Refugee Week Scotland 2013
17 – 23 June 2013
A festival for everyone
Thank you to all our Refugee Week Scotland 2013 supporters Scottish Refugee Council receives financial and in-kind support from a range of funders and supporters that play a vital role in making sure Refugee Week Scotland continues to go from strength to strength each year. We would like to thank them all for their invaluable support.
Funder Credits
We would also like to thank all of the organisations who participate in the Refugee Week Scotland programme. Scottish Refugee Council is an independent charity dedicated to providing advice and information for people who have fled horrific situations around the world. We have been campaigning for political change and raising awareness about issues that affect refugees since 1985. Support Our Work Help Scottish Refugee Council give refugees and asylum seekers the support they need and deserve – make a donation today. Text RFGE34 followed by the amount to 70070. Visit scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk/donate or facebook.com/scottishrefugeecouncil
Photography Cover & Stories of Heritage photography by Simon Murphy /simonmurphyphotographer.com Design D8 / weared8.com Refugee Week Scotland is brought to you by Scottish Refugee Council scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk
Contents Credits & Thanks 2 What Does Heritage Mean to You? 4 Welcome 5 Events Diary 6 Special Events – Concerts, Comedy, Media Awards 8 Theatre & Performance 14 Visual Art 20 Film 22 Community Celebrations 28 Literature 34 Around Town 35 Discussion 38 Schools 39 Workshops 39 Home Truths – Some Facts About Refugees 41 Stories of Heritage 12, 18, 26, 36
refugeeweekscotland.com
What does heritage mean to you?
DIVING FOR PEARLS IMAGE: SUZI SIMPSON
“Heritage is about what the “When I was a little boy past leaves us: the important growing up back home, things – the values, the my Dad would take me to objects, experiences and show me special historical learning that is really places, to learn what people precious and helps us shape from the past were doing. the here and now.” Now when I visit historical places here, like museums, Isabel (Scotland) it reminds me to feel happy because I remember home “For me, heritage is and my Dad.” about language. When (Anonymous) I first came here I had very little English, but now I’m studying and it is getting “Heritage is what we’ve better.” inherited from our family and community. It’s Muhamad also about customs and (Rwanda – Uganda – Glasgow) traditions of the place we have come from.” Teddy (Uganda)
refugeeweekscotland.com
“Heritage is our past; it’s what we must protect in order to know who we are and where we’re coming from. It is very important not only for ourselves but for future generations.” Alicia (Granada, Spain)
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Welcome
Welcome to Refugee Week Scotland 2013 Heritage This year, Refugee Week Scotland is celebrating the diverse cultures and heritage that make Scotland the place it is today.
We’re excited to bring you the première of AJ Taudevin’s new play, Some Other Mother, touring nationally as part of Refugee Week Scotland.
Heritage is not just a way of remembering and celebrating the past, it is also part of the present and the future we are building.
The Our Glasgow and Scottish Natural Heritage’s Open Aye for Natural Scotland exhibitions showcase beautiful photographs taken by young refugees.
Many of the artists, organisations and communities involved in this year’s Refugee Week Scotland have taken heritage as their theme, from events that highlight the importance of togetherness and commonality through music, dance and food to those that celebrate the unique and surprising contributions of new Scots to our communities.
Following the success of community theatre and music production Here We Stay at the Citizens Theatre in November 2012, we are thrilled to present songs and key moments from this evocative production performed by a global community chorus and launch an insightful documentary film of the project.
We’re delighted to open the festival with our second Refugee Week Scotland Opening Concert at the Old Fruitmarket, featuring the incredible Admiral Fallow, the award-winning Karine Polwart and former member of Arab Strap, the brilliant Malcolm Middleton. Funds raised will go to Scottish Refugee Council and British Red Cross to support our work with refugees in Scotland.
A festival for everyone Refugee Week Scotland is most of all about having fun. With over one hundred arts and cultural events happening all across Scotland there is something for everyone, so take a peek inside and see what takes your fancy. Suzi Simpson, Arts & Cultural Development Officer, Scottish Refugee Council
Find out more Visit refugeeweekscotland.com Follow us on facebook.com/RefugeeWeekScotland or twitter.com/ScotRefCouncil.
Events Diary Around Town Sat 18 May, 1 – 3pm Future Memory in Red Road Alive & Kicking, Red Road Page 35 Sun 16 – Thurs 20 June Various Sir James Glasgow Pub Quizzes Various Page 35 Mon 17 – Sat 22 June The Arches Café Bar Take-over The Arches Page 35 Mon 17 June, 7:30 – 11:30pm Wasasa Comedy Night Special The Stand Comedy Club Page 35 Thu 20 June, 7:30pm Middle Eastern Food Night Earthy Food & Goods Page 35 Thu 20 June, 7:30pm til late Diving for Pearls Gig Night The Grand Ole Oprey Page 35
Community Celebrations Sat 15 June, 7 – 11pm Alba Asia Ceilidh St James R C Church Page 29 Sat 15 June, Midday – 9pm Diving for Pearls Launch Celebration Pearce Institute Page 29 Sat 15 June, Midday – 3pm The Big Lunch Kennishead Community Hall Grounds Page 29
Glasgow events
Sat 15 June, 2 – 6pm REEM Cultural Celebration 14 Wellmeadow Street Page 29
Sat 22 June, 10am – 5pm Visit Loch Katrine with CAMASS Loch Katrine Page 30
Tue 18 June 12:30 – 2:30pm Heritage in Govanhill Govanhill Free Church Page 29
Sat 22 June, 11am – 3pm Here Today, Plant Migration: A Guided Tour Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh Page 31
Tue 18 June, 6 – 8pm Home from Home LINKES Community Rooms Page 29 Wed 19 June Midday – 3pm Y Women’s Social Group: Our Heritage YWCA Family Learning Centre Page 30
Sat 22 June, 2 – 4pm Once Upon a Time in Kingsway The Whiteinch Centre Page 31 Sat 22 June, Midday – 4pm Dar Al-Falaah’s Amal (Hope) Hillhead High School Page 31
Wed 19 June 6:30 – 8:30pm Givin’ It Laldie & Bridging the Gap’s Movin’ On Up Gorbals Parish Church Page 30
Sat 22 June, 1 – 3pm Heritage of the Framework for Dialogue (FfDs) Groups Garnethill Multicultural Centre Page 31
Thu 20 June 11:30am – 2:30pm International Heritage Journeys Celebration KATS, Sighthill Community Centre Page 30
Sat 22 June, Midday – 4pm Day of Stories at Hidden Gardens The Hidden Gardens, Tramway Page 32
Thu 20 June Midday – 3pm Community Garden Launch Maryhill Community Centre Page 30 Sat 22 June, 3 – 7pm Bajuni Community’s Different Cultures, Different Tastes KATS, Sighthill Community Centre Page 31 Sat 22 June, 2 – 4pm Guardianship Celebration Gorbals Parish Church Page 31 Events across Scotland
Sat 22 June, Midday – 6pm Igbo Welfare Union’s Reclaiming Our Heritage Pollok Country Park Page 32 Sat 22 June, 3 – 6pm Isaro’s Diversity Social Skypoint Community Centre Page 32 Sat 22 June, 11am – 4pm Govan Gets a Taste of Africa with Karibu The Pearce Institute Page 32
Sat 22 June, 11am – 4.30pm Pollokshaws Community Carnival Greenbank Park Page 32 Sat 22 June, 5 – 11:30pm Sudanese Community ‘Wedding Day’ Anderston & Kelvingrove Church Page 33 Sat 22 June, 11am – 6pm Visit Loch Lomond & Neighbours BBQ Loch Lomond Page 33 Sun 23 June, 10am Refugee Week Scotland Football Tournament Powerleague Page 33 Sat 29 June, 1pm onwards Gambia’s Cultural Heritage African & Caribbean Centre Page 33 Sat 29 June, 7pm LGBT Unity’s Gaylidh University of Strathclyde Student’s Association Page 33
Discussion Wed 12 June, 2 – 5pm GRAMNet Research Open Day University of Glasgow Page 38 Tue 18 June, 2 – 4pm Self Care & Researching with Refugees & Asylum Seekers University of Glasgow Page 38 Thu 20 June Midday – 2pm Glasgow’s Housing Heritage Roystonhill Recreation Centre Page 38
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Events Diary Film Fri 14 – Sat 22 June, Various Making It Home Various Page 22 Tue 18 June, 6pm Whose Story? Glasgow Film Theatre Page 23 Tue 18 June, 7pm Africa United Paisley Arts Centre Page 23
Fri 21 June, 7pm Making It Home Poetry Event Scottish Storytelling Centre Page 34
Schools Throughout May Simple Acts GLOW online portal Page 39
Special Events
Wed 19 June, 6pm Mare Chiuso Centre for Contemporary Arts Page 23
Mon 17 June, 6pm Refugee Week Scotland Launch Tron Theatre Page 10
Fri 21 June, 3:45pm Spirited Away Garnethill Multicultural Centre Page 24
Mon 17 June, 8pm Refugee Week Scotland Opening Concert Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow Page 8
Fri 21 June, 7:30pm The Man Who Fell To Earth Garnethill Multicultural Centre Page 24
Fri 21 June, 6pm Refugee Week Scotland Media Awards Tron Theatre Page 11
Sat 22 June, 11:30am Life of Pi 3D Glasgow Film Theatre Page 25
Fri 21 June, 8.15pm Refugee Week Comedy Night Tron Theatre Page 10
Sat 22 June Words : Walls Solas Festival, The Bield at Blackruthven Page 25
Sat 22 June, 8.15pm Refugee Week Scotland Heritage Finale Tron Theatre Page 11
Literature Wed 19 Jun, 7 – 9pm Café Voices: Refugee Spirit Scottish Storytelling Centre Page 34 Thu 20 June, 6 – 7pm Fact v Fiction with Karen Campbell Mitchell Library Page 34
Sat 22 June, 10pm Refugee Week Scotland Closing Party Stereo Page 11
Theatre & Performance Thu 6 – Thu 27 June Various Some Other Mother Touring nationally Page 14
Fri 14 & Sat 15 June, 6:15pm Grit Tron Theatre Page 16 Tue 18 June, 7:45pm No Logo Tron Theatre Page 15 Tue 18 – Thu 20 June 4pm Rumpelstiltskin Toonspeak Page 17
Tues 4 – Sun 30 June Spirit Paisley Arts Centre Page 20 Sat 15 & Sun 16 June Living in the Sky (1993-2013) Glasgow Mela, Kelvingrove Park Page 20 Mon 17 – Sat 22 June Our Glasgow Mitchell Library Page 21
Wed 19 & Thu 20 June 7:45pm Here We Stay Tron Theatre Page 15
Mon 17 – Sat 22 June Picture Windows for Refugee Week Scotland Various locations, Glasgow Page 21
Tue 18 & Wed 19 June 6:15pm My Friend Selma Tron Theatre Page 16
Mon 17 – Sat 22 June Stitching Continents Hillhead Library Page 21
Fri 21 & Sat 22 June 6pm Border Control Tron Theatre Page 17
Workshops & Participation
Sun 23 June, 6pm Home for Heritage Glasgow Theatre Actors Centre Page 17 Various Lajee Dance Tour Glasgow, Perth, Dundee Page 17
Visual Arts Until February 2014 Red Road: Past, Present, Future People’s Palace & Winter Gardens Page 21 May – July SNH Open Aye for Natural Scotland Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum Page 20
Fri 7 June, 3 – 5pm Creative Writing Master-class with National Theatre of Scotland Scottish Refugee Council Page 39 Fri 14 – Sat 22 June 12:30 – 2:30pm Refugee Week Scotland Festival Lounge Tron Theatre Page 39 Sat 22 June 10:30am – 12:30pm Invented Spaces Gallery of Modern Art Page 40 Sat 22 June, 10:30am Immigration in Song & Story Scottish Storytelling Centre Page 40 Sun 23 June, 11am – 4pm Draw, Create & Flourish St Mungo’s Museum of Religious Life & Art Page 40
Special Events
IMAGE: STEPHANIE GIBSON
Scottish Refugee Council & British Red Cross present
Refugee Week Scotland Opening Concert 2013 Mon 17 June, 8pm Old Fruitmarket, Candleriggs, Glasgow, G1 1NQ Standing. Ages 16+ £16 (£13 balcony only) Box Office: 0141 353 8000 glasgowconcerthalls.com Following the success of our sell-out concert in 2012, Refugee Week Scotland once again opens the festival with what promises to be a wonderfully uplifting musical celebration of the rich and eclectic mix of people and cultures in Scotland today. Glasgow-based ensemble Admiral Fallow, “a band headed for the top” (Sunday Times), headline with a mix of songs from their acclaimed album Boots Met My Face and recent collection of high-spirited acoustica Tree Bursts in Snow.
Award-winning folk songstress Karine Polwart, “one of the finest singer-songwriters in Britain” (The Guardian), performs her enduring melodies with lyrics that address humanity in all its many guises, accompanied by her trio of musicians. The brilliant Malcolm Middleton, one time guitarist with Arab Strap, captain of the good ship Human Don’t Be Angry and maker of 5 top notch solo albums, opens the evening performing songs from his solo catalogue so make sure you arrive early. The evening will compered by award-winning and critically acclaimed writer and performer Alan Bissett.
“The evening had a sense of jubilation... it was a joy to watch. ” (The Scotsman on Refugee Week Scotland Opening Concert 2012)
(The Herald on Refugee Week Scotland Opening Concert 2012)
admiralfallow.com karinepolwart.com malcolmmiddleton.co.uk alanbissett.com
Funds raised will go to Scottish Refugee Council and British Red Cross to support our work with refugees in Scotland
Special Events
MALCOLM MIDDLETON
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KARINE POLWART
ADMIRAL FALLOW
refugeeweekscotland.com
Special Events
DAVE FULTON
British Red Cross Refugee Week Comedy Night In association with the Scottish Comedy Agency & the Stand Comedy Club
Fri 21 June, 8:15pm Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, Glasgow, G1 5HB £16 (£12) Box Office: 0141 552 4267 / tron.co.uk Join us for the seventh British Red Cross Refugee Week Comedy Night – an evening of first class stand-up comedy brought to you by the world’s largest humanitarian organisation. Your award-winning host, the feisty and funny Susan Calman, will be sure to keep you entertained throughout the evening. Susan will be joined by the dynamic Dave Fulton, who busts the myth that Americans don’t have a sense of irony, alongside Tom Stade, our Canadian cousin, who will thrill you with his charming and magnetic storytelling.
Refugee Week Scotland Launch
And this is just for starters – the full line up is still to be confirmed but you can be sure to expect more big names and even bigger laughs.
Mon 17 June, 6pm Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, Glasgow, G1 5HB Invitation only, please contact arts@scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk if you would like to attend This signature festival event launches Refugee Week Scotland with highlights of the week ahead, including sneak peek previews, music performances and keynote speeches. SUSAN CALMAN
refugeeweekscotland.com
TOM STADE
Special Events
11 Scottish Refugee Council presents
Refugee Week Scotland Heritage Finale Sat 22 June, 8:15pm Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, Glasgow, G1 5HB £8 (£6) Box Office: 0141 552 4267 British Red Cross, Scottish Refugee Council & the National Union of Journalists present
Refugee Week Scotland Media Awards Fri 21 June, 6pm Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, Glasgow, G1 5HB FREE but ticketed Box Office: 0141 552 4267 This annual fixture in the Refugee Week Scotland programme awards exceptional and fair reporting of asylum and refugee issues in the Scottish media. As part of the event, Actors for Human Rights will perform iceandfire’s Asylum Monologues, first-hand accounts of the UK’s asylum system in the words of people who have experienced it. iceandfire.co.uk
Refugee Week Scotland closes with a vibrant and colourful finale of community music and dance acts. Programme includes: an extract of Maryhill Integration Network and Barrowland Ballet’s Breakthrough, a new dance and theatre piece, featuring live music and professional and community dancers that reflects experiences of coming to a new place; Colours of Life by Albscott, a breathtaking collection of folk dances performed by women from Kosovo, Albania, Iran, Lithuania, Tanzania, Portugal, Germany, Ireland and Scotland; a showcase of traditional and contemporary costumes handmade by the Mother Teresa Women’s Group. All this plus a special performance from the award winning Gorbals Youth Brass Band; and songs from Voicebeat community choir.
Refugee Week Scotland Closing Party In association with Scottish Refugee Council, Scottish Music Centre & Stereo
Sat 22 June, 10pm til late Stereo, 20 Renfield Lane, Glasgow, G2 6PH FREE Celebrate the week’s events with a party to remember at Stereo, featuring a bumper line-up of local hip-hop artists and singer song-writers including Patricia Panther, Black Bros, Gody, Cora Bissett, Jethro Kinavuidi and Amir Mohammadi. The party continues with a set from Philanthrobeat’s resident DJs.
Refugee Week Scotland Heritage Finale
refugeeweekscotland.com
Heritage is important to me because it helps me understand who I am Adam Kashmiry, Eygpt
Adam’s Story Being from Egypt I’ve always felt quite proud of my heritage. It’s one of the oldest civilisations in the world. When I tell people where I’m from they think of the pyramids and the pharaohs and they are fascinated by the thought that my heritage is in some way tied to that.
However it was still not possible in Egypt. I was persecuted and my life was threatened so I fled to the UK. I fought to get my refugee status and then I felt like all my energy was gone. I completely isolated myself – I hardly left the house and I didn’t engage with people. I felt like I needed time to restart myself.
But that was a very different time – a different place. Now the cities in Egypt – like Alexandria where I’m from – never sleep. They are surging with energy 24 hours a day. Cities here are so quiet at night in comparison.
I heard about Hear We Stay at the right time – I knew I needed to get back into the world and start meeting people. I thought I’d go and see what it was like and I loved it. Through Here We Stay I started to talk to people, to share songs and stories, to laugh. I actually see it as a life-saving opportunity.
For me, growing up as a transsexual in modern Egypt, it felt as if I was not a real person. People were just not aware of it – they didn’t know that such a thing existed. I thought I was probably the only person in the world who had ever felt this way. When I discovered that I was not, it felt incredible. I was part of a community, with its own history and heritage. The realisation that I was able to transition and become the person I really am was amazing, something I’d always thought was impossible.
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The people from Here We Stay have become friends and that makes me feel connected to Scotland. I’m finding out about Scottish heritage too. I feel like there is nothing I can’t do here and that feeling is a powerful and a beautiful thing. Adam is performing in Here We Stay, which tells the stories of refugees and local Scots through song, spoken word, live music and film, at the Tron Theatre, 19 – 20 June at 7:45pm (see page 15)
Theatre & Performance “The emotional impact is shattering and beautifully conveyed. ” (The Scotsman, on Some Other Mother’s work-in-progress)
Touring nationally as part of Refugee Week Scotland Thu 6 June (Preview) Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy onfife.com Fri 7 & Sat 8 June Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh traverse.co.uk
Some Other Mother Presented in association with Scottish Refugee Council & Tron Theatre, supported by Stellar Quines & On at Fife By AJ Taudevin Directed by Catrin Evans Fri 14 & Sat 15 June, 7:45pm. Ages 14+ £15 (£12) Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, Glasgow, G1 5HB Box Office: 0141 552 4267 / tron.co.uk High up in a Glasgow tower block, ten-year old Star and her mother await the outcome of their claim for asylum. As Mama’s mind fragments under the pressure of their unknown future, Star constructs a poetic and fantastical world of her own. Programmed at the heart of Refugee Week Scotland, Some Other Mother is a story of loss and survival which explores the traumatising impact of the asylum system, regardless of the outcome. Supported by Creative Scotland and Robin’s Fund.
Wed 12 June Macrobert, Stirling macrobert.org Wed 19 June Catstrand, New Galloway catstrand.com Thu 20 June Paisley Arts Centre boxoffice.renfrewshire.gov.uk Sat 22 June Falkirk Town Hall falkirkcommunitytrust.org Sun 23 June Solas Festival, The Bield at Blackruthven, Perth solasfestival.co.uk/box-office Tue 25 June Eden Court, Inverness eden-court.co.uk Thu 27 June Mull Theatre mulltheatre.com
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Theatre & Performance
Ignite Theatre presents
Scottish Refugee Council & Citizens Theatre present
No Logo
Here We Stay
Devised by Ignite Theatre’s Junior Company Scripted by Aileen Ritchie
Directed by Elly Goodman & Neil Packham, Music Composed by Matthew Brown
Tue 18 June, 7:45pm £6 (£3) Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, Glasgow, G1 5HB Box Office: 0141 552 4267 / tron.co.uk
Wed 19 & Thu 20 June, 7:45pm £6 (£3) Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, Glasgow, G1 5HB Box Office: 0141 552 4267 / tron.co.uk
A child arrives in Scotland. Strange land, strange language and a culture obsessed with brands – what you wear rather than who you are.
Following the success of community theatre and music production Here We Stay at the Citizens Theatre in November 2012, experience a collection of songs and key moments from this evocative and moving production, performed by a global community chorus; and celebrate the launch of a powerful and insightful documentary of the project created by refugee participants supported by Urbancroft Films.
Inspired by an idea from company member Ngqabutho Mpofu, Ignite’s Juniors bring you a challenging and uplifting comedy about growing up and the labels that are put on you.
“So charged with energy and so rich in its variety, that it fairly takes the breath away… the music soars and sings. ” (The Scotsman, on Here We Stay)
This event provides a unique opportunity to hear the reflections of those seeking refuge in Glasgow today and celebrates the rich and diverse life stories of refugees and local residents in Glasgow. Supported by Creative Scotland, the Craignish and Russell Trusts
Theatre & Performance
Tortoise in a Nutshell presents
Grit Fri 14 & Sat 15 June, 6:15pm £10 (£7.50) Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, Glasgow, G1 5HB Box Office: 0141 552 4267 / tron.co.uk Amy pores over the memories of her late father; a war photographer, journeying into his past working in conflict zones across the globe. Examining the stories behind the lens, three performers conjure up dazzling images with cardboard, sand and shadow. The piece is a poignant study inspired by real experiences of children and young people in worlds of conflict. Grit blends puppetry, projection and object manipulation to create an intimate and engaging piece of visual theatre. Tortoise in a Nutshell are an Edinburgh based visual theatre company aiming to create work that ignites the imagination. tortoiseinanutshell.com
“A truly striking and accomplished piece of visual theatre” (Total Theatre)
Terra Incognita presents
My Friend Selma
(work-in-progress)
Tue 18 & Wed 19 June, 6:15pm £3 Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, Glasgow, G1 5HB Box Office: 0141 552 4267 / tron.co.uk “When I was seven years old, my dad set up a charity to help people in danger escape the war in Bosnia. Fifty Bosnians arrived in big coaches. We moved into an old boarding school with these refugees, to help them settle in. We lived there for four months. It was brilliant – there was a playground in my front garden, we had lots of visitors, people were always feeding me and I learnt to ride a bike! But the best thing about living there was meeting my friend Selma.” Terra Incognita presents a development sharing of their new production for 2014. Victoria Beesley shares her own memories of living in an old boarding school in Leeds with fifty refugees and some of the stories of the refugees she lived with. terraincognita.org.uk
Theatre & Performance
17 CummunAct presents
Home for Heritage Sun 23 June, 6pm Glasgow Theatre & Arts Collective (GTAC), 7 Water Row, Govan, Glasgow, G51 3UW FREE workshops will take place from 10am – 4pm, Mon 17 – Sun 23 June. To attend contact christianzanone@yahoo.com A Moment’s Peace Theatre Company presents
Border Control: Heritage in association with GRAMNet and Scottish Refugee Council
Fri 21 & Sat 22 June, 6pm £5 Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, Glasgow, G1 5HB Box Office: 0141 552 4267 tron.co.uk
Rumpelstiltskin
Home for Heritage is a culmination of theatre and performance workshops held throughout Refugee Week Scotland exploring heritage and cultural identity. Performance is followed by discussion.
Curveball Collective presents
The Lajee Centre presents
Rumpelstiltskin
Lajee Dance Tour
After its successful launch in October 2012, Border Control is back with two nights of new performance work and writing exploring the visible and invisible borders we create, followed by a discussion.
18, 19 & 20 June, 4pm Toonspeak Young People’s Theatre, 221 Millburn Street, Glasgow, G21 2HL Donations welcome Box Office: 0141 552 0234 curvebALLcollective@gmail.co.uk
Dundee, Glasgow & Perth. For more details from the end of April visit lajeeculturaltour. wordpress.com
This time we will be asking artists to explore how our relationships with borders are impacted and/ or defined by our heritage.
Oral storytelling is a tradition that unites communities across the world. People of all generations share their tales through the years to provoke, teach and excite the human spirit.
What do you choose to bring with you? And what do you leave behind? “I love that the work is a stimulus for political and social discussion, rather than solely about the development of a piece of theatre. For me, that’s what made this event so special.” (Participant Writer, Border Control 2012)
Join us on a magical adventure of storytelling, puppetry and physical theatre as we journey through this classical Grimms fairy tale. Suitable for all the family.
amomentspeace.co.uk
Lajee Dance Tour
16 young people from Aida Refugee Camp, Palestine will visit Scotland this Refugee Week Scotland. They will perform traditional Dabka dancing, exhibit award-winning photography work, and screen films. This diverse and engaging programme highlights Palestinian culture and heritage, and offers an insight into the work and activities of the Lajee Centre. The tour members are young active artists and dancers aged between 15 to 20 years old.
The clothes I wear are part of my heritage and make me who I am. Isra Mohammed Shahani, Somalia
Isra’s Story I came to Scotland when I was seventeen. I had to leave my home country, Somalia, because it wasn’t safe for me to be there anymore. At first it felt strange to be in Scotland but now I love my life here. I love how friendly people are and I love going to college. I’m studying so I can go to university and get a degree in health or social care. People have helped me so much since I came here that I want to be able to do that for others. The clothes I wear are part of my heritage and make me who I am. I love life in Scotland but I still wear clothes from my country – I just make them a bit more stylish! The scarves I wear now are more colourful and looser than those I used to wear. When I first came to Scotland I used to dress mainly in black. Now I’ve got a collection of colourful scarves – I can’t stop buying them! Another part of my heritage that I’ve brought with me is some recipes for food I used to eat in Somalia. My favourite thing to cook is Njera, it’s sort of like a pancake made from flour and water.
refugeeweekscotland.com
It was great taking part in the Open Aye for Natural Scotland photography project. The best part was travelling around Scotland and getting to see new parts of the country. The first time I saw a Scottish beach it reminded me so much of my country, but it was very different too. The sand in Somalia is white, and the sea is full of fishing boats. I saw some boats here but the people on them were not fishing, they were just lying around sunbathing. Taking photographs is like making a memory – a new memory, a happy memory. Isra took part in Scottish Natural Heritage’s Open Aye for Natural Scotland photography project last summer through Scottish Refugee Council and Aberlour’s Scottish Guardianship Service. Her photos are part of the Open Aye for Natural Scotland exhibition at Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, and Our Glasgow exhibition at the Mitchell Library, both running throughout Refugee Week Scotland (see pages 20 & 21).
Visual Art
Scottish Natural Heritage & Open Aye present
Open Aye for Natural Scotland Sat 18 May – Sat 31 Aug Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Community Space, Argyle Street, Glasgow, G3 8AG FREE The Open Aye for Natural Scotland exhibition showcases the photographic body of work created collectively by participants from diverse and varied communities. Inspired by nature, collected on outdoor adventures and created with care, these photographs show true appreciation of Scotland’s natural heritage. This exhibition celebrates life’s simple pleasures. Many of the images within the exhibition were taken by young refugees from Scottish Refugee Council & Aberlour’s Scottish Guardianship Service.
Scottish Refugee Council & Streetlevel Photoworks present
Spirit Tue 4 June – Sun 30 June, 10am – 4pm Renfrewshire Arts & Museums, Paisley Arts Centre, New Street, Paisley, PA1 1EZ FREE Launched in 2012 by the Scottish Refugee Council in partnership with Streetlevel Photoworks, Spirit is an inspiring photography project supported by the Big Lottery Fund. Based on interviews and photographs taken by refugee participants, this inspiring photographic exhibition explores what ‘spirit’ means to our communities and people in Scotland today. spiritofrefugeeweek.org.uk
Peter Iain Campbell presents
Living In The Sky (1999/2013) Sat 15 & Sun 16 June Kelvingrove Park as part of Glasgow’s Mela glasgowmela.com Tue 23 July – Tue 20 August The Arches, 253 Argyle Street, Glasgow, G2 8DL FREE ‘Living in the Sky’ was an ideological term used to describe a vision in the late 1960s that led to the development of the later Red Road Estate, Glasgow. Forty years later, Red Road is going through a process of demolition. Peter Iain Campbell revisits two of his previous projects that were initially developed within the Red Road Estate: Living In The Sky (1999) - a part visual diary/journal based on the lives of Kosovan refugees and To Whom It May Concern (2004) - a photography project aimed at removing visual stereotypes of refugees and asylum seekers portrayed in the media. peteriaincampbell.co.uk Supported by Scottish Refugee Council & Glasgow Life
refugeeweekscotland.com
Visual Art
21 Picture Windows for Refugee Week Scotland Mon 17 – Sat 22 June, Midday – Midnight Around town – locations to be revealed FREE Contact info@picturewindow.org. uk for more info or visit facebook. com/picturewindow
Open Aye presents
Our Glasgow Mon 17 – Sat 22 June Mitchell Library, North Street, Glasgow, G3 7DN FREE Our Glasgow will showcase many beautiful & interesting photographs of the city, taken by young refugees over the last few years. Since 2010, Open Aye has been running photography courses with participants from Scottish Refugee Council & Aberlour’s Scottish Guardianship Service and British Red Cross ‘Chrysalis’ project for young refugees. Many of the images, created by 60 participants, show the heritage of the city – its architecture, natural heritage and culture. The Our Glasgow exhibition shows the city through the eyes of these young refugees. Supported by British Red Cross & Scottish Refugee Council
openaye.co.uk
Picture Window invites three artists to inhabit three shop windows across the city. Working within the mediums of projection and performance, the artists will engage specifically with the windows’ location and the heritage of the local community to create one city-wide installation. Each window’s close proximity to public transport links will allow a dialogue across the works, connecting people and place.
Red Road Flats presents
Red Road: Past, Present, Future Until February 2014 The People’s Palace & Winter Gardens, Glasgow Green, Glasgow, G40 1AT FREE The Red Road flats have been present on the Glasgow skyline for almost 50 years. Now they are being demolished. Red Road: Past, Present, Future explores the impact of those iconic high rise flats. Funded by Glasgow Housing Association and Glasgow Life, it features artworks and commentary created by the Red Road communities, in response to the rise and fall of the city’s most visible tower blocks.
Frayed at the Edges presents
Stitching Continents Mon 17 – Sat 22 June Hillhead Library, 348 Byres Road, Glasgow, G12 8AP FREE Embroidered textiles are common to all cultures and countries but differ depending on why they have been created and by whom. The techniques are passed from generation to generation with certain patterns or colour combinations being significant. This participatory exhibition will explore the similarities and differences of embroidery from different cultures and countries. Asylum seekers, refugees and local Scots will create samples of embroidery for the exhibition provoking reflection on their heritage. Supported by Scottish Refugee Council & Voluntary Arts Scotland
redroadflats.org.uk
refugeeweekscotland.com
Film
Refugee Survival Trust presents
Making It Home Fri 14 June, 3pm With poetry from Ruth Padel Tron Theatre, Victorian Bar, 63 Trongate, Glasgow, G1 5HB FREE but ticketed Box Office: 0141 552 4267 tron.co.uk Sun 16 June, 4pm Filmhouse Cinema, 88 Lothian Road, Edinburgh, EH3 9BZ FREE but ticketed Box Office: 0131 228 2688 filmhousecinema.com
A special screening of four short films created by refugee and asylum seeking women from Maryhill (Glasgow) and local women from Pilton (Edinburgh) in response to poems about ‘home’, with speakers from the project and an opportunity for discussion afterwards. This fascinating initiative has seen two very different groups of women build bridges of dialogue and understanding by expressing their unique cultures and heritage through poetry-based filmmaking.
Produced in partnership with Media Co-op, Scottish Poetry Library, Maryhill Integration Network and Women Supporting Women (Pilton Community Health Project). Supported by Scottish Refugee Council. Funded by Creative Scotland. View the films at your own pace in a relaxed setting as part of a film installation Victorian Bar, Tron Theatre Fri 14 – Sat 22 June, 12:30 – 2:30pm makingithome.net
Film
WHOSE STORY?
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MARE CHIUSO
Glasgow Film presents
Renfrewshire Arts & Museums presents
Whose Story?
Africa United (12A)
Tue 18 June, 6pm Glasgow Film Theatre, 12 Rose Street, Glasgow, G3 6RB £4.50 Box Office: 0141 332 6535 glasgowfilm.org If you had been forced to leave your home, how would you respond to the filmmaker who wants to capture your story? If you were that filmmaker, how would you begin that process? Filmmakers, community workers and participants come together to unpack the work and discuss the journey. The event features contributions from documentary filmmaker Chris Leslie, creator of a recent film on asylum seekers who have faced destitution in Scotland, for Scottish Refugee Council and Refugee Survival Trust’s Stop Destitution campaign stopdestitution.org.uk; and Refugee Survival Trust’s Making It Home project.
Debs Paterson, Rhidian Brook, 2010, 88mins Tue 18 June, 7pm Paisley Arts Centre, New Street, Paisley, PA1 1EZ FREE but ticketed Box Office: 0300 300 1210 renfrewshire.gov.uk/ onlinebooking Renfrewshire Arts and Museums is delighted to present Africa United, a film chosen by the Association of African Communities in Renfrewshire (AACR), which tells the extraordinary story of three Rwandan children who walk 3000 miles to the Football World Cup in South Africa. The film will be followed by a short performance from Renfrewshire Effort to Empower Minorities (REEM).
Glasgow Refugee, Asylum & Migration Network, Black & Ethnic Minorities in Scotland & Centre for Contemporary Arts present
Mare Chiuso (Closed Sea) Andrea Segre, Stefano Liberti, 2012, Italy, 60mins Wed 19 June CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3JD FREE Box office: 0141 352 4900 glasgow.ac.uk/gramnet Mare Chiuso centres on the plight of Semere, an Eritrean man separated from his pregnant wife who had made safe passage to Italy. Semere’s footage from his mobile phone captured the moment that the migrant’s boat was intercepted by the Italian navy. This is the first international screening of Mare Chiuso. bemis.org.uk glasgow.ac.uk/gramnet
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Film
Glasgow Film’s POP-UP Programmers present
Glasgow Film’s POP-UP Programmers present
Spirited Away (PG)
The Man Who Fell to Earth (18)
Hayao Miyazaki, 2001, Japan, 125 mins
Nicolas Roeg, 1976, UK, 139 mins
Fri 21 June 3:45pm A special after-school screening Garnethill Multicultural Centre, 21 Rose Street, Glasgow, G3 6RE FREE Suitable for children 9+ Box Office: glasgowfilm.org/popup When ten-year-old Chihiro finds herself lost in a spirit world, she must try to escape the monsters and frightening creatures, to save herself and her parents. Chihiro is given a new name and forced to do horrible cleaning duties. As she tries to free herself and escape back to the human world, Chihiro begins a unique adventure. Supported by Scottish Refugee Council & Young Start
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Fri 21 June 7:30pm Followed by an after-party Garnethill Multicultural Centre, 21 Rose Street, Glasgow, G3 6RE FREE Box Office: glasgowfilm.org/popup This cult film features the debut film performance of David Bowie as an extra-terrestrial seeking refuge upon Earth. In an attempt to save his home planet from a fatal drought, Thomas Newton (Bowie) channels his advanced technology and intellect onto society; however, human indulgence contrives to ground Newton. Supported by Scottish Refugee Council & Young Start
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Film
Glasgow Film presents a Take 2 family screening of Solas Festival presents
Life of Pi 3D (PG)
Words : Walls
Ang Lee, 2012, 127mins
Sat 22 June The Bield at Blackruthven, Tibbermore, Perth, PH1 1PY Entry by festival pass Box Office: solasfestival.co.uk/box-office Solas Festival is a festival of music, literature, film, dance, theatre and debate. This year’s events explore the Imagination State; opening up discussions of borders and identities in Scotland and the world. The festival will hold one of the first screenings of the film Words : Walls, which follows Scottish artists, including Liz Lochhead and William Letford, as they perform and work in the refugee camps of Palestine. Liz Lochhead will be at Solas over the weekend discussing the displacement of Palestinian people, and reading from her own work relating to heritage and identities.
Sat 22 June, 11:30am Glasgow Film Theatre, 12 Rose Street, Glasgow, G3 6RB FREE to Glasgow Young Scot or Kidz Card holders (includes one accompanying adult). All other tickets £4.50 Box Office: 0141 332 6535 / glasgowfilm.org A magical 3D voyage across the Pacific Ocean. When teenager Pi Patel is stranded after a tempest sinks his family’s ship, he and a Bengal tiger have the unfortunate luck of having to share a lifeboat. Ordinarily sworn enemies, man and beast are united in their plight and must learn to respect one another in order to survive.
solasfestival.co.uk
refugeeweekscotland.com
Heritage to me means solidarity – working together to create a strong community. Guy Ngansi Deyap, Cameroon
Guy’s Story Heritage to me means solidarity – working together to create a strong community. I always say, ‘you can’t tie a knot with one hand’. What I mean is, we need each other. We need to work together and help each other out. In Africa, we don’t wait for the government to do things for us – we’d be waiting forever! If we need a new school we build it ourselves. That is the spirit I’ve brought with me to Scotland. I work with community groups here to try to build a society based on shared values and shared responsibility. In my group, Cameroonian Association and Sympathisers in Scotland (CAMASS), we share our problems and support each other through the difficult times. We share the good times too of course and help out with each other’s children, so they grow up with a strong sense of community and a sense of responsibility themselves. We try to create an extended family for our children and, for those born here in Scotland, we play them music and tell stories from Cameroon. Music and dance are an integral part
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of Cameroonian social gatherings and storytelling. Anyone can come to these events – Scottish kids, refugees, it doesn’t matter where you are from. I think that people in Scotland understand about the importance of community. I came to the UK eleven years ago from Cameroon and moved to Scotland six years ago. People had told me bad things about Scotland, that it was freezing all year round and that it wasn’t a welcoming place. But the very first day I came here, people started chatting to me on the bus. I think people here value each other and have concern for each other. I love that people are always saying hi to each other, even when they are strangers. Yes, there is a sense of community here but we need to work at it to keep it strong. Guy is part of the Cameroonian Association and Sympathisers in Scotland (CAMASS), which is presenting a Community Celebration event with drumming and dancing, open to all, at the natural heritage site of Loch Katrine (see page 30) as part of Refugee Week Scotland.
Community Celebrations Supported by Scottish Refugee Council
IMAGE: ANGELA CAITLIN
Every year, Scottish Refugee Council encourages and supports refugee community groups and integration networks to deliver events as part of Refugee Week Scotland by providing small grants and capacity building workshops. These events make up the Community Celebrations programme, with over thirty events taking place across Glasgow and beyond. The Community Celebrations programme is a central part of Refugee Week Scotland that makes up approximately one third of the festival programme. These unique events underpin Refugee Week Scotland and mark it as different from many other festivals. They provide an opportunity for integration in local communities, a celebration of Scotland’s diverse cultures and a chance to raise awareness of issues affecting asylum seekers and refugees. Take your pick from carnivals, football tournaments, international ceilidhs, music and dance nights and
visits to some of Scotland’s natural heritage sites. At many of these events you can sample authentic cuisine from around the world that you won’t find in any Scottish restaurant, with recipes hailing from as far away as Sri Lanka and the Bajuni Islands. This programme would not be possible without the support of Police Scotland, the Educational Institute of Scotland and Glasgow Housing Association. Help us Support Communities Year on year the Community Celebrations programme grows stronger, as we continue to engage existing and new community groups with capacity building and skills development workshops. We are always looking for new sponsors and partners for this dynamic and exciting area of our work. For more information on how you can help us support communities contact funding@scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk or visit scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk/what_you_can_do
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Community Celebrations Alba Asia Network
Crossroads Youth & Community Association
Alba Asia Ceilidh
Heritage in Govanhill
Sat 15 June, 7pm – 11pm St James R C Church, 20 Beltrees Road, Glasgow, G53 6TE FREE Alba Asia Network helps Sri Lankan and Indian people to settle in Glasgow. The Ceilidh will include a mix of traditional Scottish as well as Sri Lankan and Indian music and dancing. Renowned for its use of colours and spices, traditional Sri Lankan cuisine will be provided. facebook.com/alba.asia
Govan & Craigton Integration Network with GalGael & Plantation Productions
Diving for Pearls Launch Celebration Sat 15 June, Midday – 9pm Pearce Institute, 840 – 860 Govan Rd, Glasgow, G51 3UU FREE For more information contact isabel@gcin.org.uk A festive and fun day for all to celebrate Govan, its migrant community and the Heritage Lottery funded Diving for Pearls project. This event will include the launch of an exhibition of model traditional boats, archive images, oral histories and artwork; documentary short-film screenings; theatre & dance and song & music performances; storytelling open-mic; unveiling of public art work; and a street party with food and craft stalls. gcin.org.uk/divingforpearls
Tue 18 June, 12:30 – 2:30pm Govanhill Free Church, 26 Belleisle Street, Glasgow, G42 8HJ FREE Greater Pollok Integration Network
The Big Lunch Sat 15 June, Midday – 3pm Grounds around Kennishead Community Hall & Blocks 30 & 40 Kennishead Avenue, Glasgow, G46 8PR FREE A community festival that encourages people to get out of their homes and meet their neighbours over a picnic. Activities include children’s entertainers, animals, inflatables, therapies, police and fire rescue demonstrations and an international stage show. gpintegrationnetwork.co.uk
Govanhill is home to the most ethnically diverse community in Scotland, with over 60 languages being spoken in the area. This event offers an opportunity to share stories of heritage through objects, crafts, poetry and/or photos/pictures. There will be short films around the theme of asylum, readings of poems written by refugees or people who are still in the asylum system and a quiz on asylum issues as well as playworkers for the children. cyca.org.uk
LINKES
Home from Home
Renfrewshire Effort to Empower Minorities
Cultural Celebration Sat 15 June, 2 – 6pm 14 Wellmeadow Street, Paisley, PA1 2EE FREE An information packed event to promote knowledge of cultural diversity within the community, including five-a-side football, massage, storytelling, belly dancing, crafts, face painting and other kids’ games, speeches by dignitaries and dishes prepared by the local community. renfrewshireefforttoempower minorities.org.uk
Tue 18 June, 6pm – 8pm LINKES, Community Rooms, 200 Lincoln Avenue, Glasgow, G13 3PR FREE Community exhibition Home from Home explores and celebrates home structures from around the world. Women, children & older people in the community present images and artwork that express their experiences and aspirations of ‘home’. Come to be challenged and inspired as you reflect on your own understanding of ‘home’. linkes.org.uk
Community Celebrations Y Women’s Social Group
Maryhill Integration Network (MIN)
Our Heritage
Community Garden Launch
Wed 19 June, Midday – 3pm YWCA Family Learning Centre, 3 Newton Terrace, Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G3 7PJ FREE Come along on the day or call 0141 248 5338 Women and families of different backgrounds come together to share stories of their heritage and experiences of their journeys as asylum seekers and refugees. Information will be available on local services and informal learning opportunities at YWCA’s Family Learning Centre. Onsite crèche and children’s arts and crafts activities are provided.
Givin’ it Laldie & Bridging the Gap
Movin’ On Up Wed 19 June, 6:30 – 8:30pm Gorbals Parish Church, 1 Errol Gardens, Glasgow, G5 0RA FREE, places are limited. To book contact 0141 418 0241 This cultural celebration explores how the Gorbals’ community has been built through migration tracing the arrival of residents from the Highlands, Russia and Poland, Ireland and Italy and, most recently, people seeking asylum and celebrates this heritage with songs, stories, images and culinary delights from Gorbals Community Choir and Bridging the Gap.
Thu 20 June, Midday – 3pm Maryhill Community Centre, 35 Avenuepark Street, Glasgow, G20 8TS FREE International Women’s Group (IWG) & North Glasgow Integration Network (NGIN)
International Heritage Journeys Celebration Thu 20 June, 11:30 – 2:30pm Kids & Adults Together at Sighthill Community Centre, 1 Fountainwell Square, G21 1RF FREE but booking required, please contact iwg.north@hotmail.co.uk Lamees (IWG) 07580 340549 Donald (NGIN) 07749 399920 International Women’s Group launch their International Heritage Journeys book, which includes haggis recipes from eight different countries and stories of the women’s heritage. To celebrate there will be haggis tasters, traditional dress and dancing. North Glasgow Integration Network presents a range of music, songs and performance from a range of countries including Iran, Lebanon, Ireland, Scotland and Pakistan reflecting heritage and commonality of people who have been forced to flee their country of origin.
maryhillintegration.org.uk Supported by Forestry Commission Scotland, NHS Health Improvement & Glasgow City Council
Cameroonian Association of Sympathisers in Scotland (CAMASS)
Visit Loch Katrine Sat 22 June, 10am – 5pm FREE For more information contact zeufid@yahoo.fr Take a trip to explore the natural heritage of Loch Katrine and celebrate ten years of CAMASS with traditional Cameroonian music, drumming, dancing and food.
givinitlaldie.org.uk MOVIN’ ON UP
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An exciting occasion for the Maryhill community as they launch their new shared garden; an initiative supported by Forestry Commission and Scottish Government. The space will promote health and wellbeing for families and individuals. Join them for a range of multi-cultural entertainment and activities. Refreshments provided.
camass.org.uk
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Community Celebrations Aberlour Childcare Trust & Scottish Refugee Council Scottish Guardianship Service
Clan Macondo
Once Upon a Time in Kingsway
Guardianship Celebration Sat 22 June, 2pm – 4pm Gorbals Parish Church, 1 Errol Gardens, Glasgow, G5 0RA FREE but booking required, please contact catriona. macsween@aberlour.org.uk Launched in 2010 and now supporting over 100 young people from 23 different countries, the Scottish Guardianship Service aims to allocate a professional guardian to every newly arrived separated child to help them navigate the asylum system. Join these young people in exploring and celebrating heritage through dance, storytelling and ceilidh. aberlour.org.uk/guardianship
Dar Al-Falaah Community Education Limited
Amal (Hope) Sat 22 June, Midday – 4pm Hillhead High School, Oakfield Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8LJ FREE For more information contact abdel.daralfalaah@hotmail.co.uk A celebration for all the family with parents and pupils from Dar Al-Falaah Community Education, including crafts, storytelling, face-painting, Henna, Arabic poetry and song and cultural foods.
Sat 22 June, 2pm – 4pm The Whiteinch Centre, 1 Northinch Court, Glasgow, G14 0UG FREE Celebrate the launch of Once Upon at a Time in Kingsway, the tale of a diverse group of women (asylum seekers, refugees and local Scots) who over the course of ten weeks have explored and shared their heritage, resulting in a beautiful exhibition of their stories and portraits, taken in traditional costume in their favourite places in Scotstoun. clanmacondo.com
Central & West Integration Network
Here Today, Plant Migration: a guided tour of Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Sat 22 June 11am – 3pm Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 20A Inverleith Row, Edinburgh, EH3 5LR FREE For more info or if you would like to participate contact florence@centralandwest integration.org.uk An outing for all the family – take a guided tour of the garden highlighting different plants and their countries of origin. The group will visit the glass house with plants from Asian Africa where participants can identify plants from their home countries, followed by discussion and refreshments.
Glasgow North West Framework for Dialogue
Heritage of the Framework for Dialogue (FfDs) Groups Bajuni Community in Scotland
Sat 22 June, 1pm – 3pm Garnethill Multicultural Centre, 21 Rose Street, Glasgow, G3 6RE FREE For more information contact ffdnorthwest@gmail.com Maryhill FfD and the West FfD joined forces a year ago becoming Glasgow North West FfD. Join us for our Annual General Meeting as we look back over the years and the achievements of both groups.
Different Cultures, Different Tastes Sat 22 June, 3pm – 7pm Kids & Adults Together at Sighthill Community Centre, 1 Fountainwell Square, G21 1RB FREE For more information contact ahmedalishee@gmail.com Discover the taste of Bajuni cuisine, recipes hailing from the Bajuni islands off the Somalian south coast and share the heritage and stories of the Bajuni Community in Scotland.
refugeeweekscotland.com
Community Celebrations The Hidden Gardens
Day of Stories Sat 22 June, Midday – 4pm The Hidden Gardens, Tramway, 25 Albert Drive, Pollokshields, Glasgow, G41 2PE FREE Celebrate ten years of the Hidden Gardens; share stories triggered by the idea of the Gardens, and other gardens mystical, fantastical, actual and otherwise.
A showcase of Nigeria’s Igbo culture and tradition in the natural heritage setting of Pollok Country Park, featuring performing artists, acrobatic dance groups, dress and traditional Igbo masquerade from Akwunaechenyi Drumming Group. The day also includes a Children’s Development Workshop in association with Learn Igbo Now and the African Language and Cultural Centre Glasgow.
Isaro Social Integration Network
Diversity Social Event Sat 22 June, 3pm – 6pm Skypoint Community Centre, Lennox Drive, Clydebank, Dunbartonshire, G81 5J FREE For more information contact isarosocialnet@gmail.com
Igbo Welfare Union Glasgow
Reclaiming Our Heritage – A Fusion of our Language in Arts and Sounds Sat 22 June, Midday – 6pm Pollok Country Park, Burrell Collection Grounds, 2060 Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow, G43 1AT FREE For event booking and enquires contact events@ igbounionglasgow.org
Govan Gets a Taste of Africa Sat 22 June, 11am – 4pm Pearce Institute Café, 840 – 860 Govan Rd, Glasgow, G51 3UU FREE For more information contact esp@karibuscotland.org.uk
There will be storytelling sessions, guided tours, international music and dance workshops, food from the Cultural Cookery group, in partnership with the Gurdwara (Sikh Temple), a film screening of the Gardens’ living memory project and the launch of the Gardens ‘plants of meaning’ project postcards. thehiddengardens.org.uk
Karibu Scotland
Experience the diversity of Dunbartonshire with African style music and storytelling (for children and adults), Henna and face painting. Information stalls from local services and light snacks.
Celebrate Karibu’s textile heritage and signature tartan and share African food in the Pearce Institute Café, run by Karibu in partnership with Govan women’s organisation Tea in the Pot. facebook.com/Karibu-Scotland
Pollokshaws Area Network
Pollokshaws Community Carnival Sat 22 June, 11am – 4:30pm Greenbank Park, Netherauldhouse Road, Pollokshaws, Glasgow, G43 1LS FREE For more information contact f.ferguson@sw.glasgow.gov.uk The tenth year of this annual celebration of the diverse cultures and heritages present in Pollokshaws. Come and enjoy the parade, performances, interactive workshops, taster sessions, games and more in this wonderful carnival atmosphere!
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Community Celebrations
Gambians in Scotland Community Association (GAMSCA)
Gambia’s Cultural Heritage Sat 29 June, 1pm onwards African and Caribbean Centre, 66 Osborne St, Glasgow, G1 5QH For more information contact faye-suso@hotmail.com
Sudanese Community in Glasgow
Sudanese Wedding Day Sat 22 June, 5pm – 11.30pm Anderston & Kelvingrove Church, 759a Argyle Street, Glasgow, G3 8DS FREE For more information contact omermagzoub@gmail.com The Sudanese Community invites you to share in a very special part of their heritage and play witness to the customs and traditions of a typical Sudanese Wedding, with special dress, songs, dances and food.
UK Friends of Congo Brazzaville
Visit Loch Lomond & Neighbours BBQ Sat 22 June, 11am – 6pm Loch Lomond Castle Lodge Park, Balloch, G83 8RB FREE For more information contact ukfriendsofcongobrazzaville@ yahoo.co.uk Friends of Congo Brazzaville extend a special invitation to start a conversation with their neighbours and welcome you to join them for a BBQ, in the natural heritage setting of Loch Lomond, to get to know each other better. There will be games, songs and storytelling.
Glasgow Afghan United
Refugee Week Scotland Football Tournament Sun 23 June, 10am Powerleague, Kennedy Street, Townhead, Glasgow, G4 0PQ FREE For more information contact bostani.abdul@gmail.com or visit facebook.com/ GlasgowAfghanUnited A day of international sporting action with ten teams from a variety of different cultures. Refreshments provided.
Join GAMSCA for a football match and 3K Fun Run, followed by a traditional costumes exhibition, music, dance and a buffet. facebook.com/gamsca
LGBT Unity Scotland
Gaylidh Saturday 29 June, 7pm University of Strathclyde Students’ Association, Veritgo (8th Floor), 90 John Street, Glasgow, G1 1JH £3 or FREE for asylum seekers, for tickets in advance visit unitycentreglasgow.org An eclectic mix of the music, dance and food from a variety of cultures to promote the inclusion of LGBT asylum seekers and refugees in Scotland. As well as having fun we hope our event will inform and encourage everyone to take a stand in fighting for the rights of LGBT people internationally.
refugeeweekscotland.com
Literature
IMAGE: LAURENT GALBRUN
Scottish Storytelling Centre presents
Bloomsbury Publishing presents
Café Voices: Refugee Spirit
Fact v Fiction: an exploration of Scotland’s refugees with author Karen Campbell
Wed 19 June, 7pm Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43 – 45 High St, Edinburgh, EH1 1SR £5 Box Office: 0131 556 9579 scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk As part of their monthly programme Café Voices, the Scottish Storytelling Centre is hosting a special Café Voices as part of Refugee Week Scotland, featuring Zimbabwean guitar hero and Bhundu Boy, Rise Kagona, together with musicians, singers and storytellers from around the globe. Hosted by singer, film and theatre artist, Roxana Vilk, an entertaining evening of stories, music and song awaits. Supported by Scottish Refugee Council
Thu 20 June, 6pm Mitchell Library, North Street, Glasgow, G3 7DN FREE, places are limited Explore the reality behind Karen Campbell’s novel This is Where I Am, about Abdi and his daughter, Rebecca, who are refugees settling into Glasgow. Karen Campbell will be in conversation with panellists from Scottish Refugee Council and reading from This is Where I Am. Karen Cunningham, Head of Glasgow Libraries, will chair the event. From Friday 21 June, you can download Glasgow Women’s Library 21 Revolutions podcast with Karen Campbell reading her new story The Colour of Queens and talking about the items from the library’s archive that inspired the work. The podcast marks the 21st Anniversary of the Glasgow Women’s Library.
Refugee Survival Trust & Scottish Storytelling Centre present
Making It Home with special guests, poetry readings and discussion Fri 21 June, 7pm Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43 – 45 High St, Edinburgh, EH1 1SR FREE but ticketed Box Office: 0131 556 9579 scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk Come and experience a fascinating evening of poetry and short films stemming from Refugee Survival Trusts’ Making it Home project. This unique initiative has seen refugee and asylum seeking women from Maryhill (Glasgow) and local women from Pilton (Edinburgh) create four extraordinary short films in response to well-known poems about home and belonging. Produced in partnership with Media Co-op, Scottish Poetry Library, Maryhill Integration Network, Women Supporting Women (PCHP). Supported by Scottish Refugee Council. Funded by Creative Scotland.
Download from womenslibrary. org.uk or via iTunes.
“A generous-spirited, big-hearted depiction of life behind the statistics.” refugeeweekscotland.com
(Daily Mail on Karen Campbell’s This is Where I Am)
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Around Town Wasasa Comedy presents
Govan & Craigton Integration Network presents
Wasasa Comedy Night Special Mon 17 June, 7:30 – 11:30pm The Stand Comedy Club, 333 Woodlands Road, Glasgow, G3 6NG £10 (£8) Box Office: 0844 335 8879 Contact info@wasasacomedy. com for more details Hosted by the award winning Kevin Bridges, this will be a fantastic showcase of comedians from diverse backgrounds, including The Kasengele Brothers, Sean Reid and Nico Ndlovu with their unique brand that taps into their African roots and life in Glasgow. wasasacomedy.com
Sir James Glasgow Pub Quizzes Sun 16 June, 8pm Beefeater, G62 6JQ Mon 17 June, 8:30pm Dukes Bar, G3 8RD Tue 18 June, 8pm Bungo Bar, G41 2AL Wed 19 June, 9pm West-End Gallus, G11 6NX Thu 20 June, 9pm Den, G61 3RB Glasgow Pub Quiz-master Sir James brings Refugee Week Scotland to the Pub Quiz! Pop along to one near you - cash prizes, top banter and lots of fun to be had. Supporting Scottish Refugee Council. Online Refugee Week quiz and full details at glasgowpubquiz.com
Diving for Pearls Gig Night with Alasdair Roberts & friends, Lorraine McCauley and Special Guests
The Arches Café Bar Take-over – Taste the World with the International Women’s Group Mon 17 – Sat 22 June, from 5pm The Arches, 253 Argyle Street, Glasgow, G2 8DL Especially for Refugee Week Scotland, women from the International Women’s Group have been working with the Arches’ chef, Robbie McGuiness, to come up with a menu of culinary delights inspired by their heritage and recipes from their home countries of Palestine, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Sudan.
Thu 20 June, 7:30pm til late The Grand Ole Opry, 2 – 4 Govan Road, Glasgow, G51 1HS £5 / £2.50 concession or FREE (no income), tickets available on the door or in advance by contacting isabel@gcin.org.uk A night of music and song; with songs written by participants from the Diving for Pearls project songwriting strand, and performances from acclaimed Scottish folk musicians Alasdair Roberts & friends, Lorraine McCauley, and other special guests.
Streetlevel Photoworks in association with University of Glasgow, University of Exeter & Swansea Metropolitan present
thearches.co.uk
Future Memory in Red Road
Earthy Food & Goods
Sat 18 May, 1pm – 3pm Alive and Kicking, 94 Red Road & the playing field next to Red Road Family Centre, Glasgow, G21 4PH FREE
Middle Eastern Food Night Thu 20 June, 7:30pm 1 – 6 Canonmills Bridge, Canonmills, Edinburgh, EH3 5LF £25 per head. To book contact 0131 556 9696 A Middle East inspired food sharing event with themed live entertainment and music. earthy.uk.com
A unique event to celebrate and mark the end of a colourful part of Glasgow’s history with all the past residents of the Red Road flats, many of whom have been asylum seekers and refugees over the past 10 years. Including a showcase of artworks made with ex-residents, film screenings, family activities, choir performance and live music played out from the framework of the final stripped slab block. streetlevelphotoworks.org
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Heritage to us is our shared culture Ahlam Souidi & Meriem Timizak, Algeria
Ahlam & Meriem’s Story Ahlam: We didn’t know each other before we came to Scotland, but we came from the same city, are about the same age and have the same values. We share our culture, our heritage. That makes it feel like we have known each other from when we were born. Meriem: We first met in 2003, not long after I arrived here. I had just had my son, I felt lost, unsure of myself. But Ahlam gave me such support that I regained my strength. Ahlam: We were there for each other, and we supported and campaigned together to make things better for others too. We went to protests outside the Home Office at 4am in the snow, taking our small children with us. We got so much support from Scottish people too. We discovered that the country may be cold but the people are so warm. That was very important to us because we both come from big families. In Algeria we were always surrounded by people. Now Scotland feels like home. It is like my adopted mother. And it doesn’t feel like a problem to be both Algerian and Scottish. Meriem: That’s because there are so many similarities in the heritage of both countries! Haggis is the big
refugeeweekscotland.com
evidence. Our event shows that Haggis is something that exists in so many cultures. I thought that we could show that shared heritage by making Haggis from around the world. Ahlam: The longer I’m here the more I find the similarities – like traditional crochet and embroidery that some people in both counties still do. Or giving money to new mothers for the baby – the first time someone tucked a coin into my pram I was amazed. Meriem: Me too! I said, ‘they do the same thing in my country.’ Ahlam: In the International Women’s group we are bringing together people from different countries, different cultures, making links and discovering the shared heritage we all have. I’m always learning something new, and that’s what life is about, isn’t it? Meriem and Ahlam are part of the International Women’s Group, which presents International Heritage Journeys on Thursday 20 June, 11:30am – 2:30pm (see page 30 for details). In addition The Arches Café Bar will present a specially themed menu, inspired by recipes from the International Women’s Group as part of Refugee Week Scotland (see page 35 for details).
REFUGEE WEEK SCOTLAND 2013 DIFFERENT PASTS, SHARED FUTURE
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Discussions Glasgow Refugee, Asylum & Migration Network (GRAMNet)
Research Open Day Wed 12 June, 2pm – 5pm University of Glasgow, Sir Charles Wilson Building, Basement Seminar Room, 1 University Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8QQ FREE Register via GRAMNet glasgow.ac.uk/gramnet GRAMNet has been working to develop research and knowledge exchange with a range of partners in Scotland and internationally over the last three years, in consultation with refugees, migrants, asylum seekers and the many agencies and organisations working to support them. This open day offers an opportunity to hear presentations from researchers in the network, postgraduate students and established researchers in areas ranging from health and medical care, to law, to languages, literature, the arts, education, area studies and human rights.
Glasgow Refugee, Asylum & Migration Network (GRAMNet) & University of Glasgow, School of Law
Translation and Asylum Claims: Miscommunication & Silence Fri 14 June, 9am – 5:30pm University of Glasgow, Room 355, Main Building, Glasgow, G12 8QQ FREE Invitation Only, please contact sarah.craig@Glasgow.ac.uk if you would like to attend This is an opportunity for an in depth analysis of the challenges posed to all those involved in the asylum decision making process by its reliance on interpretation and translation, and to consider what is lost, omitted or not said through this process, as experienced by a range of professionals in their everyday practice.
Self-Care & Researching with Refugees & Asylum seekers Tue 18 June, 2pm – 4pm University of Glasgow, Room 355, Main Building, Glasgow, G12 8QQ FREE More information contact David.Wright@glasgow.ac.uk 0141 330 1989
UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW
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An opportunity to discuss and gather reflections on developing good practice in self-care, risk assessment and management in research situations. The learning from this event will be circulated to relevant research networks to assist their work with vulnerable groups or in areas of perceived risk.
Funded by Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Glasgow Refugee, Asylum & Migration Network Postgraduate Cluster glasgow.ac.uk/gramnet and facebook.com/GRAMNet
Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) presents
Glasgow’s Housing Heritage Thu 20 June, Midday – 2pm Roystonhill Recreation Centre, 15 Forrestfield Street, Glasgow, G21 2HG FREE, lunch provided Please contact seonad.hoy@gha.org.uk 0141 274 5543 if you would like to attend. An informal event involving residents including asylum seekers, refugees and local Scots. Speakers will talk about how Glasgow has adapted and evolved as a result of dispersal of asylum seekers. In GHA’s tenth anniversary year we will hear about GHA’s history, how GHA’s neighbourhoods have been affected by dispersal and about on-going work to promote integration. GHA residents will share their stories about housing heritage.
Schools
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Simple Acts Running throughout May on GLOW The Simple Acts campaign is about inspiring people to use small, everyday actions to change perceptions of refugees. This year pupils can meet through GLOW to participate in Simple Acts such as Cook a Dish from another Country, Share a Story, Find an Object that Tells a Story of Heritage through four live lessons with representatives from Scottish Refugee Council. portal.glowscotland.org.uk simpleacts.org.uk
Workshops & Participation Scottish Refugee Council in association with National Theatre of Scotland
Creative Writing Masterclass Fri 7 June, 3pm – 5pm Scottish Refugee Council, 5 Cadogan Square (170 Blythswood Court), Glasgow, G2 7PH FREE, places are limited To confirm your place contact arts@scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk / 0141 223 7939 Heritage is an essential part of the present we live in — and of the future we will build. In this creative writing masterclass there will be an opportunity to tell stories and explore – what do you want to remember and preserve? Open to all. No previous writing experience necessary. Participants are welcome to write in their own language.
Scottish Refugee Council presents
Refugee Week Scotland Festival Lounge Fri 14 – Sat 22 June, 12:30pm – 2:30pm Tron Theatre, Victorian Bar, 63 Trongate, Glasgow, G1 5HB Take some time out to relax in our cosy festival lounge, a home from home within the festival, where you can share highlights with others, browse Refugee Week Scotland programme materials, participate in arts and crafts or simply chill out. Tue 18 & Saturday 22 June Embroidery with crafts guru Julie Robertson Wed 19 June Explore the heritage of herbs and flowers Thu 20 & Friday 20 June Sharing stories For more information contact arts@scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk
refugeeweekscotland.com
Workshops & Participation Curious Volunteer Events Team with Glasgow Museums & Pan African Arts Scotland present
Draw, Create & Flourish Sun 23 June, 11am – 4pm (workshop presentations every hour on the hour) St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art, 2 Castle Street, Glasgow, G4 0RH FREE (Drop in)
Gallery of Modern Art and Glasgow Museums presents
Invented Spaces Sat 22 June, 10:30am – 12:30pm Gallery 4, Gallery of Modern Art, Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow, G1 3AH FREE (Drop in) Be inspired by Niki de Saint Phalle’s Tarot Garden and the heritage of man-made and natural environments to design & build your ideal home, den, or space. Families will be asked to create their own space - fanciful or realistic. Identify your space by making a flag which shows your family identity.
Scottish Storytelling Centre presents
Immigration in Song & Story Sat 22 June, 10:30am Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43 – 45 High St, Edinburgh, EH1 1SR FREE but ticketed Box Office: 0131 556 9579 scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk Throughout history immigrants to Scotland have helped shape the richness and diversity of our culture. If you have a story to tell about Scotland becoming your home, and would like to hear the stories of others, join in this daylong workshop rich in resources, creative approaches and insights into experiences of immigration. Led by award-winning singer, song-writer and theatre artist, Roxana Vilk and Czech and Slovak musician, Peter Vilk. No previous experience of singing or storytelling necessary. Supported by Scottish Refugee Council
refugeeweekscotland.com
Discover the techniques used in Aboriginal Dreamtime paintings by creating your own painting about objects from your personal heritage, Glasgow’s story of St Mungo on the twentieth anniversary of St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art and Glasgow’s multicultural roots. There will be storytelling and music for all to enjoy throughout the day describing the heritage of Glasgow and the dreams for Glasgow 2013 as an multicultural City.
Motherwell College, Scottish Prison Service & Prison Learning Centres
Travelling the Distance 17 – 21 June A week of activities within seven prison-based learning centres in various locations. Prisons involved include: Barlinnie, Dumfries, Cornton Vale, Glenochil, Greenock, Low Moss and Shotts. The learning centres will host cultural awareness raising events including a film festival, cultural kitchen, music, poetry, and artwork exploring themes of heritage and displaced peoples whilst fundraising for refugee charities. Please note these events are not open to the public.
Home Truths
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Refugees come from all over the world – wherever conflict is rife and human rights abuses are commonplace.
IMAGE: SUZI SIMPSON
Most refugees leave behind their homes, friends and family because their lives are in serious danger. Many are victims of torture and other forms of extreme violence. The 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention offers protection for people fleeing persecution in their home countries. Most refugees are offered protection by the world’s poorest countries. The UK is home to less than 2% of the world’s refugees – out of more than 15 million worldwide. People seeking asylum in Scotland make up less than 0.5 percent of the total population of Glasgow. Asylum seekers are not allowed to work and rely on a small amount of state support, the equivalent of about £5 per day. Most people want to work and have skills and professional training. Almost a third of them volunteer regularly. Many of the people seeking sanctuary in the UK come from countries including Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and Eritrea. They all come fleeing war, persecution and torture. Scotland has offered sanctuary to people who need it for centuries. We welcome and celebrate the contributions of all new Scots, whose skills, talents and unique perspectives make this country richer in so many ways.
Scottish Refugee Council is the leading Scottish charity providing the first point of call for hundreds of people who have fled horrific situations around the world. We provide advice, support and a listening ear – every step of the way.
Support Our Work There are many ways that you can get involved and help Scottish Refugee Council give refugees and asylum seekers the support they need and deserve. Donate to Scottish Refugee Council. £5, £10 or more will help us make a difference. Text RFGE34 followed by the amount to 70070. Visit scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk/ donate or donate through facebook.com/ scottishrefugeecouncil Fundraise for Scottish Refugee Council. Campaign for a fair and just asylum system in Scotland and the UK. Volunteer and help provide the support that keeps our services running. Become a member of Scottish Refugee Council
For more information on how to support our work please visit
scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk/what_you_can_do
NOWHERE TO GO? It can be hard to ask for help for a mental health problem. But help is available. So don’t put it off. Visit www.samh.org.uk We’ll help you know where to go www.samh.org.uk Call our Information Service: 0800 917 34 66 Visit your nearest SAMH Resource Centre Scottish Charity No SC-008897. Scottish Association for Mental Healt
0141 945 3003 contactus@qcha.org.uk www.qcha.org.uk
We aim to represent the diversity of the communities we serve.
Supporting Refugee Week Scotland directdistribution.co.uk info@directdistribution.co.uk 0141 445 8838
refugeeweekscotland.com
SCOTTISH HOUSING ASSOCIATIONS & CO-OPS BRANCH www.unitetheunion.org
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The EIS supports Scottish Refugee Council in their work to improve the lives of refugees and asylum seekers in Scotland.
www.eis.org.uk
GHA is delighted to be supporting Refugee Week Scotland.
Glasgow Housing Association www.gha.org.uk Better homes, better lives
refugeeweekscotland.com
Scottish Refugee Council 5 Cadogan Square (170 Blythswood Court) Glasgow, G2 7PH 0141 248 9799 info@scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk Support Our Work Text RFGE34 followed by the amount to 70070 or visit scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk/donate
Above image: The International Women’s Group celebrate Refugee Week Scotland 2013 with haggis from eight different countries at their event International Heritage Journeys Celebration
Join us on: facebook.com/RefugeeWeekScotland twitter.com/ScotRefCouncil Patrons Nelson Mandela, Lord McCluskey Baroness Helena Kennedy and Joyce McMillan Registered charity number SC008639. Company Number SC145067.
Programme details are correct at time of going to print. Scottish Refugee Council cannot be held responsible for any subsequent changes to the advertised listings.