Angels by Lou Chapelle

Angels is a series of video portraits projected around the city, talking to us, by surprise, in the most unexpected places. Angels celebrated the courage and optimism of displaced people: From childhood lullabies remembered from another country to the things that make them happy in their new homes. Refugee and asylum seeker participants from across the UK have created a series of visual and audio portraits reminding us all how we can cope with difficult situations and find strength in the things that comfort us.

Working in partnership with City of Sanctuary, British Red Cross, Liverpool Women Connects and Aspex Gallery the projections toured to each Journeys Festival International in Leicester, Portsmouth and Manchester also forming part of the programme at Timber Festival and Migration Matters Festivals in 2019 and a further presentation of the work at Corby Grow Festival in 2020.

For this Art Reach commission, Lou created a mobile projector and portable speaker combination that could tour city centres and festivals sites. Featuring participants from City of Sanctuary groups and Liverpool Women Connects group this touring AV system projected intimate video portraits of participants discussing their very own ‘Guardian Angels’.