Celebrating Sanctuary London

The UK's largest free outdoor festival celebrating the arts by, with and about refugees will return to London's South Bank on Sunday, 15 June, launching Refugee Week UK 2014, a UK-wide programme of cultural and educational events which celebrate the contribution of refugees to the UK, and aims to encourage better understanding between communities.

Celebrating Sanctuary London, now in its 15th year, is a unique day out for the entire family, featuring live music, dance, international food delights, spoken word & poetry, workshops, info stalls, art installations - a delicious, delightful, delirious snapshot of the cultural contribution of refugee artists and refugee communities to the UK, regularly attracting over 20,000 people.

The music line-up, spanning regions from Syria to Rwanda and beyond includes South London/Nigerian Grime MC Afrikan Boy; Somali Party Southall featuring award-winning percussionist Kuljit Bhamra MBE and British Somali singer Abdulkarim Raas; and a collective of talent called Rafiki Jazz whose members have roots in Brazil, Gambia, Mauritius, Senegal, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and the UK. This year's event also features a number of exclusive collaborations, including the inspired meeting of sounds and voices between Anglo-Polish songbird Katy Carr and Ethiopian born singer Haymanot Tesfa. (Watch out for more announcements about collaborations in the comings weeks). Comedy will come from Somali-born stand-up comedian Prince Abdi.