Culture, Arts and Refugees

Project:The Washing Line of Wishes
Town/region:Glasgow, Scotland
Implementing Agency:Scottish Refugee Council

Project Focus:

Developed a drama production that aimed to challenge negative and racist behaviour among young people and ask them to examine what life is like for a refugee or asylum seeker in Scotland today.

Background:

The project grew from an education roadshow by the Scottish Refugee Council (SRC) that encouraged young people to look at the issues faced by refugees and asylum seekers. SRC staff then had the idea of using drama and worked with their clients to devise a theatre piece. Young refugees and asylum seekers were heavily involved in developing the production: as well as performing the drama, they also took on positions of responsibility in the technical team: composer was one of the actors, the costume designer was one of the young women.

Participants:

Young refugees and asylum seekers from Turkey, Iraq, Kosovo and Russia who now live in Glasgow.

Activities:

The group of young refugee and asylum seekers involved in the devising process were asked to discuss folk tales and fables from their own country with a view to devising a new folk tale about the experiences of refugees and asylum seekers. SRC staff set out with the intention not to use the words ‘refugee’ or ‘asylum seeker’ because they felt pupils at receiving schools might feel the story ‘was nothing to do with them’. Instead the story looks at loneliness, exclusion, discrimination, bullying which are all themes that young people can understand. The group used improvisation to develop the play and, to overcome language barriers, only developed the script at the last moment,when the young people already knew the story. Participants received training in film shooting and editing for a short film included in the final show.The drama was further developed into a workshop that encouraged young people to explore ways in which they could make
refugees and asylum seekers feel welcome in their school and community. Initially the play toured to secondary schools in Glasgow that had few or no pupils who were from the refugee community. By summer 2004 the project had been seen by 800 young people in schools in Scotland, they had been invited to perform at several conferences and had been profiled on BBC Scotland.

Outcomes:

• Participants improved their English language skills.
• Gained confidence through performing, reading and speaking in public and answering sometimes hostile questions from audiences.
• Developed drama and acting skills – a number of the group subsequently performed in a mainstream theatre performance at the Glasgow Citizens Theatre.
• Multi-media film skills gained through BTCB Scotland training in filming and editing.
• Music skills – one participant went on to gain a place on a degree course at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.
• Participants learned commitment through becoming committed and engaged in the project.
• Group made new friends.
• Learned about organizing and touring a performance.
  

Sources:

Research interview and questionnaire with Louise Irwin,Drama Development Worker, SRC. Video interview. Video footage.

Contact details:

Scottish Refugee Council

5 Cadogan Square
170 Blythswood Court
Glasgow, Scotland, G2 7PH
Tel: +44 (0) 141 248 9799
E: info@scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk
www.scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk