Southampton Refugee Week press coverage: first item on BBC South Today, 21 June 2025
The theme for Refugee Week 2025 is Community as a Superpower
Refugee Week this year is from 16th to 22nd June. Join us in Southampton for a community-powered week of Free events!
Monday 16th June
UK-Ukraine Together documentary film, Central Library, 6pm
Tuesday 17th June
Palestine Solidarity Network‘s special Refugee Week vigil, Southampton University Highfield Campus, 11:30am
World Stages Now theatre performance, Central Library, 1pm
Wednesday 18th June
Southampton FC & Refugees 5k, St Mary’s Stadium, 4pm
Thursday 19th June
MAST Mayflower Studios film screening, 7pm
Friday 20th June
Singing workshop: ‘Harmonies of Home’, Turner Sims Concert Hall, 12pm
Saturday 21st June
Carnival parade and picnic, with live music and family games, Above Bar to Palmerston Park, from 11:30am
Further details for each event can be found below
Preparing for Refugee Week: visiting local primary and secondary schools
A dedicated team of SWVG members have been visiting over a dozen local schools in the lead-up to Refugee Week.
SWVG teachers, and members with lived experience, have delivered interactive assemblies and classes on the reasons why people seek sanctuary.
Exhibiton 13th-20th June
At Southampton Central Library, there will be a display of schoolchildren’s artwork & writing on the Refugee Week 2025 theme of “Community As a Superpower”.
A week of cultural events celebrating the creativity & contributions of refugees
‘UK–Ukraine Together’ film, MONDAY 16th June
6pm, Southampton Central Library
A Winchester Story of Solidarity, with talk by filmmaker
This documentary is dedicated to the British people whose remarkable
support for Ukraine continues to inspire. It explores the motivations behind opening hearts and homes to Ukrainians, and highlights the community’s collective effort to build meaningful connections with those seeking refuge.
Football stadium tour & 5k run, Wednesday 18th June
Southampton Football Club and Refugees unite for 5k!
4pm – Stadium Tour
5pm – 5k run
5:40 – Finish!
Followed by refreshments at the The Dell Restaurant in the stadium
Runners meet at St Mary’s Stadium, Britannia Road, SO14 5FP
Please let David know you are joining the run on 07388 949398, dwarnes@saintsfoundation.co.uk
You can also sign-up on this short, easy Google form here!
Refugee Week Film Screening THURSDAY 19th June
Six short films on the compelling theme of New Beginnings
Every journey of migration to the UK holds unique challenges and hopes, and every person has their own experience and journey. This selection of short films explores intimate themes of identity, transition, resilience, and sanctuary, created and compiled by storytellers from diverse backgrounds in a range of styles.
– Into a New Life dir. Matthew Welch (14m 15s). An independent documentary tracing the path of refugees from Afghanistan and India forging new lives in Liverpool, blending hope with the realities of adaptation.
– Al-Sit, dir. Suzannah Mirghani (20m). Winner of numerous international awards and shortlisted for the 2022 Oscars. A richly woven narrative from Sudan, this film delves into family dynamics and the strength of women negotiating tradition and change in a rapidly evolving world.
– Echoes of Iran, curated by members of SWVG (15m). This heartfelt compilation weaves together publicly available YouTube footage into a love letter to Iranian culture. Created by those who have journeyed from Iran to the UK, it offers a rich and personal tribute to the beauty of home.
– Journey Mercies, dir. Tomisin Adepeju (15m). Winner of the Main Jury prize at Film Africa 2020. A poignant exploration of migration from Nigeria to the UK, highlighting the bonds and resilience of community, and the emotional burdens carried by those seeking safety and stability in a foreign land.
– Yellow, dir. Elham Ehas (12m 53s). – Yellow, dir. Elham Ehsas (15m). BAFTA-nominated and Oscar-shortlisted, Yellow is a visually arresting and emotionally layered short that captures a moment of quiet tension in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
– Sanctuary, dir. SWVG (7m 43s). Through personal testimony and quiet moments of reflection, members of SWVG explore how welcome, dignity, and community can shape the journey through uncertainty. A reminder of the power of human connection and solidarity.
Book a free ticket (or ‘Pay What You Decide’) here
Theatre performance Tuesday 17th June
1pm, Southampton Central Library
World Stages Now create performances with refugees and asylum seekers. For Refugee Week 2025, they present ‘POWER AS UNITY’: “Join us on a theatrical promenade finding hidden characters and their stories, ritual and carnival.”
Discover the mystery of our own superpower as we connect to the community! Free event
Singing workshop FRIDAY 20th June
12-1pm, Turner Sims Concert Hall, SO17 1BJ
Big Sing – Harmonies of Home: A Community Song Bank Project
Free admission – register here
Come and be part of a joyful singing workshop led by acclaimed workshop leader John Barber, alongside local musicians from Southampton. Harmonies of Home celebrates the rich tapestry of musical traditions that make up our local communities.
In this session, you will learn and sing songs that reflect the voices, languages, and cultures of our neighbourhoods—songs that speak of migration, memory, belonging, and home. No previous singing experience is needed—just bring your enthusiasm and your voice!
All are welcome—Come and make some sound, make new friends and celebrate the power of music to bring us all home.
Organised as part of the Public Engagement with Research (PERU) – Development Fund.
Music in Palmerston Park SATURDAY 21st June, 1-4pm
Ram Kalyan “Kelly” from Unity 101 community radio introduces an eclectic, fun line-up!
With the inimitable MC Coco P
Acts include:
Afrobeat artists, King Sam, Kid Cray, Hudson and Mr Buoyant;
Popular Iranian performers, Mehdi and Samrad;
Punjabi and Bollywood Singer Prince Singh;
Afghan artist Zabi;
Afrobeat & rap Chimney and Ik Boy;
Chinese artists from Southampton University, with a mix of Classical, Chinese folk, jazz, musical theatre & pop;
Singers from the Ukrainian Association;
R&B singer, Amy Dasila
