Scottish Refugee Festival 2021

Monday, June 14, 2021 12:00 PM
Sunday, June 20, 2021 1:00 PM

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The Scottish Refugee Festival from the Scottish Refugee Council runs from 14 June - 20 June. The diverse line up of online and outdoor events includes contributions from artists and performers who came to Scotland seeking refugee protection and the communities that have welcomed them.

Refugee Festival Scotland features visual art, dance, talks, workshops, family events and more, and is open to everyone with an interest in finding out about the wide range of communities who have settled in Scotland. This year’s festival focuses on helping communities to reconnect and build bonds of friendship after months kept apart by the pandemic.

In Govanhill, MILK Cafe are holding ‘We Grow Stronger Together’, a celebration event in the Govanhill Community Garden at 4pm on the 16 June:

We invite you to join us in the Govanhill Community Garden for an afternoon of celebration. It has been a bit of an uphill struggle this last year but we are so grateful to have had our pals around us and a team of strong women to carry us through.
We want to offer thanks to everyone who has been involved and supported the project and welcome in the summer in style. Expect food and drinks, herb bouquets to take away and some cuttings to share. We definitely grow stronger together.

From live music and dance to online art exhibitions, film screenings, gaming marathons and family-friendly picnics, the festival has something for everyone. The line-up aims to bring people from different backgrounds and cultures together to meet, mix and get to know each other better.

Scottish Refugee Council’s Chief Executive Sabir Zazai said: “This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Refugee Convention, a UN treaty that defends the rights of refugees. Refugee Festival Scotland is an opportunity to reflect on Scotland’s longstanding tradition of offering protection to people seeking sanctuary and celebrate the many ways in which refugees enrich our communities. It also helps us to better understand the plight of refugees, fleeing conflict, persecution and human rights violations, the perilous journeys that many people face, and the complexities of an increasingly regressive asylum system.

“In these challenging and uncertain times, coming together in solidarity and support for Scotland’s refugee communities has never been more important. So, please join our colourful, diverse and vibrant programme of events to make new friends, extend a hand of friendship to New Scots and celebrate the positive contribution that refugees make to life in Scotland.”

The festival celebrates the many ways refugees contribute to Scotland’s cultural life by showcasing the food and drink, music and dance, language and art that people bring with them when they seek safety in Scotland.