Well, we promised to be back bigger and better in 2011 and we've been true to our word!

With funding from Arts Council England and some new partnerships with Birmingham arts organisations, this year looks set to be a really good one, bringing you a world music festival, events and activities for national Refugee Week, and a bi-monthly concert series that will see us through to 2012.

Celebrating Sanctuary Festival

The Celebrating Sanctuary Festival will be bursting across Birmingham with an exciting programme of world music and sanctuary celebration events throughout June. We’ll have a full programme of festival gigs in community sites, club/pub venues and some new places. The festival programme will showcase artists from refugee backgrounds as well as musicians born and brought up in Birmingham and others who have migrated to our city from elsewhere in the UK and beyond. The result is a blend of the best world and fusion music that Birmingham has to offer, and we’ll be supporting new collaborations and developing new music to ensure that the festival stays vibrant and alive.

Our full festival brochure can be found here. This includes events and activities we are running for national Refugee Week.

Refugee Week 2011

National Refugee Week falls between 20th and 26th June. We’ll be supporting and promoting the week as usual and are collaborating with a range of partners to increase its impact and develop new events.

We're excited to announce Songs of Sanctuary; a collaboration with Town Hall / Symphony Hall's Education and Community Department in celebration of National Refugee Week. We'll have eight musicians and a drama practitioner (Pyn Stockman) working throughout May and June in four secondary schools and three primary schools. The project will build towards a mini festival of global music on 18th June in the Symphony Hall foyers. This performance and activity day is open to members of the public and features schools performances alongside bands Crossroad Collision, Daholl Kurdish Ensemble, Son de la Vie and the Bland Mahdi Ensemble. Also available will be arts and craft activities, stalls, displays and information. The project and performance day will encourage and support a range of activities and learning opportunities in Birmingham schools throughout the week.

We'll be putting on a family event during Refugee Week at the MAC with music, workshops and activities. We hope that this event will reach new audiences and encourage participation, debate and celebration of the contributions of refugees in a popular family venue.

Birmingham Jazz will be partnering with us to present the popular Congolese line-up Son de la Vie at Rush Hour Blues on 24th June. We also have an event planned with Birmingham Book Festival and others.

Concert Series

As if all that wasn't enough, we'll be carrying on after the festival with a bi-monthly concert series between September 2011 and June 2012 (venue to be confirmed). We'll use this to showcase and develop new talent for next year's festival and promise to bring you a range of Birmingham world and fusion gems alongside some choice picks from elsewhere in the country.

If you're from a refugee background and a professional musician, either solo or with a band, please get in touch and we'll let you know how to audition (details here).

Thanks

Thanks to Arts Council England for financial support; to our partners mentioned above; and to you all for your continued and much-needed support. See you on the dance floor very soon!

Get involved

If you are interested in helping Celebrating Sanctuary to grow, and want to take an active part in its development either as a volunteer, a sub-group member, an arts practitioner or a strategic partner, please contact Isata on 0121 246 4623 / 07989 847 818; or email Isata@celebrating-sanctuary.org.uk

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Celebrating Sanctuary 2009


Celebrating Sanctuary 2011 Well, we promised to be back bigger and better in 2011 and we've been true to our word! With funding from Arts Council England and some new partnerships with Birmingham arts organisations, this year looks set to be a really good one, bringing you a world music festival, events and activities for national Refugee Week, and a bi-monthly concert series that will see us through to 2012. Celebrating Sanctuary Festival The Celebrating Sanctuary Festival will be bursting across Birmingham with an exciting programme of world music and sanctuary celebration events throughout June. We’ll have a full programme of festival gigs in community sites, club/pub venues and some new places. The festival programme will showcase artists from refugee backgrounds as well as musicians born and brought up in Birmingham and others who have migrated to our city from elsewhere in the UK and beyond. The result is a blend of the best world and fusion music that Birmingham has to offer, and we’ll be supporting new collaborations and developing new music to ensure that the festival stays vibrant and alive. Our full festival brochure can be found here. This includes events and activities we are running for national Refugee Week. Refugee Week 2011 National Refugee Week falls between 20th and 26th June. We’ll be supporting and promoting the week as usual and are collaborating with a range of partners to increase its impact and develop new events. We're excited to announce Songs of Sanctuary; a collaboration with Town Hall / Symphony Hall's Education and Community Department in celebration of National Refugee Week. We'll have eight musicians and a drama practitioner (Pyn Stockman) working throughout May and June in four secondary schools and three primary schools. The project will build towards a mini festival of global music on 18th June in the Symphony Hall foyers. This performance and activity day is open to members of the public and features schools performances alongside bands Crossroad Collision, Daholl Kurdish Ensemble, Son de la Vie and the Bland Mahdi Ensemble. Also available will be arts and craft activities, stalls, displays and information. The project and performance day will encourage and support a range of activities and learning opportunities in Birmingham schools throughout the week. We'll be putting on a family event during Refugee Week at the MAC with music, workshops and activities. We hope that this event will reach new audiences and encourage participation, debate and celebration of the contributions of refugees in a popular family venue. Birmingham Jazz will be partnering with us to present the popular Congolese line-up Son de la Vie at Rush Hour Blues on 24th June. We also have an event planned with Birmingham Book Festival and others. Concert Series As if all that wasn't enough, we'll be carrying on after the festival with a bi-monthly concert series between September 2011 and June 2012 (venue to be confirmed). We'll use this to showcase and develop new talent for next year's festival and promise to bring you a range of Birmingham world and fusion gems alongside some choice picks from elsewhere in the country. If you're from a refugee background and a professional musician, either solo or with a band, please get in touch and we'll let you know how to audition (details here). Thanks Thanks to Arts Council England for financial support; to our partners mentioned above; and to you all for your continued and much-needed support. See you on the dance floor very soon! Get involved If you are interested in helping Celebrating Sanctuary to grow, and want to take an active part in its development either as a volunteer, a sub-group member, an arts practitioner or a strategic partner, please contact Isata on 0121 246 4623 / 07989 847 818; or email Isata@celebrating-sanctuary.org.uk Join our Facebook Group Follow us on Twitter Celebrating Sanctuary 2009
Celebrating Sanctuary, c/o ASIRT, St. George’s Community Hub, Great Hampton Row, Newtown B19 3JGL - info@celebrating-sanctuary.org.uk