REFUGEE FESTIVAL SCOTLAND is back for its seventeenth year with a jam-packed programme of events designed to bring communities across the country together.
Run by the Scottish Refugee Council, the two-week celebration highlights the positive contribution refugees make to Scotland’s cultural landscape when they begin new lives in safety in Scotland.
The festival will take place from 20 June – 2 July in venues all over Scotland.
This year’s varied programme boasts music, visual art, films and even a football tournament. Foodies will be in for a treat thanks to the market stalls and pop-up kitchens serving dishes from all over the world.
Festival producer Eleanor Harris said: “So many people across Scotland have come together to welcome refugees over the last year. We are amazed and inspired by people’s kindness and their desire to connect with those who have come here seeking safety from war and violence in their home countries.
“Refugee Festival Scotland gives people from different backgrounds the chance to get to know each other better, to find out a little about each other’s lives and cultures and to discover what we have in common.
“With events running right across the country our festival shows Scotland at its best – friendly, welcoming and full of colour and creativity.”
Refugee Festival Scotland programme highlights
Food and drink
Kuche street market
Market stalls run by refugee cooks selling street food reminiscent of their own market culture.
When: 1st July, 11am – 5pm
Where: 3 Ross Street (near Barras Market) Glasgow
Music
Sounds from Ghana via Morocco
An evening of live music by acclaimed Ghanaian artists Gameli Tordzro and Reuben Y Odoi combining traditional tunes from Ghana with contemporary musical influences from across Africa and the West.
When: 21st June, 7.30pm
Where: Dram! 232 Woodlands Road, Glasgow
Dance
Edinburgh City of Sanctuary Ceilidh Connections
A special ceilidh to celebrate the many people, places and organisations that make Edinburgh a welcoming city for people seeking sanctuary. A family-friendly evening with shared food, followed by dancing and music from diverse community groups.
When: 1st July, 5-11pm,
Where: Kings Hall Edinburgh
Theatre
Dundee Rep’s Youth Theatre presents The Blue Road + HOME Double Bill
The Blue Road is an exciting new play by acclaimed writer Laura Lomas exploring memory, loss, living in the aftermath and our capacity to begin again. HOME takes inspiration from The Blue Road and draws on personal and political stories from near and far, this new performance will explore what home means to us in 2017.
When: 23 & 24 June.
Where: Dundee Rep Theatre, Tay Square, Dundee
Family and community
Connect with food and photos
Cook out on open fires, bring a dish to share, take a photo walk in the woods, take part in craft activities or watch a film in a cinema yurt. Everyone is welcome. Come and connect with new friends under the trees, for this special event hosted by the Forestry Commission Scotland and Urban Roots.
When: 28 June, 3-8pm
Where: Malls Mire Community Woodland, Glasgow
View the full programme at www.refugeefestivalscotland.co.uk
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