“We cannot fight in this war in the usual way, as our Ukrainian men do. […] Therefore, I am proud to be a part of this project… it’s my battlefield.” [Ukrainian refugee]

RESISdANCE highlights the plight of refugees, their journey & their stories, and yet celebrates their resilience, their strength, their beauty and vulnerability.

In February 2023 a group of Ukrainian refugee women came together with local dancers from Oxfordshire, to stand together in solidarity, resulting in a work that could be performed as a Flashmob at Oxford Train Station on the 24^th of February, marking one year since the invasion of Ukraine, based on the emotional journeys of the refugee women with an original soundtrack by Quentin Lachapele, inspired by traditional Ukrainian music.

This residency at OVADA will also include an exhibition of the women’s stories, and their portraits taken by Ukrainian photographer Vadym Gurevych.

A launch event including the performance of RESISdANCE takes place on Thursday 6th July from 6pm.
The exhibition is open daily from 7th to 9th July 11am – 5pm.
A closing event on 9th July from 3pm features a celebration of Ukrainian culture with music and food.

A collaboration between Justice in Motion, Oxford Festival of the Arts and OVADA
with support from Multaka Oxford at Pitt Rivers and Oxford City Council.