Elena Subach, from the Chairs series, 2022 22 January / 6 – 8 pm / The Turnpike Gallery / RSVP
Open Eye Gallery and The Turnpike Gallery present How NOT to Flee a War, a gripping real life story about escaping from Ukraine by Maria Romanenko and Jez Myers.
Ukrainian journalist Maria Romanenko and her British partner Jez Myers didn’t expect to wake up and discover that they had been bombed.
However, with Maria on the Russian kill list and the advance on Kyiv well underway, the couple knew they had to flee the country.
Their story sounds like the opening of a bestselling thriller, but this is real life; and a distinctly amateur attempt to get to safety.
In How NOT To Flee a War, Maria and Jez discuss the challenges they faced, the decisions they made, what they would do differently next time, and how close it all came to going wrong. Amidst all the death, doom, and destruction, there are also some genuinely heartwarming moments along the way.
This feature-length talk is designed specifically for the general public who are seeking a greater understanding of what it was like to be in Ukraine at the start of the all-out invasion. Backed by exclusive images taken along the journey, this is a story about the invasion of Ukraine that you won’t hear anywhere else.
Maria Romanenko – The First Ukrainian winner of the Prime Minister’s Points of Light Award
Jez Myers – Manchester City Council Pride of Manchester Award winner
With additional conversation and panel discussion from:
Wigan-based photographer Harley Bainbridge, who has recently worked with Open Eye Gallery to publish his project (Re)Settled: Ukrainian Stories in Wigan; and Yana, a recently-displaced Ukrainian living in Wigan who collaborated with Harley on the publication.
A Q&A will follow the performance and conversation, which accompanies Open Eye Gallery’s touring exhibition Home: Ukrainian Photography, UK Words at The Turnpike Gallery – on view until 25 January 2025. Complimentary copies of (Re)Settled: Ukrainian Stories in Wigan will be available for audience members.
Please note that the performance discusses some upsetting themes of war, death, and displacement which may be triggering (14+).
Free Event – RSVP required.
Image: Elena Subach, from the Chairs series, 2022 (fragment)
Address:
The Turnpike Gallery
Civic Square Leigh
WN7 1EB
Open:
10am – 5pm, Tue – Sun
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