June 2013

Refugee Week is a UK-wide programme of arts. Part of Nottingham's contribution, was an Exhibition in the City Library, Nottingham.

It is an exhibition by, for and about refugees comprising photographic work, completed in workshops led by Gaylan Nazhad in partnership with City Arts, and a series of hand-painted banners. The banners were produced during workshops at Nottingham Refugee Forum and were facilitated by artists Anna Wels and Jeffer Garib. This three part exhibition also features work by the internationally acclaimed Brian Sokol. 

All of the artwork is connected by the shared themes of migration, displacement and identity.

Refugee Week is a UK-wide programme of arts, cultural and educational events and activities that celebrates the contribution of refugees to the UK and promotes better understanding of why people seek sanctuary. Anyone can take part by organising, attending or taking part in activities.

Nottingham and Notts Refugee Forum (NNRF) is an independent, voluntary organisation set up to work with and for asylum seekers and refugees in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. For a copy of our Statment of Values and Aims, click here.

The Refugee Forum is a volunteer led organization, run by a volunteer management committee. The Centre has a number of paid staff, but relies heavily on the time, dedication and enthusiasm of volunteers from refugee, asylum seeking and host community backgrounds.

We offer advice, practical assitance and friendship to all refugees and asylum seekers regardless of race, religion or political opinion.

Nottingham and Notts Refugee Forum (NNRF) http://www.nottsrefugeeforum.org.uk

Refugee Week National http://www.refugeeweek.org.uk

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Got a room to help and an asylum seeker?

Accommodation for Destitute Asylum Seekers

If you could offer a spare room to a destitiute asylum seeker for a few days, weeks or even months, please consider being a host. Initially, we are looking for hosts who live within two miles iof the city.

HOST Nottingham has been set up jointly by Nottingham Arimathea Trust, NNRF, Refugee Action, the Rainbow Project and the British Red Cross, to coordinate the provision of hosting in Nottingham.

They provide training and support for those who are able to provide temporary accommodation in Nottingham, and their guests.

The scheme is flexible, fitting to our host families' needs. Some hosts do emergency hosting for a few days, others for a few weeks or longer.

If you've looked at any of the stuff on this web site, you will already realise that destitute asylum seekers have been forced to flee their own countries, having experienced severe persecution because of their political opinions, faith or sexuality. They will have suffered further trauma and abuse on the hazardous journey that brought them to Britain, where they find that the main aim of the British legal process is to return them to the danger from which they have been trying to escape. Once turned down, asylum seekers may try further legal processes to be allowed to remain here but have no support while doing so, and nowhere to live. Some sleep rough or on friend's floors. This is where HOST is needed.

Hosts are checked for their suitability and matched with appropriate guests. Hosts and guests agree the ground rules for a placement in advance. the guest might need to leaveinthe morning when the host does and return for a set time to an evening meal, or perhaps the guest stays at home during the day. The guest might prepare meals independently, or take turns cooking the main meal, help out with household jobs, &c.

http://www.nottsrefugeeforum.org.uk/first.htm#host1

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ALAN LODGE 

Photographer - Media: One Eye on the Road. Nottingham.  UK

Email:                 tash@indymedia.org

Web:                   http://digitaljournalist.eu

Member of the National Union of Journalists [NUJ]

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"It is not enough to curse the darkness.

                                   It is also necessary to light a lamp!!"

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