We open in three weeks time!

For the last eight months, our Syrian refugee participants have been attending weekly therapeutic drama workshops. The aim has been to provide a safe and welcoming space for these individuals to empower and integrate themselves in to Scottish society, share stories and experiences of their time in Syria and meet other people from similar backgrounds.

Since we came back after the Winter holidays, we have started work on our new production - ‘The Trojans’, an adaptation of Euripedes’ classic, anti-war masterpiece. The cast; characters and ’the Chorus’ within the play all bring their own personal, powerful experiences to the production, with the script combining Euripides’ original verse and their own accounts of the war in Syria. Leading the cast is award-winning director Victoria Beesley, supported by the originating producers of the project, with the support of Glasgow City Council.

Rehearsals are in full swing and we are all set to open on 8th February, for two nights at Platform Theatre in Glasgow. Tickets will be released next week, so make sure you get yours!

Building Bridges with Glasgow’s Community Projects

This week we have been establishing stronger ties with community-based projects and charities who are helping refugees settle into Glasgow.

We met with Selina and Hannah from Refuweegee and discussed at length the issues that we had found to face the refugee and volunteer community in Glasgow. We also took the opportunity to introduce them to our newest addition to the team, Flora, who will offer her help to Refuweegee once a week. She will be leading an exciting new project with them which will culminate in a photographic exhibition of the life of refugees in Glasgow from their own perspectives.

We were thrilled to meet May Nicholson and Alison Black, who created and run the Preshal Trust. We discussed the main concerns of the people who attend the Preshal Trust’s centre: loneliness, isolation and a lack of community. These issues greatly affect the refugees we work with and as a result, we were very glad to discuss ways we could involve refugees in the wonderful projects, classes, schemes and community that the Preshal Trust has created.

Find out more on the Preshal Trust here

Find out more on Refuweegee here

An Arabic Radio Drama - Media Support Partnership

“I learned how to take out what is inside me with courage and smoothness. I discovered many stories. I did not know how to express them. I grew up with a number of friends from different cultures. I knew some of their views about the refugees and they were very positive and I became more connected with my friends and most importantly I discovered what was inside my fifteen year old daughter – bold and civilized ideas and opinions.” (Male workshop participant, Heidelberg)

Quoted from Media Support Partnership

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