Full online programme for Refugee Week

It’s Refugee Week and the Refugee Buddy Project, Hastings, Rother and Wealden, has a full programme of artistic, cultural and educational events to offer, all online of course. Nick Terdre reports.

Refugee Week is a UK-wide festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees. Founded in 1998 and held every year around World Refugee Day on the 20 June, Refugee Week is also a growing global movement.

The Refugee Buddy Project, Hastings, Rother and Wealden, has organised a full programme of events, activities and projects for the week. As already reported in HOT, Stitch for Change will create a giant patchwork quilt consisting of individual squares reflecting people’s experiences under lockdown, whether feelings of frustration or solidarity or whatever. Participants are asked to sew their messages onto a cloth square either 6×6 or 11×11 inches and send them in by post.

New culinary experiences are also on the menu. “Each day we will be sharing recipes from the local refugee community, taking a tour of Syria, Somalia, Sudan and more, along with stories of why these recipes are important,” says Alex Kempton, operations and campaign manager. “These recipes will also be available to download as recipe cards on our website.”

The recipes are a flavour of the project’s popular OPEN Family Suppers, which will restart once lockdown is over.

There are also online exhibitions featuring the work of three artists from the local refugee community, together with biographies and artists’ descriptions of their work.

Educational element

Films and books add an educational element, which is at the heart of Refugee Week. “Each day we will share links to resources to discover more about the lives of people seeking refuge in the UK and across the world,” Alex says.

Through such a programme of arts, cultural and educational events alongside media and creative campaigns, Refugee Week aims to brings about positive encounters between communities, helping them to connect and learn from each other, and to promote a culture of welcome.

It is an umbrella festival, and anyone can get involved by holding or joining an event or activity. Refugee Week events happen in all kinds of different spaces, ranging from arts festivals, exhibitions, film screenings and museum tours to football tournaments, public talks and activities in schools.

The full programme for Refugee Week events can be viewed on the Refugee Buddy Project’s website. See also the group’s social media: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

For more information, including how to participate in Stitch for Change, contact Alex Kempton.

Also in: Campaigns