Refugee Week, the world’s largest festival celebrating the creativity, resilience, and contributions of refugees, proudly announces its momentous 25th anniversary in the UK from 19th to 25th June 2023.
London has a special place in the hearts of the Refugee Week team. We work with organisations and partners around the UK and the rest of the world, but London is the city where it all started, being the home of Counterpoints Arts who are the organisers of Refugee Week.
Since its inception in 1998, Refugee Week has brought millions of people together through a vibrant programme of arts, cultures, sports, and educational events centred around World Refugee Day on 20th June. These initiatives, alongside media and creative campaigns, aim to connect people from different backgrounds beyond labels, as well as encourage understanding of why people are displaced, and the challenges they face when seeking safety.
As an umbrella festival, Refugee Week invites everyone to get involved by hosting or joining events and activities. Across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, hundreds of events will take place, showcasing the spirit of compassion and unity that permeates all four nations of the UK.
The Refugee Week 2023 calendar features a rich tapestry of powerful initiatives and collaborations happening in the capital, and in major cities and regional locations elsewhere. Here is a tiny selection of events happening next week in London:
COMEDY AND PERFORMANCE
FOOD
The Great Street Feast by Freedom from Torture
ART AND LITERATURE
Compassionate Cyanotype Printmaking : A Journey Through Nature-Based Integration
“You can see me, but I don’t exist” Exhibition of Photography and Writing
Book Launch – Conversations From Calais
In This World: Film Screening and Reading
FILM
Name Me Lawand — Film Premiere & Discussion
Film Screening: Ole Jacobs & Arne Büttner: Nasim
MULTI-ART
In This World: Film Screening and Reading
Counterpoints Arts and the Southbank Centre celebrate the 25th year of Refugee Week UK
Arts, Refugees and Mental health – report launch
Find more Refugee Week 2023 events here, and find our Regional Events here.