Lord Mayor’s Procession
In 2024, Norwich’s Lord Mayor’s Procession featured the debut of the Sanctuary Ambassadors, representing refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants in the community. Their vibrant presence stood out among nearly 40 groups, captivating both the audience and judges. The Ambassadors’ enthusiasm earned them 1st place in the event!
📢 I Will Heal: A Powerful Performance of Hope and Resilience During Refugee Week
Sanctuary Ambassadors collaborated with UEA researchers, The Common Lot CIC, and The Zainab Project CIC to create a moving performance based on poetic material from qualitative research exploring hope and healing in people seeking asylum.
The Refugee Week 2024 performance, I Will Heal ,featured eight individuals from six cultures, using music and spoken word in six languages. Nearly 400 people attended four impactful performances across Norwich.
🎬 Name Me Lawand Panel at Norwich Theatre
During Refugee Week, Norwich Theatre screened Name Me Lawand, a moving film about a deaf refugee boy’s journey through the UK immigration system. Sanctuary Ambassadors and Norfolk Deaf Association members joined a post-screening panel, sharing insights on the film’s themes and answering audience questions about resilience, disability, and adaptation.
🎥 Rediscovering Home – Screening and Q&A at City Hall
City Hall recently hosted the screening of Rediscovering Home, a documentary that follows the stories of individuals facing the profound challenges of forced displacement and the journey to rebuild and rediscover “home.” After the screening, a Q&A session with Sanctuary Ambassadors delved deeper into the film’s themes, offering reflections on resilience, adaptation, and community support in the face of displacement.
Lawson Road Surgery Event
Sanctuary Ambassadors joined the event to represent underrepresented communities and advocate for inclusivity in research. By sharing their lived experiences, the Ambassadors provided valuable insights into the barriers sanctuary-seeking individuals and marginalized groups face in healthcare research.
Developing a Psychoeducation Workshop
Sanctuary Ambassadors coproduced a new workshop for students at Norwich City College. They collaborated with the NHS Talking Therapies team to refine the content of the upcoming psychoeducation workshop for sanctuary seeking students.
UEA Teaching Sessions: Insights from Sanctuary Ambassadors
Sanctuary Ambassadors have been actively participating in numerous Health Science lectures at University of East Anglia (UEA), sharing lived experiences of forced displacement with undergraduate, master’s, and PhD students. Their ongoing involvement brings unique perspectives on the challenges of accessing health services, integration barriers, and cultural differences. These sessions offer students invaluable real-world insights into the complex realities faced by displaced individuals.
