Refugee Week

IOM continues to be a proud partner of Refugee Week, a nationwide programme of arts, cultural and educational events celebrating the contributions of refugees and migrants to the UK. Refugee Week takes place every year across the world in the week around World Refugee Day on the 20 June.

An established part of the UK’s cultural calendar, Refugee Week is now one of the leading national initiatives working to counter negative rhetoric about immigration and highlighting the benefits it can bring to both refugees and host communities. In the UK, IOM’s Refugee Week events focus on inclusive and integrated communities. IOM believes integration involves two-way interactions where both migrants (including refugees) and communities build a common space to learn about each other’s experiences, traditions, and expectations. One of the most successful ways to do this is through shared interests. When people can come together through an activity that they both enjoy, there is a stronger likelihood for mutual understanding and bonding. 

Singing Our Lives

Since 2017 IOM has been working with in partnership with Together Productions, Freedom from Torture; the Royal Opera House; Improbable; and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama to unite refugees, migrants and British choir members through music for the Singing Our Lives concert. Hosted by Together Productions the event showcases original music that celebrates the strength and resilience of refugees and migrants and the annual event sees over 200 performers perform on the final day of Refugee Week. 

In 2019 the theme of Refugee Week was “You, me and those who came before” and to mark the occasion IOM co-hosted a special event in Bristol with the Mayor of Bristol and the Bristol Refugee Festival called "One City, Many Stories", a facilitated discussion about inclusion and integration where migrants, refugees and Bristol’s host communities shared their experiences and voiced what it means to them and their community. 

Living Library

In 2022, the theme of Refugee Week was “Healing,” and to mark the occasion, IOM hosted two significant events celebrating the human ability to start again. On 24 June, IOM partnered with Talent Beyond Boundaries and Fragomen to organize the “Refugee Week Living Library” in London. Nearly 50 participants from diverse backgrounds came together in a safe and welcoming space to listen to migrants involved in talent mobility schemes share stories of resilience and hope. On 26 June, as part of the Singing Our Lives project, IOM joined Together Productions and Union Chapel for a concert uniting nearly 500 people, including refugees, asylum seekers, and members of local UK communities. The powerful performances highlighted music’s ability to break barriers, foster healing, and build connections across cultures.

Belongings

On the occasion of Refugee Week 2023, IOM UK partnered with Action for Sama to host the pop-up exhibition “Belongings” at Asia House in central London. The exhibition featured performance art by Salem al-Atrash, a Syrian artist renowned for his calligraphy and illustrations on banners used in peaceful demonstrations and graffiti expressing the hopes of revolution during the Syrian conflict. Open to the public on 23 June, the exhibition showcased the belongings that families like Waad Al-Kateab’s carried when forced to flee their homes—powerful symbols of loss, resilience, and connection to their past. The day calculated in a free screening of the Emmy award-winning film For Sama, followed by an engaging Q&A session with Waad Al-Kateab and Dr. Hamza Al-Kateab, a Syrian doctor, human rights advocate, and public health activist.

We Dare to Dream

In 2024, the theme of Refugee Week was “Our Home,” a celebration of what home means to each of us—whether expressed through place, food, music, or shared stories. To mark this occasion, IOM UK, in partnership with Action for Sama, hosted two special screenings of the documentary We Dare to Dream. The film tells the inspiring stories of five refugee athletes overcoming immense challenges to pursue their dreams on the global stage. The first screening took place at Ulster University in Belfast on 18 June, followed by a virtual Q&A with Emmy award-winning director Waad Al-Kateab. On 21 June, the Museum of Home in London welcomed audiences for a second screening, which included an intimate conversation with Waad Al-Kateab and Ahmad Al-Rashid from IOM UK. Their personal reflections on “home” illuminated themes of resilience, hope, and the power of community bonds.