Refugee Festival Scotland Open Programme

Refugee Festival Scotland celebrates the contribution refugees make to life in Scotland – the food and drink, music and poetry, dance, visual art and ideas that people bring with them when they seek safety in Scotland. From Thursday 20 – Sunday 30 June 2019, the festival offers people from different backgrounds the chance to meet and celebrate together: to sample a little of each other’s cultures, listen to each other’s stories and get to know each other better.

This year, the theme of Refugee Festival Scotland is Making Art, Making Home, which aims to showcase the talent, creativity and resilience of New Scots artists and community groups. Arts, culture and sport are important in creating spaces for old and new Scots alike to meet and learn more about each other, breaking down barriers and highlighting the vibrancy and diversity of Scotland’s communities.

Refugee Festival Scotland is produced and coordinated by Scottish Refugee Council, an independent charity dedicated to providing advice and information to people seeking refugee protection in Scotland. Join us to campaign for positive change and to build a culture of welcome in Scotland.

How can I get involved?

Anyone can get in involved. Do you have an idea for an event or activity for this year’s festival? This could take any form – an exhibition, a piece of theatre, dance, a workshop – the opportunities are endless. Can you support others to participate?

We are looking for events and activities that celebrate and raise public awareness about Scotland’s many communities and strengthen connections and partnerships between people from different backgrounds. Events or activities must be open to the public.