Arts Culture Health and Wellbeing Scotland (ACHWS) and the Scottish Refugee Council present a join event as part of the Refugee Festival Scotland (12th-21st June) and Healing Arts Scotland (15th – 19th June).
Last year ACHWS supported a countrywide survey of the creative health sector in partnership with the Culture, Health & Wellbeing Alliance, the Wales Arts, Health & Wellbeing Network, Arts Care (Northern Ireland), the Northern Ireland Creative Health Network, Réalta, and London Arts and Health which highlighted a growing set of concerns about far-right movements, hostile environments, and racism affecting communities and participants and practitioners.
We wanted to open up spaces for a conversation with those working with migrants and refugee communities across Scotland through creative practices to discuss how this is coming up in their work, how we can best support participants and each other and how they are approaching and/or dealing with increased barriers and pressures.
The conversation will be hosted by Amal Azzudin, an award-winning human rights activist and co-founder of the Glasgow Girls. She will be joined by practitioners Gabrielle Cluness (MILK), Anastasia Maria Douglas (Maryhill Integration Network) and artist Aref Ghorbani.
We are then opening the floor as we are really interested in hearing from you if your practice engages directly with migration, antiracism or tackling prejudice in any way; the more we can share good practice the more we support each other to move forward.
The event will be held on Zoom. To attend, book your place here.
Panellist info:
MILK
Founded in 2014, MILK is a social enterprise set up to support women from migrant backgrounds, including refugees and asylum seekers. They are a catering company and community space in the Southside of Glasgow.
Our aim is to provide a safe and welcoming environment that promotes integration within the community. Our space is multifunctional & hosts a number of local groups, classes, workshops, and pop-up events.
Maryhill Integration Network
Maryhill Integration Network was established to bring asylum seekers, refugees, migrants and the established population of Glasgow together.
Since 2001, MIN has developed projects to support positive social change, offering a safe, inclusive space for collaboration, connection, and social cohesion through, art, culture, and education.
Aref Ghorbani
Ghorbani is an Iranian-trained classical singer and Setar player based in Glasgow. Since arriving in Scotland in 2018, he has become a familiar voice in the city’s music and cultural scene, blending traditional Persian music with contemporary influences.
Aref also Holds MSc. Global Migrations and Social Justice from Glasgow University and been actively working in the refugee sector since his arrival in Scotland.
Aref is a key member of Musicians in Exile, an award-winning group of refugee and migrant musicians, and his debut album No More Shadows showcases his unique fusion style, including his first English-language track, “Dream Anthem.”
Aref is also a member of The Other, Edinburgh based band who had the release of their first album in Pianodrome launch.
You may have spotted Aref performing in numerous festivals, including Refugee Festival Scotland, COP26, Edinburgh Fringe, MELA Festival and SOLAS Festival, Edinburgh International Festival and Spit it Out Festival and so many other…
