Welcoming people seeking sanctuary in Coventry.
The Belgrade Theatre has been a Theatre of Sanctuary since 2017, working in partnership with organisations and communities across the city, welcoming and celebrating refugees and those seeking sanctuary in the UK.
Through five interconnected commitments outlined below, we will build on our achievements as a Theatre of Sanctuary.
Working with community partners such as, Coventry Refugee & Migrant Centre (CRMC), Out in Cov, Coventry & Warwickshire Mind (C&W Mind), University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW), we have developed our Theatre of Sanctuary strategy for the next three years.
Our Five Commitments
Learning:
A company-wide access audit is currently being undertaken to review existing good practice and accessibility gaps in our workforce, audiences, and participation work.
We will create a safe space for marginalised and silenced communities to gather, discuss and share resources through an Empathy and Resistance project.
Outreach work:
We will continue to support Out in Cov, for LGBTQIA+ Refugees and asylum seekers, and a new Art Therapy Group in partnership with CRMC for young Refugees and asylum seekers.
We trialled our first Conversation Cafe as part of Creative Wellbeing (Social Prescribing) Day in March 2024, facilitated by Parmjit Kaur Sandu, Chaplain & Bereavement Support Officer, UHCW. As a result, we will host a minimum of 10 Conversation Cafes each year, providing free hot drinks, and a safe, welcoming space to socialise.
Artist Development:
We will spotlight refugee and migrant artists and their work through social media, offer in-kind space, and hold meetings to discuss programming support at the Belgrade.
Over the next three years, the Associate Director and Community Engagement Facilitator will define a Community Artist Pathway to support individuals who first engaged with the Belgrade through outreach. This will support people with lived experience of migration and displacement to ‘be the host’ and take up roles as facilitators and lead artists.
Programming:
The Belgrade programming team will meet with producers and programmers who have experience of migration or have a track record of amplifying migrant stories. We will endeavour to ensure 5% of our programmed work will include themes of migration and displacement.
Refugee Week:
Refugee Week is a culmination of the work that we have done in the year prior and a chance to promote and celebrate contributions of refugee and migrant communities.
