BRF Refugee Engagement Officer Danny shares his memories of this year’s celebrations at Queen Square.
“In June 2023, Celebrating Sanctuary returned to Queen Square for the first time since 2019 after a pandemic-enforced hiatus, and came around again in 2024.
“This has long been the flagship event for the BRF, bringing together refugees, asylum seekers, music lovers and sun bathers, with music from refugee performers and food from refugee cooks, and its return gave us a chance to enjoy a day of solidarity.
“Both this year and last, we’ve proudly presented a programme that has involved refugees as either lead performers or lead collaborators.
We’ve heard music from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Sudan, Congo, Cameroon, Tibet, and singers from Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Brazil, dancers from Nicaragua, Colombia, and Honduras, speakers from Sudan, Kurdistan, Kosovo, and India.
” And this year, for the first time this year at Celebrating Sanctuary, we saw the performances pause for a procession snaking its way to Sufi rhythms around the square to a Sudanese coffee corner.
“These celebrations at Queen Square give us the chance to bring people together from diverse backgrounds, into one place to celebrate our shared humanity, and to enjoy some amazing collaborations between refugee and local performers.”
