Culture, Arts and Refugees

Project:Voices
Town/region,Country:Hull, England
Implementing Agency:Artlink Exchange

Project Focus:

Voices was a programme of small scale community arts initiatives aimed to address community tensions in the city of Hull following the Bradford riots. It worked across a diversity of communities and groups using different cultural activities to address social inclusion, racism and develop community cohesion, tolerance and understanding.

Background:

The need for the project was identified by a steering group in Hull consisting of representatives from the local council, voluntary sector and arts sector who decided that community arts activity was the best way to engage with diverse and hard-to-reach communities. There were growing tensions in Hull as a result an influx of culturally diverse communities including refugees and asylum seekers. Funding became available from the regional Government office for a community facilitation programme to test approaches to community cohesion following the Bradford riots. One particular issue was the growth of the Kurdish community. ArtLink Exchange – a local community arts organisation – was brought in to manage the project.

Participants:

More than 30 projects and organisations all over Hull and thousands of participants.

Activities:

A two-stage bidding process was set up for a pot of £100,000,which distributed relatively small grants to local groups for arts and cultural activities targeted at districts of Hull which had particularly high levels of deprivation. The projects selected featured song, photography, video, poetry, sculpture. DJ-ing,music, film, carnival, costume design and storytelling.They worked with a wide range of groups including refugees and asylum seekers, young people, black and ethnic minority communities, tenants and residents in the targeted areas. Among selected projects were:

• A Kurdish dance group to train a male and female group of mixed nationalities in Kurdish dance.
• A project working with local young asylum seekers and refugees and housing association residents to produce an exhibition of photographs and commentary about their area.
• A leaflet designed and produced by Kurdish refugee children for local schools to paint a true picture of life as a refugee.
• A Gig in the Gardens featuring world music acts including a Kurdish Fire Festival.
• A training course teaching DJ-ing skills to 13-19 year olds at the Afro- Caribbean Centre.
• A community choir was formed to perform world music and celebrate the cultural diversity of Hull.
• Hull and East Riding Hindu Cultural Association celebrated a Festival of Colours ‘Holi’ at a local shopping centre with traditional Indian dance,music and food.

An evaluation day was held for projects.A resource book and video of the project was created. Many projects generated educational resource materials for use by schools and youth groups.

Outcomes:

• Increased trust and positive relationships between different geographic and cultural communities and communities of interest.
• Gained clearer understanding of the needs of different communities.
• Training provided for project facilitators to address concerns about race and cultural awareness.
• Opportunities were provided for communities to air grievances, listen to different views, resolve conflict and develop a plan for shared aspirations.
• Bridging across cross-cultural boundaries through joint project activities.
• Increased knowledge, skills and experiences shared among family and wider community networks.
• Enhanced leadership capacity among different communities.
• Celebration and promotion of diverse communities in Hull.
• Contribution made to future Community Cohesion Plan and Citizenship agenda.
• One project led to a charter signed by all political parties committing everyone in Hull to greater racial tolerance and community cohesion.
• Project organisers noted greater commitment by community and voluntary sector to work in partnership.
• Project organizers gained new contacts and links.

Sources:

Research interview and questionnaire. Project evaluation results – Objectives and Outcomes. Video interview with project coordinators and local community leaders.

Contact details:

ArtLink Exchange

21 Princes Avenue,Hull, HU5 3RX
Tel: +44 (0)1482 345104
E: artlink@pop3.poptel.org.uk
www.artlink.uk.net/