Refugee Week 2025

Community as a Superpower

York Refugee Week is one of the most vibrant in the country, please support events with all the shares, support and love!

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Calendar of Events

Saturday 14th june

children’s arts and crafts workshop

10am-12pm: Southlands methodist church hall, bishopthorpe road, yo23 1nx

A fun art and crafts workshop organised by York City of Sanctuary for children ages 7-11 years. Parents welcome!

To book a free place, contact: rebecca@yorkcos.org.uk.

theatre of connections performance

4-5pm: Studio, York theatre royal, st Leonard’s place, yo1 7hd

Join us at YTR to see a new performance by Theatre Of Connections as part of the Sweet Legacies Project; a theatre piece inspired by the heritage of the Rowntrees family.

Theatre of Connections:

Composed of individuals from the Global Majority community, as well as refugees and asylum seekers living in York and its surrounding areas, Theatre of Connections is a vibrant collective that celebrates the richness of our multicultural community by embracing diverse perspectives and fostering intercultural connections.

We harness the transformative power of theatre to promote empowerment, empathy, and social change.

Through creative expression, we amplify the voices of these communities, shedding light on their lived experiences and raising awareness of the challenges they face.

We tell stories to inspire reflection, foster empathy, and deepen understanding, paving the way for meaningful social change.

Free, but please book your seats at York Theatre Royal.

monday 16th June - sunday 22nd june

rebuilding lives of ugandan asians in york

10am-5pm daily: york Castle museum, tower street, yo1 9ry

Exhibition organised by Eimaan Culture and Community Services and York Museums Trust

monday 16th June

York minster workshop

An event provided by York Minster for RAY attendees only.

curry & quiz night fundraiser for Ray

7pm: Parvin Restaurant, Haxby, YO32 3hb

Join us for a night of fantastic food and quiz competition. Entry of £22 per person (cash on the evening), includes a 3 course Indian meal, the quiz and a donation to RAY.

This event is fully booked. To be added to waiting list, email meg@refugeeactionyork.com.

Tables of 4, 5 and 6 are available. Smaller groups will be joined with others to make a table.

building community as a superpower for sanctuary

6-7:30pm: riverside lounge, york guildhall

What role for universities, local authorities, human rights organisations, faith groups and refugee and migrant support organisations?

Please join us for a panel discussion to launch Refugee Week 2025 as we examine the role of universities and cities of sanctuary in building a welcoming community for refugees and asylum seekers during a time of increasing anti-migrant hostility.

Speakers include the Pro-Vice Chancellor for Enterprise, Partnerships and Engagement, Professor Kiran Trehan; Director of Philanthropy, Mary Haworth and Dr Rachel Alsop from the Centre for Women’s Studies at the University of York; Dr Ahmed Khaleel from York City of Sanctuary; John Williamson from RAY (Refugee Action York); and Emma Greenall and Jodie Cook from the City of York Council’s Refugee Resettlement Programme.

The panel will be chaired by Simon Parker and Sara de Jong of the University of York Migration Network.

A limited number of tickets are available for the in-person event at the York Guildhall Riverside Lounge, and it is possible to register for the online webinar, for those who prefer to attend remotely.

tuesday 17th June

amnesty York event

2-5pm: York st john University, Cordukes Room 004

Amnesty York will share how small acts by individuals and small groups can impact on the lives of Human Rights Defenders.

equality, academic freedom and Human rights talk

7-8pm: online

Article 26 of the International Declaration of Human Rights states the right to education. Yet across the world, many academics are facing the need to flee persecution. How is the University of York facing this challenge?

As part of Refugee Week, join speakers Robin Perutz and Saeed Akkad for a fascinating discussion drawing on their experiences as scientific researchers. They will look at how policy changes in America are influencing the wider world, the threat of disinformation in 2025, and what happens when a government is at odds with its own researchers.

Speakers:

Robin is a former Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at York and has served as the Academic Freedom and Human Rights Representative of The Royal Society for ten years. In those years, he also hosted displaced scientists in his lab, hearing first-hand accounts of their struggles in fleeing their home countries.

Saeed fled the Syrian civil war in 2016 and arrived in the UK through a Council for At Risk Academics (CARA) fellowship, alongside further funding from the York Sanctuary Fund. This supported him throughout his PhD and later in his early career as Post-Doctoral Research Assistant at the University of York.

This talk is free but welcomes any donations to the York Sanctuary Fund, which helps academics like Saeed to conduct their research at York without fear of persecution. Sign up at Eventbrite.

wednesday 18th June

honouring the artwork of refugee children and war-affected youth: curatorial conversations

5:30-7pm: online

For this Visual Ethics Network event, we will be joined by Prof. Claudia Mitchell (McGill University) to discuss the ethical challenges identified in curatorial conversations when working with the artwork of refugee children and war-affected youth. The event will comprise a talk, a discussion, and a participatory workshop. The event is funded by the Centre for Modern Studies, University of York.

Free - for details and to sign up: https://tinyurl.com/5epzumt8