2 June 2020
It’s nearly Refugee Week & we are looking forward to celebrating the first-ever virtual Refugee Week to ‘imagine’ a different world. STAR is an official Refugee Week partner organisation, sitting on the steering group alongside many great organisations who are doing amazing work to welcome refugees.
We have some exciting events and simple acts you can take part in including a collaboration with Refugee Week and The Giant Dolls’ House Project, a stand-up comedy night with No Direction Home and Mo Omar as well as STAR’s very own simple acts. Read on to find out more.
Refugee Week is a nationwide programme of arts, cultural and educational events that celebrate the contribution of refugees to the UK and this year Refugee Week (15th – 21st June) will be the first-ever virtual Refugee Week and it is looking bigger and better than ever as anyone anywhere can take part in the virtual celebration.
The theme this year is ‘Imagine’ so let’s get creative and imagine a better future.
STAR’s Refugee Week events
Learn how to build a Dolls’ House with architect Catja de Haas – a Refugee Week prep event for STAR students
When: Friday 5th June
Where: online
open to current and potential STAR students
We have an exciting event in collaboration with Refugee Week coordinator Emily Churchill-Zaraa and architect Catja de Haas. STAR students will be gathering online to learn more about Refugee Week and find out how to tell a story by building your own Dolls’ House in a shoebox out of household waste products like food wrappers and toilet rolls.
The Giant Dolls’ house project is an international collaborative arts project that engages local communities and raises awareness for homelessness and refugees.
If you’re STAR member or you’re thinking to set up a STAR group at your university we would love to see you there.
A brilliant night of comedy for Refugee Week, with No Direction Home and guest headliner Mo Omar
When: 16th June
Where: online
Get your ticket here
Join us for a hilarious virtual comedy night with No Direction Home, a collective of stand-up comics from refugee and migrant backgrounds, and with guest headliner Mo Omar. The gig open to all and “Pay What You Can Afford* to help cover costs. We look forward to seeing you there.
Mo Omar is a fast-rising talent with a unique perspective on culture, faith, and love. Recently making his TV debut on Harry Hills Clubnite on Channel 4, Mo was also selected to perform in The Pleasance Comedy Reserve show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2019 and was a finalist in the BBC Introducing Radio 4 Comedy Award.
No Direction Home is run by Counterpoints Arts as part of their PopChange project, in partnership with Camden People’s Theatre and comedian Tom Parry. It’s a unique course for new comics from refugee and migrant backgrounds.
Essex STAR x Phosphoros Theatre: Pizza Shop Heroes Performance
When: Sunday 14th June
Essex STAR has teamed up with Phosphoros Theatre for the live streaming of the Pizza Shop Heroes performance, staring four refugee young men who made the arduous journey to the UK on their own as children from Afghanistan, Eritrea, and Albania. It was shortlisted for the Amnesty Freedom of Expression Award in 2016.
You can find the link for the live streaming of the performance here.
STAR’s 25th birthday photo project for Refugee Week
We’re working on an online photo series project to celebrate STAR’s 25th birthday and the people that have been involved in it and we want to hear your stories. The project will be a Humans of New York-style photo gallery featuring people who have been part of STAR’s history of welcome over the past 25 years.
We would love to collect and share as many stories as we can on Refugee Week and throughout the year so if you want to take part in the project here is what you need to do: 1. Answer these questions 2. Email your answers and a good quality photo of you to Jamala on Jamala@star-network.org.uk
STAR’s simple acts
Each year, Refugee Week suggests a number of Simple Acts people can do. Simple Acts are everyday actions we can all do to stand with refugees and make new connections in our communities and this year STAR has come up with 2 of its own simple acts.
Students will take part in a social media action linked to Refugee Week’s Simple Act Imagine a shared world. They will be sharing pictures of their area and streets along with the famous lines “imagine all the people, sharing all the world” from Bob Dylan’s song Imagine.
Students will also be becoming virtual quilting bees to design a virtual quilt celebrating STAR’s history of welcoming refugees for the last 25 years and will also be imagining a better world.
There are so many Refugee Week events coming up, to find out more click here.