Sounds of Courage: Refugee Week Closing Party
We welcome one and all to Nottingham Refugee Week’s closing party in collaboration with Nottingham Contemporary's communities programme and Himmah.
Our evening will be host to several performances including music, spoken word and speeches, an art exhibition by Bluecoat Beechdale Academy students in response to Nottingham Castle’s Lives in Motion project, as well as interactive drumming and arts workshops. Delicious vegan food will be provided. This will be free for all to enjoy!
This year’s Refugee Week closing party will be compered by founder of Nottingham City’s Poets Against Racism, Manjit Sahota, opening the festival with a specially commissioned poem on the theme of courage.
With more to be announced, performances confirmed so far include Iranian artist Mina Fatemi performing with her five piece band, Poets from the Poetics of Migration project and local Comedian, Poet and Writer, Jay Sandhu.
Accompanying the evening will be a breakout space where Artist Elaheh Raofi will lead an arts workshop, alongside a buffet of delicious food and a drumming workshop for all to join in with.
More to be announced soon!
This event will be held off-site at Himmah Hub, Hyson Green Community Centre, NG7 6BE. This is approximately 25 minutes walk from Nottingham City Centre. The nearest tram stop is Forest Recreation Ground. For information on nearby parking click here.
If you have questions about the venue, please contact info@himmah.org or phone Himmah on 0115 837 6116.
Approximate Timings
5pm - Event starts
5.15pm - 6pm - drumming workshop
6pm - buffet opens
6.40pm - 7pm - Welcome and opening poem by Manjit Sahota
7pm - 8.45pm – Entertainment
8.45pm - 9pm – Closing speech
Nottingham Refugee Week is an annual cultural festival celebrating the culture of sanctuary we have built here in Nottingham. Delivered through a fabulous programme of events organised in partnership with refugee and asylum-seeking communities across Nottingham, it is an act of welcome, a gesture of solidarity and a shared celebration with people who have sought refuge here.
Himmah is a Social Justice Organisation, with a mission to tackle food poverty, racism and educational inequalities. As well as operating the largest independent food bank in Nottingham, they offer hot meals every week, distribute school uniforms to low-income families, and campaign to eradicate disproportionality in stop and searches, among other crucial initiatives. Himmah work to tackle injustice on our doorstep.
Manjit Sahota is the co-founder of Poets Against Racism (PAR) and a local poet, performing locally and nationally since 2016. Manjit has delivered workshops for several Nottingham based schools, universities and organisations, sharing his spoken word poetry to encourage others to write, read and perform poetry. Manjit has delivered several workshops for the National Literacy Trust, Nottingham Trent University, National Justice Museum and Refugee Week. In 2016, Manjit formed PAR to rally poets, spoken word artist and rappers to use their poetry to challenge the rise in racism and spread the word of unity, humanity and Love. ‘Poetry for me is the memory of our history, struggle and resistance’.
Mina Fatemi is an Iranian poet, singer and promoter of community cohesion. She fell in love with Nottingham’s vibrant music and poetry scene upon moving to the city in 2011.
Poetics of Migration is an anthology containing over 70 poems, essays and illustrations, celebrating migrant experience and grassroots creativity in the region. Led by Dr Hongwei Bao, Associate Professor in Media Studies at the University of Nottingham, this project was supported by an Arts and Humanities Research Council Impact Accelerator Account (AHRC IAA) grant from the University of Nottingham as part of the University’s initiative to reach out to communities and to advocate the importance of arts in society.
Jay Sandhu is a multifaceted creative whose work delves into identity, race, and social justice through an accessible, humorous lens. Whilst a writer, comedian, and maths teacher, he’s also a Festival lead at The Nottingham Poetry Festival and hosts diverse creative workshops and poetry and music events under Nott Another. Jay has had poetry published internationally by Harper-Collins and Otter-Barry books.
Elaheh Raofi is a multidisciplinary artist whose work is deeply rooted in the rich cultural heritage of the Middle East, particularly drawing inspiration from Persian symbols and metaphors. Elaheh’s art serves as a powerful conduit for advocacy, stirring hearts, inspiring empathy, and igniting change. In honouring the stories of everyday heroes, she celebrates the resilience and diversity of the human experience, inviting viewers to join her in a journey of discovery and reflection.
Bluecoat Beechdale Academy's Art Exhibition was created in response to Nottingham Castle’s Lives in Motion exhibition, documenting stories of migration from the 11th century to the present day. The project was supported by the Cultural Rucksack Test and Pilot fund, as part of ChalleNGe Nottingham's Child Friendly Creative City programme.