MIRPUR: THE ATLANTIS OF KASHMIR

Long Blurb: MIRPUR is an immersive experience which shares memories of Kashmir’s Mirpur district, prior to the submersion of hundreds of villages under the Mangla Dam in the 1960’s. According to the latest census, 70% of British Pakistanis have heritage in Mirpur, with many families using compensation to travel to the UK during its post-war economic recovery. Co-created with diaspora members, the project provokes conversation around memory & experience of migration in the South Asian community. Combining community voices, with archived historical research, geographical mapping technology and architectural reconstruction technology, a VR production led by artist Hassun El-Zafar, producer Pippa Le Grand and Professor in Urban Design, Bobby Nisha (University of Sheffield) create a universal intergenerational story and experience uncovering the relationships between land, home, climate and culture like never before.

Short Blurb: A co-created 360 film bringing to life the old Mirpur region where hundreds of villages were submerged under the waters of Mangla Dam for its construction in the 1960’s. It is estimated that over seventy percent of British Pakistanis have heritage that actually links to this area of Kashmir and the surrounding geography. More information on the piece can be found here.

Premiere: A first stage work-in-progress the VR experience will premiere at Migration Matters Festival 2023