We’re delighted to share that Refugee Festival Scotland has awarded grants to 71 different community groups and organisations this year through the Small Grants scheme, and will also be supporting 3 creatives to present their work over the Festival, through Arts Open grants.  

The theme for this special anniversary year – which marks 25 years of the Festival, and 40 years of Scottish Refugee Council – is MILESTONES. Refugee Festival Scotland 2025 is a moment to remember past decades, reflect on the present, and look towards the future, as we celebrate milestones in communities across Scotland.  

Here’s some highlights to share of some of the grant awardees who will be helping mark those community MILESTONES, and presenting events in 2025’s Festival!  

Small Grants highlights

Journeys of Resilience: Celebrating Lives Transformed – Sewing2gether – Paisley  

Sewing2gether All Nations are planning an immersive Festival experience that illustrates the complexities of asylum seekers becoming refugees. 

Visitors will be able to step into an entrance with photos and quotes from refugees in Scotland. There’ll also be a central installation called ‘Milestones of the Journey’ created by an artist with lived experience of seeking sanctuary, this element will showcase key milestones in the journey from asylum seeker to refugee. 

Lastly, there will be an ‘Acknowledgement station’; a creative space where attendees write messages of support, solidarity and personal reflections.  

The Welcome Quilt – Afghan Sewing Group supported by Angus Council VC Resettlement and ESOL – Angus  

‘The Welcome Quilt’ is a unique project, where the Afghan Sewing Group in Angus will design and create a patchwork and embroidered quilt made of panels representing the different milestones that refugees in Angus have achieved. 

The creative process behind the quilt will pull different people together; ideas will come from projects run in Angus, and then a local refugee artist will ‘translate’ these words and ideas into simple images – which will then inform the different patch designs that make up this collaborative artwork.  

Once the quilt is completed it will tour public buildings to raise awareness of the refugee community in Angus – the goals they have achieved and the contribution they have made. 

Horses, Home & Heritage: A Day of Connection – Eat, Sleep, Ride – Lamberton 

Don’t miss the relaxed open day that Eat Sleep Ride are planning in Lamberton! 

During this event, refugee families can connect with the local community through hands-on experiences with horses. Families will enjoy a welcoming space to share stories, food, and conversation around the fire and while having new experiences with horses; leading them on the ground or simply spending time with them. The barn will be a hub for connection and shared experiences, with a barbecue and time to reflect together in a peaceful rural setting. 

Arts Open projects

This year’s Arts Open programme will be supporting: artist and cultural advocate Syeda Sadaf Zadai, theatre maker Varvara Mishna and filmmaker and playwright Javad Daraei. 

Syeda Sadaf Zadai’s work explores themes of identity, migration, and community resilience through vibrant mixed media techniques. Using paint, photography, text art, and interactive projects, she crafts visually striking pieces that highlight social injustices while celebrating women’s stories across cultures. 

Syeda’s process combines hands-on community work with deeply personal storytelling, giving voice to those facing systemic challenges. As an educator, she creates transformative workshops that empower participants to use art for social change, reimagining traditional community art models. For Arts Open, Syeda is going to facilitate a community arts project in Glasgow, culminating in a collective exhibition that will launch at the Festival. 

Varvara Mishyna’s work in the arts and creative industries spans multiple disciplines—from television and theatre to innovative cultural initiatives. Varvara is based in Dundee where she has founded the Ukrainian Amateur Theatre, a unique group that serves both children and adults, encompassing drama, dance, and song.  

During the Festival, they will present the musical Robinson, a unique production by the Ukrainian Amateur Theatre that creatively reimagines Daniel Defoe legendary tale of Robinson Crusoe. This project holds special significance for the Ukrainian community in Scotland, reflecting the resilience and adaptability of individuals who have found themselves in new environments far from home. Much like Defoe’s hero, Ukrainians abroad continue to overcome challenges and build supportive communities.  

Javad Daraei is an award-winning filmmaker, playwright, and theatre director whose work explores themes of human rights, war, trauma, and resilience. Beginning his artistic journey in Iran, Javad worked as an underground filmmaker, creating socially conscious films that highlighted the struggles of marginalised communities, particularly LGBTQ individuals and people with disabilities. His commitment to these themes came at great personal cost, including imprisonment and torture.    

In 2022, Javad was named an IIE-Artist Protection Fund Fellow at the University of Edinburgh’s Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, where he received vital support to continue developing his artistic voice. Through Arts Open, Javad will be able to present his films to audiences in Scotland for the first time, including his widely awarded first feature film Metamorphosis in the Slaughterhouse (2021).