news > news releases

Fugitive Arts: Crawley hosts forum on refugee artists to mark Refugee Week 2004

18 June 2004

Refugee artists in the South East are largely invisible and face cultural and financial difficulties in establishing themselves, researchers from Arts Council England and Refugee Action will tell a refugee arts forum in Crawley on Friday June 18th 2004.

“Fugitive Arts”, a report into arts and refugees in the South East, will be launched at Crawley’s “Three E” refugee arts event to mark national Refugee Week 2004.

Refugee artists find it very difficult to break into the closed world of UK arts, having few contacts and little understanding of how to acquire funding, publicity and other essentials, the researchers found. The artists may not always want to identify themselves as refugees and they face many practical hurdles such as finding translators or specialist instruments.

“Art is and always has been powerfully inspired by notions of flight and exile. Refugee artists – musicians, writers, visual artists – are often highly talented individuals who may well have been celebrated artists in their home countries. They have a lot to offer the arts in this country and we need to give them the space and the support to flourish artistically,” said Wondimu Yohannes, director of Development and Integration at Refugee Action.

“Fugitive Arts” also looked at how arts projects can benefit all refugees and asylum seekers by helping them to integrate, express themselves and preserve their cultures. Many arts projects told researchers they would like to expand their work to address refugee issues, but were unsure of the social and political ramifications.

“We want the day to enable artists who are refugees to find the help to develop their own art and support themselves,” said Mary Shek, development officer for social inclusion at Arts Council England, South East. “But it is also important that we help arts organisations and venues make contact and build relationships with these artists.”

The “Three E” event will feature performances from Romail Gulzhar & the Pukaar Band, refugee musicians from Pakistan, and the Kurdish Art Project, with live poetry from young people involved with arts project “Space Between the Lines”.

There will also be workshops and discussions led by artists and practitioners on identifying refugee artists, exploring asylum issues in schools and sustaining refugee arts projects.

Refugee artists and representatives of the organisations involved are available for interview.

For more information please contact: Rachel Watson, Refugee Action Press Office, 020 7654 7714 or 020 7654 7707.

Notes to editors

“Fugitive Arts” will be presented at the “Three E” event (Experience, Exchange, Excite) at the Hawth, Crawley, Friday 18 June 2004, from 11:00 to 15:45
“Fugitive Arts” research was conducted by Ceri Hutton and Sue Lukes for Arts Council England, South East and Refugee Action.

back to news releases