, I’m just rocking up. I’m bringing my own house and my own cups. You’re welcome to come help me build my shack and take tea with me, but I’m coming whether you like it or not.” – Sonia Hughes This outdoor live installation is artist Sonia Hughes’ attempt to unwrite that letter. Commissioned by LIFT, SPILL Festival, and Jerwood Arts in partnership with Royal Docks Team, Festspillene I Nord-Norge (Norway), SPRING Performing Arts Festival (Netherlands) and ILT Festival (Denmark). Supported by City of London and Cockayne Grants for the Arts.

An artist rocks up, builds a shelter and declares herself free. “So in 1965 my mum and dad book a holiday to the Isle of Wight; my mum’s pregnant with me. Dad gets a bit wary and writes to the hotel saying that we’re coloured and would it cause any problems as they don’t want to travel all that way, what with my mum’s condition, to be turned away. The hotel writes back cancelling the reservation. This time, I’m just rocking up. I’m bringing my own house and my own cups. You’re welcome to come help me build my shack and take tea with me, but I’m coming whether you like it or not.” – Sonia Hughes This outdoor live installation is artist Sonia Hughes’ attempt to unwrite that letter. Commissioned by LIFT, SPILL Festival, and Jerwood Arts in partnership with Royal Docks Team, Festspillene I Nord-Norge (Norway), SPRING Performing Arts Festival (Netherlands) and ILT Festival (Denmark). Supported by City of London and Cockayne Grants for the Arts.

An artist rocks up, builds a shelter and declares herself free. “So in 1965 my mum and dad book a holiday to the Isle of Wight; my mum’s pregnant with me. Dad gets a bit wary and writes to the hotel saying that we’re coloured and would it cause any problems as they don’t want to travel all that way, what with my mum’s condition, to be turned away. The hotel writes back cancelling the reservation. This time, I’m just rocking up. I’m bringing my own house and my own cups. You’re welcome to come help me build my shack and take tea with me, but I’m coming whether you like it or not.” – Sonia Hughes This outdoor live installation is artist Sonia Hughes’ attempt to unwrite that letter. Commissioned by LIFT, SPILL Festival, and Jerwood Arts in partnership with Royal Docks Team, Festspillene I Nord-Norge (Norway), SPRING Performing Arts Festival (Netherlands) and ILT Festival (Denmark). Supported by City of London and Cockayne Grants for the Arts.

An artist rocks up, builds a shelter and declares herself free. “So in 1965 my mum and dad book a holiday to the Isle of Wight; my mum’s pregnant with me. Dad gets a bit wary and writes to the hotel saying that we’re coloured and would it cause any problems as they don’t want to travel all that way, what with my mum’s condition, to be turned away. The hotel writes back cancelling the reservation. This time, I’m just rocking up. I’m bringing my own house and my own cups. You’re welcome to come help me build my shack and take tea with me, but I’m coming whether you like it or not.” – Sonia Hughes This outdoor live installation is artist Sonia Hughes’ attempt to unwrite that letter. Commissioned by LIFT, SPILL Festival, and Jerwood Arts in partnership with Royal Docks Team, Festspillene I Nord-Norge (Norway), SPRING Performing Arts Festival (Netherlands) and ILT Festival (Denmark). Supported by City of London and Cockayne Grants for the Arts.

Hello Utrecht, I'm coming to meet you, I am making an artwork, I Am From Reykjavik where I attempt to become a post-racial, global citizen. The performance will be presented at SPRING Performing Arts Festival in May 2020. As research for this work, I will be in Utrecht from 29 Nov - 1 December. I'd like to know how it would be for me in Utrecht and so I want to meet people a bit like me. I'd like to meet: A child of an immigrant Someone who used to be a political activist A single parent of a single child Someone who occasionally goes to church but does not believe in God. Someone who is fat A woman in her 50's Someone who has a parent who has Alzheimer's/Dementia Someone who loves cooking for friends Someone who has moved to the city in the last 3 years Someone who has recently discovered the joys of gardening I'm in Utrecht from 29 Nov - 1 December. You suggest a place to meet in the city which has something to do with one of things above and we'll chat and I'll buy you a cup of coffee. That's it.

UTSATT: Alle avtaler som Sonia Hughes hadde i helgen må utsettes til reiserestriksjonene tilsier at hun kan komme til Harstad. Vi følger opp med ny dato og info når dette er avklart. ------- Forestillingen “I am from Reykjavik” av Sonia Hughes skal presenteres på årets Festspill, og som en del av forberedelsene til forestillingen kommer kunstneren til Harstad allerede i mars. Målsetningen er å bli kjent med Harstad og de som bor og jobber her. - Hvordan ville livet mitt være om jeg bodde i Harstad? Jeg vil møte folk som er litt som meg. Vi møtes et sted som har en relevans til deres identitet og som de velger. Her tar vi en kopp te og snakker sammen så kort eller lenge de har tid, sier Sonia Hughes. Sonia liker ikke spørsmålet “Hvor kommer du fra?” når det kommer med en antydning om at «du hører ikke til her». Derfor prøver hun å være hvor som helst, fra hvor som helst, velkommen og berettiget til å være der. Dette er ikke lett, si den det å være en svart kvinne kan signalisere sosioøkonomisk klasse, en forventning om status, en spesiell historie; og det hun ønsker å finne ut er om hun kan eksistere uten at noen av disse tingene påvirker henne. I am from Reykjavik er et eksperiment der hun forsøker å være en global innbygger i en verden der rasetilhørighet ikke betyr noe. --- I am attempting to become a post-racial global citizen. As part of my research for the artwork 'I am from

I am from Reykjavik is a project where I, Sonia Hughes, try to be welcome and welcoming anywhere. An attempt to be a citizen of everywhere. In order to get to know the Royal Docks and the City of London better, I'd like to meet you, someone who lives or works in those places who is a bit like me. I would like to meet: Someone who is a child f an immigrant A woman in her 50s A single mother of a single child Someone who used to be a political activist Someone who has a degree in IT Someone with a parent with Alzheimer’s Someone who has just taken up yoga (again) Someone who goes to church now and again but doesn’t believe in God Someone who likes organising parties An artist A Black person Someone who’s been married for 5 years Someone who is ambivalent about Brexit A fat woman Someone who started life working class but isn’t quite sure which class they belong to now. If you think you're anything like any one of those things, let's meet in a place of your choosing, we'll chat, we'll have a cup of tea (my shout). There's nothing more to it. I'd like to get to know the place and the people one by one. So send me a message.

I Am From Reykjavik, is incomplete. The build is not finished not all parts have been made. In any case it needs a location, a festival and some passers-by. I have some of things for the project but some of the objects have not been bought or made or thought of. Some are in storage. I’m not coming to Utrecht. Not now. Maybe next year. But I am still here, and you are there and I’d like to invite you to my live writing. Live thinking. Please join me to read as I write live about the objects and ideas in I Am From Reykjavik. The URL will be posted here and on SPRING website 15 minutes before each live writing event. The text will disappear after 24 hours. UK times 10:00 , 13:00, 20:00 Netherlands times 11:00, 14:00, 21:00 Each performance is 30 minutes long. HOSTED BY SPRING PERFORMING ARTS FESTIVAL, UTRECHT I Am From Reykjavik is co-commissioned by Jerwood Arts, SPILL festival, LIFT, SPRING Performing Arts Festival, Festspillene i Nord-Norge, ILT Festival. Supported by Arts Council England. Photo: Solomon Hughes

I'd like to meet some people in Aarhus who are all a bit like me. Are you: -a woman in her 50s -someone who cared for an elderly parent -a single parent of a single child -in a mixed-race relationship -someone who used to be a political activist -fat -Black -a child of an immigrant -someone who is not sure they're living in the right place -an artist for over 20 years -someone who has been to jail -someone new to gardening -someone who likes cooking for friends? As part of my project to be free, to be a post-racial, global citizen, I would like to meet people a bit like me in Aarhus. You pick the place, I meet you, we have a chat, I'll buy you a coffee, that's it. If you're curious to meet someone like you. Send me a message here, or via the ILT festival. http://www.iltfestival.dk/en/program/ilt21/i-am-from-reykjavik/