In the public debate and imagery of Europe, migrants are still often portrayed along merely national, ethnic or religious lines. Specific local and personal perspectives of immigrants are often lacking and important country-or region-specific migration contexts not nuanced. This exclusion of the perspective of migrants in mainstream media also hinders creative and cultural potential. It does no justice to an inclusive and creative Europe.

Doc Next Network explores these notions in a two year project called Remapping Europe, a Remix Project. The aim of the multilayered project is to highlight the own perspectives of young migrant media-makers in four countries by including their mediaworks, stories and visions in the public discourse.

We are working with some 50  young media makers from Poland, Turkey, Spain and the UK , who have a migrant background,  to   deconstruct existing imagery of migrants in different European countries and… to remix that. By presenting their  visual remix stories we aim to create a new imagery of migrants: in and of Europe. We are interested in the debate around media, migrants, Europe and ‘ self-representation’. We invite you to take part in our journey!

Methodology
We use re-mixing of media both as a tool as well as a cultural framework. The concept of ‘remix’ refers to a broad set of social and cultural practices consisting of the fragmentation, re-ordering, and re-contextualisation of both pre-existing and new content – whether text, sound or image. A method which reveals the local and personal perspectives of migrants, as captured by a new generation of digital storytellers. Ultimately, we want to ‘re-map’ Europe visually, geographically and mentally.

Activities

• Remixing Europe, a publication unveiling the imagery of migrants in European media (out in April 2014);
• 16th ZEMOS98 Festival Remapping Europe, including the HOME Encounter (8 – 12 April 2014).
• Remapping Europe Media Collection: 44 films by young media-makers with a migrant background, who used their family albums, movies, commercials and news reports to tell their own story and remix the dominating imagery of migrants in European media. These works are free of use for festivals and events; 
  
• European Souvenirs, a live cinema remix-performance touring Europe – touring spring 2014;
• The Remix Room, a digital space for research & debate, investigating the migrant’s perspective in the public debate and imagery;
• Remix ateliers (2012 – 2014) in Spain, Poland, Turkey, and the UK involving young digital storytellers with migrant backgrounds creating new media;
• International screenings of remix works at festivals and events.

Co-organisers

• Towarzystwa Inicjatyw Twórczych “ę” (Creative Initiatives “ę”), Poland
• Future Film Programme of the British Film Institute, UK
• MODE Istanbul, Turkey
• ZEMOS98, Spain