MAPPING JOURNEYS – GROUNDING ROOTS
a performance piece by Christina Kapadocha
The Hellenic Centre, London
Refugee Week 2026
ABOUT THIS PERFORMANCE
What if our bodies are the maps of our life journeys?
What if a simple handshake begins to unravel stories and connections?
Mapping Journeys–Grounding Roots is an original participatory performance-installation exploring identity, personal journeys, belonging, migration and togetherness through somatic practice, audience participation and embodied listening.
Presented for the first time at The Hellenic Centre, London, on World Refugee Day 2026 as part of Refugee Week, the piece introduces a new performance form grounded in interactive dramaturgies, tactile and participatory encounters. The work invites audiences to move beyond spectatorship towards gentle embodied engagement, collective witnessing, creative expression and shared reflection, fostered through somatic engagement and an intention of care. Its originality also lies in a prototype interactive haptic-sound installation activated through a series of handshakes between audience participants and the performer.
Mapping Journeys–Grounding Roots forms part of Christina Kapadocha's ongoing artistic investigations into new modes of participatory performance and audience engagement, including the dynamic interaction between performer-facilitator and participant-witnesses, as well as the integration of technology as part of a shared embodied experience.
AUDIENCE RESPONSES
a deep work, memorable, meaningful and refreshing and Christina created such a feeling of connection and “being” as only she can!
a wholesome space for reflection and togetherness held beautifully by Christina Kapadocha
I think there’s something about activating everybody’s inner witness
Christina performs barefoot and bare-souled in a powerful piece
something that I’ve never experienced
everybody was completely present
a meditation
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Audience Club Review
Christina is such an amazing performer. We all were involved and the atmosphere she created was just magical
Project: Christina Kapadocha
Technical Sound Support: Danny Scott
Camera Operation & Photography: Asimina Giagoudaki
Documentation Video: Christina Kapadocha
Traditional Pontic Serra: original recording by Nikos Papavramides, adapted by Christina Kapadocha
Christina designed the piece's sound and polyphonic dramaturgy using voice recordings captured during
one-to-one sessions with the following artist-participants:
Gülfem Özdoğan, Maria Alexe, Elena Hadjiafxendi, Gabriela Schutz, Jennifer Lim, Olga Danylyuk, Sara Masry and Angela Ekaette Michaels
Presented at The Hellenic Centre, London As part of Refugee Week 2026 in collaboration with Counterpoints
Supported by the University of Essex Engagement and Impact Fund
