Bluecoat is honoured to premiere Kiara Mohamed’s new film The Lives We Lead (2020) online from Wednesday 20th January.

You can watch the film here: https://vimeo.com/501809305/5a5ce25f8e Please note the film contains brief scenes of violence, themes of trauma and includes the sound of police sirens.

The film was originally scheduled to be exhibited at Bluecoat but has moved to an online screening after the building closed temporarily in line with lockdown restrictions.

The Lives We Lead (2020) was filmed during the first lockdown of Spring 2020 and throughout Summer 2020. It features video calls between Kiara as he catches up with friends and acquaintances, contrasting what was happening in their lives against global events. It captures moments of shared humanity, exploring the way Covid-19 has impacted on our lives and the effect of the global uprising of Black Lives Matter.

Kiara said:

“The film is a celebration of the Black and Brown lives in Liverpool but also an acknowledgement of how far we have yet to go in the UK to bring justice for the lives of Black people. The UK gets to get away with comparing themselves to America and say that we are not racist. The truth is, we are and Black Lives Matter movement is not just for the American people but across the world.”

The screening of The Lives We Lead is part of a new ongoing programme by Bluecoat to focus on the work of Liverpool City Region artists. The programme launched in December 2020 with an exhibition by Josie Jenkins, Assembled Worlds, and new opportunities will be announced later in 2021.

A series of photographs from the same project has also been acquired by the Art Collection of the University of Salford, having been commissioned by Open Eye Gallery, with images shown on a screen at Museum of Liverpool in autumn 2020.

Marie-Anne McQuay, Bluecoat’s Head of Programme said:

“At Bluecoat we bring together artists from all over the world but we need to renew our efforts to nurture local talent. Kiara Mohamed is testament to the strength of the Liverpool arts scene and we’re delighted to be able to show new work from him. We also want to make more spontaneous opportunities and slots available as we change the dynamic of our exhibition making in the coming months and years”.

Online Wednesday 20 January – Sunday 28 February 2021
Film link:
https://vimeo.com/501809305/5a5ce25f8e     

Categories: News

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