WOK at the General Assembly of the International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN) in Copenhagen

The General Assembly of the International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN) was held in Copenhagen on 29-31 May. There were over  300 attendees; writers, artists, journalists, and coordinators from 86 member cities, as well as politicians and representatives of partner organisations.

The event took place in the Copenhagen City Hall and participants were welcomed by Anika Stromberg, Chair of the ICORN Board. Entertainment included a performance by Yasmine El Baramawa from Egypt and an exhibition of photographs by Sergey Gapon, a photojournalist from Belarus.

The three-day programme of the ICORN 2024 General Assembly included workshops and panel discussions on topics such as models of translation and editorial practices, challenges to freedom of expression on the Internet and beyond faced by artists, writers, journalists, and ICORN residents, a workshop on campaigning and advocacy for creators, and a session on the well-being of ICORN residents and coordinators.

During this year’s General Assembly, the network’s strategic plan for 2024-2028 was announced. There was also an election of new members of the Governing Board, to which Krakow’s representative, the Director of Villa Decius, Prof. Dominika Kasprowicz, was added. During the event, ICORN also welcomed new members, namely the Swedish city of Vasteras and the Swiss city of Geneva. The programme was rich in artistic performances, poetry readings, and debates.

The Polish member cities were represented at the General Assembly by Robert Piaskowski, Dominika Kasprowicz (Krakow), Katarzyna Janusik (Wroclaw), Jakub Talarczyk (Katowice), Hanna Łozowska, Aleksandra Stokowiec, Ela Foltyniak (Gdańsk), oraz Anna Galas-Kosil and Aleksandra Wiechowska (Warsaw).