PROGRAMME ANNOUNCEMENT: Refugee Week 2025 Conference
Are you passionate about the power of arts, culture, and community in shaping more hopeful futures? Do you want to be part of the world’s largest festival celebrating the resilience, creativity, and contributions of refugees? If so, the Refugee Week 2025 Conference is your chance to get involved. Join us to connect with others from across the globe and get ready for this year’s festival!
Date: 26th February 2025
Time: 10:30 AM GMT (Full programme details below!)
Register your free place here
Refugee Week 2025: Community as a Superpower
From 16th to 22nd June 2025, Refugee Week will celebrate the incredible everyday. Ordinary and extraordinary. Simple acts of shared generosity. Kindness multiplied to become an unstoppable force! Read all about this year’s theme “Community as a Superpower” here.
Whether you’re an old friend of Refugee Week or a newbie looking to get involved for the first time, the Refugee Week conference is open to all. Plus, it’s online, so we hope you are able to join us no matter where you are in the world.
Conference Programme Highlights
10:30 AM – 10:40 AM GMT | Welcome to Refugee Week Conference
Join your hosts Lara Deffense (Refugee Week UK Coordinator) and Zafeerah Heesambee (Refugee Week UK Producer) as they introduce this year’s Refugee Week conference and share what’s in store for the day!
10:40 AM – 10:50 AM GMT| The Importance of Refugee Week & Global Context
Enver Solomon (CEO of Refugee Council and Refugee Week Co-Chair) opens this year’s conference with some thoughts on the power of Refugee Week and reflections on this year’s theme “Community as a Superpower”. Vicky Tennant, the UK representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees joins us to address the current global context.
10:50 AM – 11:00 AM GMT| Introducing: Community as a Superpower
Refugee Week co-chair Dr. Dima Mekdad shares her thoughts & reflections on this year’s theme “Community as a Superpower?”. Dr Dima Mekdad’s career journey spans clinical research, education, arts and culture. She is dedicated to creating spaces for embodied transformation, and cultural expression for social change.
11:00 AM – 11:10 AM GMT | Musical Performance by Dafaallah Elhaj Ali Mustafa Salim
Musical performance by researcher, educator, and accomplished musician specializing in Sudanese traditional music. With extensive academic credentials, including an MA in Drama and Music and a High Diploma in Folklore, he combines deep scholarly insights with hands-on expertise in crafting traditional musical instruments. Over his career, he has manufactured more than 300 traditional instruments, collaborated with cultural institutions globally, and spearheaded initiatives to preserve and celebrate Sudanese folklore.
11:10 AM – 11:15 AM GMT | The Power of Arts & Culture to Bring Communities Together
Meet the very wonderful Hiba Elhindi, the Artistic Director of Sudafest. Sudafest is a festival showcasing the vibrant essence of Sudanese cultures and arts, forging connections with diverse communities worldwide. Joining us for this year’s conference to share her reflections on the power of art and culture in bringing people together, particularly in light of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
11:15 AM – 11:30 AM GMT | How You Can Get Involved in Refugee Week 2025
Refugee Week UK Coordinators Lara and Zafeerah guide us through the simple ways you can get involved in this year’s festival. They’ll walk us through all the ways to take part from (1) How to support local (2) How to take part in Simple Acts campaign and how to (3) Hold your own event and activity.
As well as announcing this year’s new Simple Acts they’ll also share new resources for everyone to take part. From event organiser packs, to resources for children & young people and a brand new Neighbourhoods pack inviting high streets, businesses, libraries, univerities, local authorities, gyms and everything in between to get involved!
11:30 AM – 11:40 AM GMT | Revealing the Artwork for Community as a Superpower
Meet the Refugee Week 2025 artist: 8bitfaz (aka Faz!) who is designing the poster and social media assets for this year’s theme “Community as a Superpower”. We are so excited for Faz to introduce himself, his approach to creating art and revealing this year’s poster. As well as revealing the poster he will also share with us how you can use the art, customise it, use digital elements and more.
11:40 AM – 11:50 AM GMT| Moomin 80 & Refugee Week
In the UK, Moomin Characters are partnering with Counterpoints Arts to commission four artists to create four public artworks inspired by The Moomins and the Great Flood to be presented during Refugee Week. As well as the artworks there will be other resources available to use.
11:50 AM – 11:55 AM GMT | Musical Performance by Etaf
Etaf is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in London. Raised in Kuwait and with Palestinian and Lebanese roots, Etaf is proudly part of the Arabic diaspora and their music draws on their Arabic heritage.
11:55 AM – 12:05 PM GMT | The Power of Film: A Conversation with Other Cinemas
We are delighted to welcome Other Cinemas to share more about their work and their involvement with the Refugee Week Film Programme. Other Cinemas is a Brent-based project established by the filmmaking duo Turab Shah and Arwa Aburawa who saw the need for better and more equitable ways of film-making, sharing, and education. Seeing these three strands as inseparable, their work attempts to create a vital and holistic alternative to the industry that addresses its racial and class biases. Other Cinemas’ work is rooted in their diverse neighbourhoods in northwest London, some of the most racially diverse in the country but chronically underserved in terms of cultural provisions.
12:05 PM – 12:10 PM GMT | Introducing: Refugee Week Portugal
Welcome to Refugee Week, Portugal! We are so excited that the coordinators of the inaugural Refugee Week in Portugal will be joining us to share their journey of starting a brand new Refugee Week. A great session to join for anyone interested in starting Refugee Week celebrations and learning more about this growing international movement.
12:10 PM – 12:15 PM GMT | Refugee Week & Media: Storytelling for Change
IMIX’s Media & Storytelling Manager, Elahe Ziai, joins us to share her thoughts on harnessing different types of storytelling methods to talk about refugee experiences. Elahe is leading this year’s Refugee Week Media Ambassador programme and will share how you can connect with them as well as some pointers on connecting with local media.
12:15 PM – 12:30 PM GMT| What’s Next?
Join Lara and Zafeerah for a final review of what’s next on the Refugee Week timeline. Get key dates, upcoming events, and next steps as you prepare to participate in this year’s celebrations.
12:30 PM – 1:00 PM GMT| Optional Networking Session
This informal session is an opportunity to connect with other attendees, ask questions, and share ideas about Refugee Week 2025. Whether you’re an event organiser, artist, or community leader, this is the space to make new connections and exchange inspiration!
How Can You Get Involved in Refugee Week 2025?
There are many ways to participate in Refugee Week 2025. Whether you’re looking to support events in your local community, take part in the Simple Acts campaign, or create your own event or activity, this conference will provide all the resources and inspiration you need to get involved! Visit refugeeweek.org.uk for more information. And follow us on social media for news & updates (Instagram, Facebook, X/Twitter)
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Is the conference open to everyone?
Absolutely! Whether you’re a first-timer or a long-time Refugee Week supporter, everyone is welcome. Businesses, community groups, organisations, and individuals are encouraged to join. - Will the conference be recorded?
While the event will be live, we’ll share highlight clips and resources after the event via our website, newsletter, and social media. - I’m not based in the UK, can I join?
Yes! Refugee Week is a global movement, and every year we are delighted to have attendees and speakers from all over the world. - What language will the conference be in?
The conference will be in English, though some performances will feature different languages, including Arabic.