We’re thrilled to announce that 68 community groups have been awarded grants to help them participate in Refugee Festival Scotland this summer. 

Community organisations from across the country have been awarded funding totalling more than £28,500 by the Refugee Festival Scotland Small Grants fund. The funding will help cover the cost of putting on events as part of this year’s festival.  

The successful applicants are planning workshops, exhibitions, cook outs, and much more! Below are some exciting samples of events taking place, to whet your appetite. We can’t wait for June!  

Shine Your Light Community 

Among the organisations that have been awarded funding is Shine Your Light Community, an organisation in Glasgow that focuses on improving wellbeing and the eradication of poverty for single parents and their families. They will be putting together a fashion parade that helps reduce social isolation by bringing together New Scots and life-long Glaswegians to make friends and showcase traditional dress. 

Refugee Action Scotland

Re-Act, based in Edinburgh, focuses on aid distribution and integration activities for New Scots. Re-Act will be running a free painting and photography workshop for children aged 8+ across the two Saturdays of the Festival, run by two of their members, who are both artists from Syria. This will be a wonderful opportunity for young people to get their creative juices flowing and to meet other new young community members!

Milk Cafe

Milk Cafe will be running a workshop on the hostile environment and how to be a good ally to asylum seekers and refugees in your community. Led by individuals with lived experience of the asylum-seeking process, this workshop will be a thought-proving event for anyone not familiar with the asylum and refugee process and offer an opportunity to ask questions in a safe and supportive environment.

High Life Highland Adult Learning

High Life Highland Adult Learning will be flying ‘The Afghan Kites of Hope.’ This event in Inverness will include a traditional Afghan kite-making workshop, an Afghan picnic in the garden, an intro to calligraphy and spoken Farsi, an Afghan culture and heritage quiz… and more!

Refugee Festival Scotland 2023 runs from 17-26 June. The full festival programme will be unveiled mid-May. To be the first to hear about the rich diversity of events taking place, sign up for our newsletter via refugeefestivalscotland.co.uk.