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Refugee Week 2023 is finally here!
Refugee Week is a festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary.
This year, we’re celebrating Compassion. Together, we can create a shared understanding of compassion to ensure we are extending it widely to all.
Check out some of the events going on in Swansea below:
✨Local board game cafe, Common Meeple, have chosen the wonderful Swansea Asylum Seekers Support as their Charity of the Month for the whole of June!✨
We are very excited to have our Home Away from Home Exhibition on display once again at the National Waterfront Museum for the whole of Refugee Week! Pop in to the Museum during opening hours between Friday 16th – Friday 23rd to learn more about Swansea as a City of Sanctuary!
Friday 16th June
We are absolutely delighted to be collaborating with Swansea Council Education Directorate (Swansea Council) and Swansea Arena to host the prestigious Swansea Schools of Sanctuary Awards Ceremony this year. This is a fantastic opportunity to bring together children, parents, teachers, and organisations in the sector from across Swansea to share and learn what it means to become a School of Sanctuary!
On Friday evening, join us at the GRAFT community garden at 6:30pm at the National Waterfront Museum for a seasonal dinner cooked in our community built, wood-fired oven. This supper is the launch event in celebration of Refugee Week, with themed talks, food and music! £15 per entry.
Sunday 18th June
As The First Museum of Sanctuary, The National Waterfront Museum then welcome you to come to their Celebrating Refugee Week Event from 11am-4pm, to celebrate the diversity of Wales with a day of music, crafts, object handling, recipe sharing and stories from our refugee and asylum seeking community on Sunday 18th June. There will also be some kite flying organised by Unity in Diversity! This event is in partnership with the wonderful Oxfam Castle Street Swansea. Look out for our information stall!
Tuesday 20th June
On Tuesday 20th, Swansea Libraries are putting on a brilliant event to Celebrate Compassion from 3-6pm! There will be seed planting, a family animation workshop, library tours, and storytimes in various languages.
The Open University’s Sanctuary Advisory Network are hosting one of three seminars: Education Pathways on Tuesday at 12:00. Register your place on Eventbrite.
Wednesday 21st June
Eric Ngalle Charles is back from his latest adventures and will be running another 5 creative writing sessions at The Dylan Thomas Centre for refugees and people seeking asylum. Their first session is on the Wednesday during Refugee Week, with further workshops taking place on: Thurs 29th June, Thurs 6th July, Thurs 13th July, Thurs 20th July. All run from 10am-12noon.To book your place, please email [email protected] – booking is not essential, but it’s helpful for them to know how many people are coming along.
The Open University’s Sanctuary Advisory Network are hosting one of three seminars: Widening Access to Education for Migrants, Asylum Seekers and Refugees on Wednesday at 12:00. Register your place on Eventbrite.
Thursday 22nd June
Swansea Council have organised a Refugee Week Employability Event at Swansea Quadrant (in pop-up shop opposite JD Sports) from 11am-2pm, featuring job and volunteer opportunities, welfare rights advice and employment support. Full information can be found on their leaflet.
The Open University’s Sanctuary Advisory Network are hosting one of three seminars: Recognition as a Refugee in the UK on Thursday at 12:00. Register your place on Eventbrite.
Friday 23rd June
The African Community Centre welcomes you to a day of celebration at The Grand Multicultural Hub, with live music, special guest speakers, audience participation and table discussions. Find out more here.
Glynn Vivian Art Gallery are hosting a taster day on Friday 23rd June 13:00 – 15:00, attendees can see and try the range of activities and classes Glynn Vivian run, and sign up to take part.
Pennard Library are creating a cloud of kindness, a crafty activity asking people to write kind things about others and decorate a cloud. 3:30pm-4:15pm.
Saturday 24th June
To finish off Refugee Week, Brynhyfryd Library are celebrating with poetry reading by the wonderful Aruni McShane from her new book ‘Purity and Hope: The Journey of Aruni McShane‘, there will also be flower making and other crafts. Running from 10:30am. See full details here.
Other events across Wales can be found at celebratinghome.wales
