Articles

Getting in on the act

Through theatre, migrants can become active storytellers, actors, directors, shaping the narratives that define them. Two theatrical pioneers reflect on their visions for putting migrants and migration on stage. Lara Parmiani, founder/artistic director, Legal Aliens I moved to the UK from Italy in the late ‘90s, where unemployment was sky-high, and misogyny rife. From the outside, the UK looked open, international, and multicultural, so I assumed theatre would be the same. But the reality was different. British theatre hardly reflects its diverse communities. And although things have slowly improved for…

Through theatre, migrants can become active storytellers, actors, directors, shaping the narratives that define them. Two theatrical pioneers reflect on their visions for putting migrants and migration on stage. Lara…

21-year wait for a chance to start over

Asylum-seekers’ journeys to the UK can be arduous and dangerous — and very very long. One of the longest was by Tag Bashir. He left Sudan for Lebanon in 1997 where he remained for almost a year until he took an overcrowded boat for Europe. Unfortunately, it started sinking. Fortunately, he and 74 others were rescued by a Lebanese fishing boat and scrambled to safety in Cyprus, home to a British military base. He breathed a sigh of relief: A British base: he would soon make it to the UK.…

Asylum-seekers’ journeys to the UK can be arduous and dangerous — and very very long. One of the longest was by Tag Bashir. He left Sudan for Lebanon in 1997…

Synitsina's journey from sport through acting to activism

Katya Snytsina has moved from the sporting stage to the theatre, from basketball to activism, and from Belarus to UK. The former Olympic player’s name has been in lights again in February, when she starred at London’s Barbican theatre in a play about her life. The title, KS6: Small Forward, is made up of her initials, the number on her team shirt and her position on court. She has been on the move since she was two months old, when her parents – both basketballers who met at a match…

Katya Snytsina has moved from the sporting stage to the theatre, from basketball to activism, and from Belarus to UK. The former Olympic player’s name has been in lights again…

Working hard and still dreaming

“A hostile environment for migrants? “Generally people don’t tend to move and they don’t want a mansion. We all work hard. Migration paints stories of courage, love, and ambition – diverse journeys uniting us all." Dr Menaca Pothalingam knows what she is talking about. She was raised in a happy, successful family and had no thought of leaving Sri Lanka. She also worked hard: “I was one of those kids who, if I got nine out of ten, would cry.” Unfortunately, civil war erupted and she comes face-to-face with horror.…

“A hostile environment for migrants? “Generally people don’t tend to move and they don’t want a mansion. We all work hard. Migration paints stories of courage, love, and ambition –…

Flower-power brings Brummie smiles

A Pakistani migrant has used flower power to overcome loneliness - and to brighten up her Birmingham neighbourhood. “No flower grew in my area,” when Mah Jabeen Bano arrived in the city in 2003. Now, she’s winning horticultural and community awards. Her first years here were achingly lonely. She felt isolated because of her lack of confidence in speaking English. She was fearful of travelling alone, having never done so in Pakistan. But she enrolled in an English class, then in several arts groups and when her two children were…

A Pakistani migrant has used flower power to overcome loneliness - and to brighten up her Birmingham neighbourhood. “No flower grew in my area,” when Mah Jabeen Bano arrived in…

How a Ukrainian refugee built a Dream Cafe in London

When Yelyzaveta Tataryna left Ukraine after the outbreak of war, she had no idea her flight would lead to opening one of the most talked-about cafes in a fashionable central London area. She spoke little English, knew no-one, had no idea about England, and had never heard of one of the city’s most popular shopping, eating and tourist spots, Covent Garden. "I had no expectations," says 24-year-old Tataryna. "I was raised on Jane Austen novels. I'd never been to the UK before. It's so different from Ukraine — crazy different.…

When Yelyzaveta Tataryna left Ukraine after the outbreak of war, she had no idea her flight would lead to opening one of the most talked-about cafes in a fashionable central…

The campaigner who likes to cook

Majeda Khouri is a foodie with a mission. Or, more precisely, an activist who likes to cook. She combines the two in the London-based Syrian Sunflower, the social enterprise she set up as she re-made her life after fleeing civil war. She was apart from her husband and two children, had nowhere to live and as an asylum seeker was barred from working. She spoke little English, and understood less — “people seemed to be talking so fast. “So I would put earphones on for almost 24 hours a day…

Majeda Khouri is a foodie with a mission. Or, more precisely, an activist who likes to cook. She combines the two in the London-based Syrian Sunflower, the social enterprise she…

The legacy of courage

The best gift you can give your kids—well, second best—affection and attention always tie at the top of the gift list—is being a role model. Rima*, a mom of 2 girls, is a role model to her daughters and all the women around, not just because she’s a former accountant who now volunteers with vulnerable women, but mainly because she is the very embodiment of women’s empowerment. Having escaped an abusive marriage with her young daughters in tow, Rima set out to re-establish herself in the UK and achieved more…

The best gift you can give your kids—well, second best—affection and attention always tie at the top of the gift list—is being a role model. Rima*, a mom of 2…

Two journeys, two stories of mothers' love

Valentine’s Day usually sees women dressing to the nines, making elaborate plans, and spending the day guessing the gifts their partners would be giving them. But then there are women who spend the day of love just like they would any other day—running around in the comfiest clothes, meticulously planning every waking moment, and expressing their love through every love language possible. These women are mothers, ordinary humans with the extraordinary ability to love unconditionally, forsaking the world, forsaking their own selves. Ann's story: ‘A move toward better opportunities’ It…

Valentine’s Day usually sees women dressing to the nines, making elaborate plans, and spending the day guessing the gifts their partners would be giving them. But then there are women…

Art and the environment: The potential for art as a tool for social change

Yusuf Seidu Okus wants to offer new perspectives on migration and mental health. The Nigerian artist, who now lives in Coventry, uses discarded materials such as plastic and aluminium foil along with acrylic and oil paints to create art, showing how it takes a new attitude to imagine possibilities – not just in his works, but in how humans interact with their surroundings. Although he had worked on issues of migration before moving to the UK in 2023, the artist shares that since then, the topic has become more salient…

Yusuf Seidu Okus wants to offer new perspectives on migration and mental health. The Nigerian artist, who now lives in Coventry, uses discarded materials such as plastic and aluminium foil…

Articles

Articles

Getting in on the act

Through theatre, migrants can become active storytellers, actors, directors, shaping the narratives that define them. Two theatrical pioneers reflect on their visions for putting migrants and migration on stage. Lara…

21-year wait for a chance to start over

Asylum-seekers’ journeys to the UK can be arduous and dangerous — and very very long. One of the longest was by Tag Bashir. He left Sudan for Lebanon in 1997…

Synitsina's journey from sport through acting to activism

Katya Snytsina has moved from the sporting stage to the theatre, from basketball to activism, and from Belarus to UK. The former Olympic player’s name has been in lights again…

Working hard and still dreaming

“A hostile environment for migrants? “Generally people don’t tend to move and they don’t want a mansion. We all work hard. Migration paints stories of courage, love, and ambition –…

Flower-power brings Brummie smiles

A Pakistani migrant has used flower power to overcome loneliness - and to brighten up her Birmingham neighbourhood. “No flower grew in my area,” when Mah Jabeen Bano arrived in…

How a Ukrainian refugee built a Dream Cafe in London

When Yelyzaveta Tataryna left Ukraine after the outbreak of war, she had no idea her flight would lead to opening one of the most talked-about cafes in a fashionable central…

The campaigner who likes to cook

Majeda Khouri is a foodie with a mission. Or, more precisely, an activist who likes to cook. She combines the two in the London-based Syrian Sunflower, the social enterprise she…

The legacy of courage

The best gift you can give your kids—well, second best—affection and attention always tie at the top of the gift list—is being a role model. Rima*, a mom of 2…

Two journeys, two stories of mothers' love

Valentine’s Day usually sees women dressing to the nines, making elaborate plans, and spending the day guessing the gifts their partners would be giving them. But then there are women…

Art and the environment: The potential for art as a tool for social change

Yusuf Seidu Okus wants to offer new perspectives on migration and mental health. The Nigerian artist, who now lives in Coventry, uses discarded materials such as plastic and aluminium foil…

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