World Refugee Day 2019

For World Refugee Day 2019, we're hosting a space for discussion, creativity, and learning at 640 East at The Arches in Bethnal Green with art, music, dance, film, and talks with the central focus on how to take action.

This is the *after-party* for our event at Weiner Library- Refugee Voices, Then & Now - reserve your ticket here: https://www.facebook.com/events/353890028611500/

Doors open at 8pm, with performances starting at 8:30pm.

Photography - Still I Rise & "Through Our Eyes"
On display, we have a photography exhibition called "Through Our Eyes", where boys and girls aged 12 to 17 living in de facto refugee camp on Samos Island in Greece were given disposable cameras and asked to take pictures of the things they love and hate about where they live. The young photographers are students at the Mazi youth center run by the NGO Still I Rise, which provides educational and psychosocial support for children living in the camp.

Comedy - Abduwahab from No Direction Home : Stand-up Comedy
Abdulwahab, a Syrian refugee, is a freelance journalist and a guest lecturer at LCC and other universities. He is currently working on a podcast to raise awareness about integration and adapting to the new host country. He works on issues related to ethics, identity and refugees.

Poetry - Mark Coverdale and Fiona Sinead Brehony from Poets Versus
Mark Coverdale is a poet living and working in London. He is the founder and editor of Tonic Sta Press. In 2019, with Julia Smith, they founded Poets Versus, a platform for poets highlighting and fighting social injustice and inequality. Widely published, Mark writes and performs socially and politically observational poetry.

Open Mic - Refugee, Asylum Seeking, and Migration Experiences hosted by Samantha Emily Evans
Migration is a very common experience, especially in London. According to #UN4refugeesmigrants, a migrant is someone who changes his or her country of usual residence. We're creating a space to talk openly about our experiences as international migrants, the privilege that comes with that, as well as how it differs from being a refugee and asylum seeker. It'll be hosted by our Communications Coordinator - Samantha Emily Evans.

Documentary Film - The Refuge Project
The Refuge Project documents the stories of refugee and asylum seekers in Greece filmed in January 2016 over several weeks focused on fostering humanity and hope.

Documentary Film - Short of the Week
Short of the Week, a free short film streaming site, has a number of insightful short films that we will be screening.

Our Kind of Love (Elham Ehsas & Azeem Bhati, Azana Films) is a romance about Samira, an Afghan refugee, going on her first date in London.

Home (Mulloy) focuses on themes of war and migration, and uses its absurd premise of reversing the refugee journey to help families understand what many migrant families are experiencing in their journey for a better life.

Dance - Refugee Week
For Refugee Week 2019, the organizers have put together a Spotify playlist with refugee artists from around the world. We'll be dancing along to these tunes!

£10 *suggested and super appreciated* donation with drinks and food available at the venue.

Ticket donation will go to Action for Education, a grassroots NGO that runs learning centers and safe spaces for refugee and asylum seekers in Greece.

If you want to read more about our work, go to actionforeducation.co.uk/.