To Own Both Nothing and the Whole World: Midsummer Night Event
Enjoy a talk by artists/makers Henna Asikainen and Roua Horanieh, followed by music, dance, creative workshops, food and storytelling.
Saturday 21 June 2025 | 16:00-21:00
Free, booking essential
Join us for a special evening event to celebrate To Own Both Nothing and the Whole World on Midsummer Night, as part of Refugee Week 2025. The event will honour nature, local communities and their stories as the superpowers they are. There will be a talk by artists/makers Henna Asikainen and Roua Horanieh, followed by music, dance, creative workshops, food and storytelling.
What's On
Baltic Kitchen & Baltic Square
Artist Talk
16:00-17:00 | A relaxed outdoor panel exploring the collaborative journey of To Own Both Nothing and the Whole World with Tom Green from Counterpoints Arts, Henna Asikainen and Roua Horanieh.
Food
16:30-18:00 | Enjoy a free scoop of ice cream, celebrating the launch of Ben & Jerry's latest ice cream created by refugee entrepreneurs.
18:00-19:00 | A community meal celebrating international cuisine made locally in the North East, including Sri Lankan, Iranian and Sudanese delicacies.
Dance
Delve deeper into the magic and beauty of To Own Both Nothing and the Whole World, with a dance designed in response to the oak roots, by choreographer, performer, and educator Dora Frankel. This piece has been co-commissioned with Friends of the Earth, UK.
Music
Enjoy the beautiful sounds of Aslan Mehraban, a guitarist and vocalist singing traditional Persian songs, and world music by Carlos Delgado and friends.
Sound
Pick up a set of ‘silent disco’ headphones, showcasing two sound pieces specially composed by Usue Ruiz Arana for To Own Both Nothing and the Whole World: a conversation between two trees that echoes the oak roots on the square; and a longer piece that interlaces the inner sounds of two cherry trees with snippets from the procession that brought the tree to Baltic. You will hear participants’ favourite nature sounds and a dawn chorus to immerse you in the oak roots’ home landscape at Howick Hall.
Poetry readings
A collection of readings, including work by poet Sarah Jackson, written in response to the project and Roua Horanieh, who shares her poems and reflections on the development of To Own Both Nothing and the Whole World.
Workshops
17:00-20:00 | An artist-led workshop with Green Heart Collective and Sana Jawad, making head garlands with foraged wildflowers.
17:30-18:30 | If you could talk to a tree, what might you say? Join us for a 'Talking with Trees' workshop with poet Sarah Jackson, exploring our relationship with trees around the world and how they connect with our own roots and new leaves. During this friendly and supportive event, you will have the opportunity to develop and share new writing in a language of your choice.
18:30 & 19:30 | Join our drumming circle, a rhythmical activity for all ages to help you connect, relax and have fun, led by Fred Phethean.
This event has been developed in partnership with Friends of the Earth and Gateshead Council, and forms part of the To Own Both Nothing and the Whole World project, co-commissioned and co-produced by Counterpoints Arts and Baltic, made possible by the support of Moomin Characters Ltd.
