Culture, Arts and Refugees

Project:Breaking the Silence
Town/region: London, England
Implementing Agency: Exiled Writers Ink!

Project Focus:

Aim to empower and take the voices of Somali women into the mainstream through developing a drama based on their experiences.

Background:

Exiled Writers Ink! Does what? It developed a partnership with the Horn of Africa Women’s Association (HAWA) in Barnet, London.The initial idea for the project came from the project coordinator who consulted with HAWA and Somali community representatives. Further consultations took place with the participants.

Participants:

Somali women from teenagers to aged 50+.

Activities:

Exiled Writers Ink! Drew on the Somali oral tradition to enable women to talk about their experiences in their mother tongue, with translation by other participants.The process was often painful but participation was by choice not coercion and women were supported and comforted by others. The women were encouraged to share their experiences by writing stories and letters and by sharing songs. The materials were used as the basis for a script devised by Exiled Writers Ink! performed by a range of women from different age groups in the community. Participants also provided projections of Somalia and the music. The group was subsequently invited to perform at festivals in Barnet, Hammersmith and Fulham, participated in workshops for Refugee Week and went on to do a series of performances in libraries.

Outcomes:

• Participants found the process of devising the drama therapeutic.
• They gained knowledge of how to put together a piece of theatre.
• They gained performance, voice and movement skills.
• Younger cast members provided a bridge to older members of the community and gained trust across the generation gap.
• Women gained sufficient confidence to answer audience questions about their performance after the show.
• Women were committed and engaged and demonstrated empowerment.
• The process supported cultural identity – the Somali national anthem was sung at the end of the performance.
  

Sources:

Research interview and questionnaire.

Contact details:

Exiled Writers Ink!

31 Hallswelle Road
London NW11 ODH
Tel: +44 (0) 20 8458 1910
E: Jennifer@exiledwriters.fsnet.co.uk
www.exiledwriters.co.uk