Rebuild is a collection of work by students from Tufts University, New York University, and Kosovo, who participated in a week-long journalism workshop in Kosovo in 2005. With guidance by Mort Rosenblum and Gary Knight, twelve students worked in tandem as photographers and writers to document the complex issues facing a country coping with the repercussions of war.

Foreword by Philip Goldberg.
Numerous contributing photographers and writers.
published by de.MO, Millbrook, 2006. 160 pp., Numerous illustrations throughout, 8x8". ISBN: 097428369X

http://www.de-mo.org

Albania is the poorest country in Europe. It was one of the last to emerge from communism and in only two years made the difficult and rapid transistion into a multiparty democracy.

In January, 1997, a pyramid scheme collapsed and thousands lost their life savings. Riots broke out. The military was helpless as army supply camps were looted. Gangs took over entire cities and turf wars over drugs and weapons escalated beyond control. Many of the weapons looted in Albania were smuggled into neighbouring Kosovo, to the almost two million Ethnic Albanias living under the tyranny of Slobodan Milosevich, who was desperate to keep Kosovo united with the fragments of former Yugoslavia. The volatile mixture of ethnic tensions and fresh supplies of weapons gave birth to the Guerrilla army known as the Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA. When NATO started bombing the Serbs in 1999, the largest exodus in European history since World War II began. Almost one million went into exile and sought refuge in neighbouring countries. On their return three months later, the refugees exacted a gruesome revenge, killing innocent and aged Serbs who had had no connection with the war.

Joachim Ladefoged began documenting the story of the Albanians in 1997. His ongoing work in the region culminated in 2000 with the release of his book 'The Albanians'.

Book: "The Albanians by Joachim Ladefoged" published by Nyt Nordisk, 2000.

The International Court of Justice for the first time has declared that the massacre of Bosnian Muslims at Srebrenica in 1995 was an act of genocide. The same ruling, however, determined that Serbia can not be held liable for the crime, although it did aid ethnic armies who carried out the massacre.

Amid the numerous photographs of the conflict in Yugoslavia, Ron Haviv's work stands out as a unique record of the conflict, from its beginnings in 1991 to the hostilities in Macedonia. From the front-line trenches to the refugees behind them, his images of poignant immediacy capture both the urgency and tragedy of war. Not only are they a powerful testimony to the suffering of the Balkan people, but also their importance is also historical.

http://www.viiphoto.com/frame-movie.php?vID=9

Book: BLOOD AND HONEY: A Balkan War Journal by Ron Haviv (published by TV Books; November 15, 2000)

Essays by David Rieff and Chuck Suddetic, Afterword by Bernard Kouchner

"I was never concerned with making a conventional travelogue. I wanted the viewer, like me, to feel they sort of understood it, but didn't. They recognised something but could not quite figure it out."

http://inmotion.magnumphotos.com/essays/tokyolovehello.aspx

Queen and Country - A Project by Steve McQueen

Queen and Country commemorates the British soldiers who have been killed in the ongoing war in Iraq. The project takes the form of a series of postage stamp sheets featuring photographic portraits of the individual men and women who have lost their lives in the conflict so far. Each stamp also bears the standard profile of Her Majesty the Queen, the sovereign in whose name they went to fight.

Commissioned by Manchester International Festival and the Imperial War Museum to respond to the conflict in Iraq, Steve McQueen wanted to find a way to bring these people into our everyday lives, our homes and workplaces as a reminder of our country’s participation in the war. This project is both a tribute to the deceased and a reflection upon the validity of war, the structure of power and notions of national identity.

The work is a collaboration with the families of the deceased, to whom the artist acknowledges a huge debt of gratitude. They each chose the photograph of their lost child, spouse or partner that is reproduced on the stamp. A few families have preferred not toparticipate – a decision that has been fully respected.

At the start of the project, 115 families were asked to participate, of whom 98 agreed. Unfortunately, this is a work in progress; since then more soldiers have died. Their families will all be asked if they wish to partake in the project.

These stamps are not official. Talks with Royal Mail are ongoing with hope that, given the blessing of the families, an official set of stamps might be issued.

This work is dedicated to all victims of the Iraq war, including an estimated six hundred thousand Iraqi men, women and children.

This is the first presentation of Queen and Country. The project will travel to London in July. The project was produced in collaboration with Thomas Dane Gallery, London.

Wed 28 Feb - Sat 14 July, Central Library Manchester

Steve McQueen Education Programme

What is a war artist? What is their role in helping us understand confl icting stories? How do we cope with conflicts of faith and identity that strain community cohesion at home and in war-torn countries? Using practical art, this education programme explores these vital issues inspired by Steve McQueen’s work.

Is television a force for good or bad in society? Watching TV is still the nation's number one leisure activity, and most people in Britain still choose to get their news from television. However, in the digital world, the consumer is king with many other ways to be informed and entertained.

Is the old public service model for British TV now collapsing before our eyes as TV producers and broadcasters plumb the moral depths to hang onto their shrinking market share?

Do reality shows and TV's celebrity culture enhance or diminish our lives? And is there still a place for public service in the world of unlimited digital choice? Speakers include Adam Curtis, writer and producer and Professor Germaine Greer, writer, broadcaster and academic.

14th July 2007, Manchester Central - Exchange Auditorium

Composer and producer William Orbit is best known for collaborating with the cream of contemporary musical talent, including Madonna, Blur and U2. But it is his solo projects, the 'Strange Cargo' series and the groundbreaking 'Pieces in a Modern Style' (including his seminal electronic arrangement of Barber’s 'Adagio for Strings'), that have best displayed his innovative compositions and diverse range of musical influences.

Manchester International Festival and the BBC Philharmonic now play host to the world premiere of this major orchestral commission. Orbit is scoring the piece for full symphonic forces, a choir and a battery of percussion, as he explores new musical ideas and landscapes.

An adventure in eight orchestral movements, this work promises to be an exciting and enchanting addition to the classical repertoire.

Artists:
Composer: William Orbit
Performed by: BBC Philharmonic and singers from the Manchester Chamber Choir
Conductor: Alexander Shelley

Co-commissioned by Manchester International Festival and BBC Philharmonic
There is no interval in this performance. This performance will be recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3.

8th July 2007, Bridgewater Hall Manchester

Manchester International Festival and the Guardian form a partnership to present a collection of leading social and political commentators. Art, faith and modern Britain all come under the spotlight in a series of engaging debates that bring contemporary issues, and urgent stories of our time, to the fore.

Is London bad for Britain?

Is London's dominance detrimental to the rest of the UK? With the continued rise of cities like Newcastle and Manchester, is it time to seriously consider a more decentralized network of power?

Speakers include Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council, and Tony Wilson, broadcaster, journalist and co-director of In the City. The event will be chaired by Jonathan Freedland, columnist and editorial writer, the Guardian

8th July 2007, Manchester Town Hall

Exodus Live Special with Reem Kelani and the Beating Wing Orchestra

This incredible night features the premiere of a composition by the acclaimed Palestinian singer and musician Reem Kelani, commissioned by Manchester International Festival and performed by the Beating Wing Orchestra, along with the best of Exodus Live.

Exodus Live is a 'sell out' music event involving performers from DR Congo, Kurdish Iraq, Angola, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, Liberia, Nigeria, Ukraine and Eritrea. Organised by Community Arts North West, this is one of the most unique and lively band nights in the region. It features electrifying performances from some of our best international musicians, many of whom have exile or refugee status.

The highlight of this outstanding evening is Reem Kelani's challenging new composition for the debut performance of the Beating Wing Orchestra, which consists of ten specially selected musicians from hugely diverse global geographies. The piece will musically explore resonances between the conditions for displaced migrants today and
the brutal migrations of the slavery era.

Sun 8 July, Manchester Academy

Manchester International Festival and the Guardian form a partnership to present a collection of leading social and political commentators. Art, faith and modern Britain all come under the spotlight in a series of engaging debates that bring contemporary issues, and urgent stories of our time, to the fore.

Is religion a force for good in the modern world?

Whilst some view religion as a source for cohesion and compassion, others see it as a cause of division and tension. Is religion a force for good in the modern world and what is the future for faith?

Speakers include Polly Toynbee, columnist, the Guardian, and Tariq Ramadan, Professor of Islamic Studies.
http://www.tariqramadan.com

Sat 7 July, Manchester Town Hall