The people of Yemen are facing what is described by the UN as the ‘world’s worst’ humanitarian crisis – what is the true human cost of this conflict, and how can we understand it in the context of our own lives? Commissioned by IWM, created by FutureEverything, travelling digital artwork Yemen: Say hello to connect takes the conversation beyond the museum walls, inviting audiences to connect with the real issues people are facing in Yemen right now.
Created by artist Vicky Clarke and creative technologist Chris Ball, with words written and performed by Amerah Saleh, this interactive artwork pops up in locations across Manchester to give audiences the chance to connect with the impact of the on-going conflict and humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
Yemen: Say Hello to Connect New Location
Visit the extended tour of this travelling digital artwork, to connect with all four themes of the installation, at Pendleton Gateway in Salford.
What is Yemen: Say hello to connect all about
[Music]
“Hello thanks for connecting. We see you’re here to explore Yemen in all its beauty and pain right now. This is where learnings happen.”
“Coming into this, I knew very little about the whole situation and crisis in Yemen, but this was a really interesting way to see how all of these are interconnected.”
“Informative. I'd say it was really informative. I would say it. Was quite touching, especially the art piece, the personal story from the poet.”
“My family traditions are wrapped in so much of them and what it was. Right now, it’s not doing so great.”
“It was from the heart because the people that were talking had actually experienced living in Yemen. You felt like you were listening to somebody's life. It wasn't just some things and just facts, it was emotion.”
“I think people should come to see Say Hello to Connect because it's a really interesting interactive experience. It's an opportunity to learn about something that probably not a lot of people know about.
It’s a way to learn a little bit about how you can use digital technology to tell stories. Yeah, so I think there's lots of reasons people would come.”
YEMEN: SAY HELLO TO CONNECT WATER INSECURITY
Our first installation explored water insecurity. For many in Yemen, access to drinking water is limited. In Say hello to connect at HATCH, audiences discovered more about the challenges that water insecurity presents. Amerah Saleh’s narration told her personal story of the struggles her family and friends have faced, in accessing clean and affordable water.
Amerah Saleh also performed My Yemen is Beautiful live – broadcast by Reform Radio, who presented a special edition of their programme Into Continental with DJ Doctor Mystery exploring sounds of Yemen, on 13 June.
YEMEN: SAY HELLO TO CONNECT ECONOMY AND INFRASTRUCTURE
At Manchester Piccadilly Station on 26 and 27 July, audiences could catch the second appearance of our travelling installation. Here we explored the economic crisis and struggling infrastructure of Yemen, and how it impacts the day-to-day lives of Yemenis. Amerah Saleh provided a soundtrack that told her family’s story of the challenges posed by limited fuel and hyper-inflation.
This installation of our interactive digital artwork was accompanied by an exclusive performance of spoken word. Amerah Saleh created the works with British-Yemeni young people from the Eccles Yemeni Community Association and the Liverpool Arabic Centre. This performance was the live finale of a series of spoken word workshops. The workshops encouraged young people to explore their thoughts and ideas around Yemen, and the concept of home.
YEMEN: SAY HELLO TO CONNECT FOOD INSECURITY
The third location of our installation was showcased at Great Northern Warehouse at the start of September 2019. Today in Yemen, food is inaccessible to many. This installation provided the opportunity to learn more about how those living through the conflict cope with food insecurity. Amerah Saleh’s narration revisited her family’s experiences of struggling to access food in their home country.
YEMEN: SAY HELLO TO CONNECT CHILDREN AND EDUCATION
The final location for our installation, as part of the Yemen: Inside a Crisis season was at the University of Manchester. Against this backdrop we explored how education in Yemen has been impacted by war, and how this has shaped the futures of Yemeni children. Audiences heard the final, powerful instalment of narration from Amerah Saleh on how these issues have impacted her family and friends in Yemen.
The University of Manchester Students’ Union also hosted experts, NGOs, academics and artists in conversations with audiences about the daily challenges and choices the people inside Yemen’s crisis are facing. These informal drop in discussions further explored the themes in our interactive installation Yemen: Say hello to connect.
Yemen: Say hello to connect is part of Yemen: Inside a Crisis, a free exhibition and series of programming, at IWM North, that is the UK’s first exhibition to address Yemen’s on-going conflict and humanitarian crisis. Showcasing around 50 objects and photographs, alongside personal stories, the exhibition gives insight into the realities faced by Yemenis every day, as well as their incredible resilience.