Imagining Sanctuary: Refugee Week Programme
This Refugee Week 14-20 June we’re collaborating with creatives and organisations that work with them to bring a week of events to Lewisham.
The programme includes a whole variety of activities and events the whole family can get involved with at some of Lewisham’s most iconic locations. Each event celebrates creativity, and especially the creativity of people with lived experience of forced migration.
The grand finale of the week is a live market at Beckenham Place Mansion on 19 June, with creative stalls, workshops, art, music, food and more!
Programme
Entry to all events is free – donations gratefully received (we’ll tell you how closer to the time).
Monday 14 June | Eskista Dance Class
Learn traditional Ethiopian dance with Tade Barch!
Eskista is a traditional Ethiopian dance, performed by both men and women usually in a group. The dance involves rolling the shoulder blades, bouncing the shoulders and jilting the chest. Aimed at all ages and abilities.
Meet in person by booking your ticket in link below or join via instagram live and have fun taking part from home!
Instagram live 6.30-7pm
Tuesday 15 June | Voices of Life
An evening of art, music, poetry and food. Two multi-talented artists come together to share their creative works.
“Dear friends, I want to introduce two musical instruments and play a song with them. Show my poetry books and read a poem from each of them. We can make friends who like Persian poetry or are poets themselves”.
“My name is Marco Muñoz and I am originally from Ecuador. In my life I have worked many different jobs, including as a teacher and organiser of art projects with children and young people. One challenge I have struggled to overcome is the idea that art is about right or wrong, ‘good’ or ‘not good’, but now I see art as a process of exploration and doing what you like to do. Recently I wrote this book about my life in the rainforest in Ecuador, and in this book is the poem I will read at this event, a poem about love.”
The event will be catered by Refugee Cafe serving Pasteles de Viente and strawberry with chocolate from Ecuador.
Beckenham Place Mansion 6.30-8.30pm
Tickets here Voices of life Tickets, Tue 15 Jun 2021 at 18:30
Wednesday 16 June | Lewisham Refugee Week Film Night
An online short film screening plus a Q&A session on Wedesday 16th June.
Come along and join us from the comfort of your sofa and enjoy the amazing creations by talented artists such as Majid Adin, Sofia el Khyari, Loup Blaster and members of Women for Refugee Women’s drama group. We are delighted that some of the artists will be with us on the night to introduce their creations and participate in a Q&A session.
Zoom video 6.30-7.30pm – register here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lewisham-refugee-week-film-night-tickets-158132459443
Thursday 17 June | Open Mic Night
Music, spoken word & more – come join in! Hosted by Flotsam Sessions
It’s Lewisham Refugee Week open mic night! – Play your original tracks, innovative covers, or entertain us with lyrical poems. We’re starting off with Flotsam Sessions Orchestra, a unique music collaboration bringing together talented musicians spanning diverse backgrounds and cultures. Join us on Thursday, 17th of June at Matchstick Piehouse and take your part in solidarity with refugees.
Matchstick Piehouse from 7.30pm
No tickets required – come along to watch or perform! Places will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis.
Friday 18 June | Art Exhibition
See a range of works from artists with lived experience of forced migration.
As part of Refugee Awareness Week 2021, Goldsmiths STAR are curating an exhibition to promote and share stories from our community. The exhibition will be a space to display the works of students and local residents, as well as artwork by members of the refugee and asylum seeker community. We will be showcasing work by our member artists from across the UK and Europe as part of this exhibition.
Goldsmith University | 12pm-7pm
Tickets here Social Exhibition + EKÔ Launch Party Tickets, Fri 18 Jun 2021 at 12:00
Saturday 19 June | Refugee Market
The grand finale! Stalls selling art, crafts, clothing and more, plus workshops, music & food.
Our grand finale celebration event is a day of arts, crafts, music, food, workshops, fun and community. There will be market stalls with refugee creatives and organisations who work with them and a programme of workshops and live music throughout the afternoon.
Beckenham Place Mansion | 10am-4pm
Indoor events and workshops will be ticketed. Tickets here
Making Chavelitas with Refugee Cafe Tickets, Sat 19 Jun 2021 at 11:00
Workshop with Lewisham Migration Forum Tickets, Sat 19 Jun 2021 at 11:45
Song Sharing Workshop with Flotsam Sessions, Sat 19 June 2021 at 1pm
Making Hummus with Refugee Cafe, Sat 19 June 2021 at 1.45pm
London Must Act Tickets, Sat 19 Jun 2021 at 14:30
All week | Now You See Me Moria Action Book
In August 2020 Amir, a refugee stuck in Moria and Noemí, an Amsterdam based photo editor decided to publish pictures of life at the camp on Instagram. @now_you_see_me_moria almost immediately drew the attention of various media outlets, individuals and organizations across Europe. Today the account has a following of more than 30,000 people. From a small collective Now You See Me Moria has become a civil rights movement demanding fundamental change to European migration policy.
In February of this year 460 designers developed posters based on the pictures of Ali and Qutaeba, who had joined Amir in the meantime. The posters went public on Valentine’s day. A publication was developed in which the pages can be turned into exhibitions for a wide range of venues: from art museums to cultural centers or public space.
The design and structure of the Now You See Me Moria – ACTION BOOK emphasizes sharing rather than keeping, inviting everyone to become a messenger. It is a ready-made object of protest. Let the book also be your tool to contribute to immediate action!
Catford Broadway Windows (viewable from outside the iconic Catford Broadway building) – 12-30 June.