This is a guest post by Alleyway Radical Theatre.

We are Alleyway Radical Theatre, a migrant and refugee led theatre company which works with shadow theatre and puppetry.

We come from various backgrounds, from Palestine, Pakistan, Egypt and Spain. Some of us came to the UK when we were young with our families, some of us came to work, to live, others to be with those they love and others to flee persecution in their own countries, or in countries where they were already refugees.

We are artists, performers, musicians who came together because of a shared will to shed light on the important struggles of migrants.

We have designed a workshop for school classes and youth groups aged 9+ for Refugee Week 2016. The workshop is based on our own performance ‘Here I Am’ exploring refugee experiences of borders, you can watch the trailer here: http://youtu.be/w84807y0uo0.

Our workshop is a chance to explore and reflect on the issues that migrants face on their journeys and during the asylum seeking process upon their arrival in the U.K. Throughout it, young people will discuss the reasons which force people out of their home countries, what makes their journeys so difficult and how to address them.  Open debate and discussion will be encouraged through drama games and the creation of the participants’ own piece on the subject. The participants will make a series of simple shadow puppets and cutouts which they can set in motion to tell their own story or thoughts, images which will reflect the themes of movement, borders, war, home, belonging etc… which they will show to each other.

The workshop’s aim is that the youngsters leave the session being able to reflect on their lives and question how to act in the world.

The medium which we use is really magical and will no doubt spark the imagination, creativity and reflection of young people. It is very hands on and easy to master, with a little time and a bit of guidance from our members, they will be able to express their emotions, ideas and opinions. It is an engaging and new way for young people to participate in Refugee Week.

You can read more about us and our projects on our blog: alleywayblog.wordpress.com