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Refugee Week

Refugee Week

Refugee Week 2020 is now a digital festival

We will share City of Sanctuary network digital events via this page so please tell us what you are doing to inspire others. This does not fully reflect the amazing happenings across the network. See also the Refugee Week Calendar 

Refugee Week is at its best when it brings people together across difference and distance, and Refugee Week organisers are determined,  to use the digital space creatively to enable people to come together, to build solidarity and to highlight and celebrate the contributions of refugees at a time when the potential for isolation and fear is great. The Refugee Week 2020 theme of ‘Imagine’ feels more relevant and important than ever.

Schools of Sanctuary – Day of Welcome for Refugee Week website has been launched here. In anticipation of Refugee Week, Norfolk Welcomes has created some resources for schools to participate in a Day of Welcome. If you have local schools which may be looking for way to celebrate Refugee Week, please share with them. We appreciate it is a challenging time for schools so this may not be appropriate for some.

Derby City of Sanctuary have a fabulous Refugee Week programme – as usual a grand affair including theatre, music, film, exhibitions, workshops, Sanctuary Sunday and a sponsored run.

Bradford Refugee Week programme provides links to the wide offer of activities including arts, a friendship choir and events organised by the Zephaniah Trust. See Zephaniah Refugee Week Resource Pack 2020.
Bradford Cathedral have an audiovisual exhibition about Polish combatants, who came to the UK after WWII.  “It consists of portraits and recordings of 5 people, who shared their story about surviving war, and their journey to find a new home in England. . .  Each is a record of history, told by eyewitnesses for the next generations to learn. Each story is different, but they all share one thing: all those people have come a long way to find something, which is often taken for granted – freedom and a safe home.”

Also Bradford University of Sanctuary and 4 Bradford Schools of Sanctuary an Arts Trail Online exhibition exploring identity and purpose.  This Is Me showcases objects considered important to teenage refugees and asylum seekers. More information here. 

Nottingham Refugee Week – a cross city collaboration offers various activities from online ‘yoga in the garden’ courtesy of Bahia Yoga, to an online life-writing class courtesy of Nottingham-based author Eve Makis; an online singing event for mums and children with YANA community to a day of wonderful virtual treats including online cookery courtesy of Refugee Roots. They have also produced the Imagine! Activity Pack – a collaboration between City Arts, Nottingham Contemporary and Nottingham Community Cohesion Team, and distributed 600 of these packs complete with lots of art and craft goodies to families across the city.

SBC Theatre of Sanctuary have an amazing programme of theatre, film and talks which you can check out here.

Wolverhampton City of Sanctuary have created a world recipe book to launch for Refugee Week. Food without Borders.

Hummingbird Project in Brighton and  Ambigo CIC offer 3 inspiring talks about achieving ambitions, and a special community support exchange show. Live streamed on Facebook and YouTube. Mon, June 15, 2020 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM. More information here.

Shropshire Supports Refugees has set up a website Shropshire Imagines Refugee Week 2020. A fabulous website linking you to artworks, stories, music, projects, poems and more to celebrate Refugee Week. They also have a YouTube channel especially for Refugee Week.