
Hampshire’s Artreach team explores a week of local events, exhibitions and poetry for Refugee Week, delivered in partnership with Journeys Festival International, Portsmouth.
Refugee Week is a nationwide programme of arts, cultural and educational events and activities taking place from 17th – 23rd June. This year’s theme is ‘Me, you and those who came before’ to celebrate the contribution of refugees to the UK. Journeys Festival International Portsmouth, produced by cultural development charity Artreach, has worked with a number of partners across the city to create a week of events, exhibitions and activities for all ages and backgrounds.
Masters of the spoken word, Tongues and Grooves in the Community have been working with Journeys Festival International Portsmouth to produce a touring exhibition of poetry written by members of the refugee and asylum-seeker community. This exhibition will be open in the City Library throughout refugee week and people are invited to a free pop-up poetry performance, by this new group of poets, on Saturday 22 June from 2.00pm-3.00pm
A highlight of the week is the celebration of the new Portsmouth City of Sanctuary initiative. Organisations across the city are coming together at Portsmouth Guildhall on Wednesday 19 June to focus on connecting a network of important projects and services across the city. This event is invitation-only, but make sure to keep an eye on the Portsmouth City of Sanctuary website to find out how you can get involved.
Earlier on that evening, from 6.00pm-7.00pm, the University of Portsmouth has a free public lecture to attend which explores the plight of the LGBTQ refugee. Led by a leading expert on refugee and human rights this lecture will discuss, ‘Where Next for the Queer Refugee?’

Later that evening, on 19 June, No 6 Cinema is screening an intriguing film about an Afghan-born woman who, after living in London for 20 years, returns to her native home to find the spirit of Afghanistan’s last Queen, Soraya. If you were fortunate enough to watch and enjoy the film, Soufra, as part of Journeys Festival International Portsmouth last October then you’ll want to watch this latest offering from No 6 Cinema.
For anyone working with refugees and asylum seekers in schools or colleges, Portsmouth Academy Training and Learning centre is offering free training on Thursday 20 June from 4.00pm-6.00pm. Speakers at this event will be sharing details of local support schemes and how the experiences and on-going challenges facing young people in the asylum process may manifest in the classroom.
Refugee Week in Portsmouth offers great activities and entertainment alongside opportunities to learn more about asylum seekers in the city. Most of all, this week offers a great opportunity to work together to make Portsmouth a city a sanctuary for people from home and afar.
What’s On
17-22 June – Exhibition of Poetry By Asylum Seekers and Refugees
Time: See Central Library opening hours
Venue: Central Library, Guildhall Square, Portsmouth
Masters of the spoken word, Tongues and Grooves in the Community have been working with Journeys Festival International Portsmouth to produce a touring exhibition of poetry written by members of the refugee and asylum-seeker community. This exhibition will be open in the City Library throughout refugee week and people are invited to a free pop-up poetry performance, by this new group of poets, on Saturday 22 June from 2.00pm-3.00pm
Wednesday 19 June – AT THE END OF THE RAINBOW: WHERE NEXT FOR THE QUEER REFUGEE?
Time: 6-7 pm, followed by a drinks reception
Venue: University of Portsmouth, King Henry Building, King Henry I Street, Portsmouth PO1 2DY
Parking: Milldam car park on Burnaby Road (PO1 3RE) is available after 5pm
Countries across the world continue to criminalise people who identify as LGBTQ+ and to subject them to barbaric and humiliating treatment. Establishing refugee status for people who do not conform to their country’s expected behaviours or “normal” sexual identities raises a number of complex legal and human rights issues. Understanding how these challenges are met and overcome helps us to understand the potential for, and limits of, human rights protection. In this talk, S. Chelvan will discuss his work as a Barrister in the field of immigration and asylum law. He will reflect specifically on the challenges of representing those who are fleeing persecution on grounds of sexual and/or gender identity or expression.
This talk is organised as part of the celebration of Portsmouth becoming a City of Sanctuary and the University’s work towards becoming a University of Sanctuary and is supported by the Council for At-Risk Academics (CARA).
Wednesday 19 June – Finding Soraya screening
An Afghan-born woman goes back to her native land after 20 years in London to find the spirit of the lost progressive ideas of Afghanistan’s last Queen, Soraya. She explores the challenging conditions facing the women of Afghanistan today. Click for here to get tickets: Finding Soraya
Time: 7.00pm-8.30pm
Venue: No.6 Cinema
Boathouse 6
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
PO1 3LJ
Thursday 20th June – Working with Refugees and Asylum-Seekers Training
A session for anyone working with refugees and asylum seekers in schools or colleges. Speakers will be sharing details of local support schemes and how the experiences and on-going challenges facing young people in the asylum process may manifest in the classroom.
Time: 4pm-6pm
Venue: Training and Learning Centre Portsmouth Academy
Saturday 22 June – Poetry Performance with Journeys Festival International and Tongues&Grooves
Poetry performance by members of the local community with Tongues and Grooves in the Community, in partnership with Journeys Festival InternationalPortsmouth, alongside a poetry exhibition which is at the library for the week. Part of Portsmouth’s Refugee Week activities.
Date: Saturday 22 June
Venue: Central Library, Guildhall Square, Portsmouth
Time: 2pm-3pm
Tickets are free but should be booked through Eventbrite here: Poetry Performance Portsmouth

Find out more:
Journeys Festival International: Proudly produced by ArtReach, Journeys Festival International (www.journeysfestival.com) is a multi-art form platform that celebrates the talents of exceptional refugee and asylum seeker artists and shares refugee stories through great art. Journeys Festival International is now established in the cities of Leicester, Manchester and Portsmouth, UK.
You can follow and share the Festival on the hashtag #JFIPorts, and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
ArtReach: ArtReach is a cultural development agency and Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation (NPO), which in addition to consultancy and public art commissioning has a substantial and long track record in delivering successful Festivals and arts events. Its aim is to make great art possible and accessible, connecting art with grass roots and diverse communities to forge creative engagement.
Arts Council England: Arts Council England is the national development body for arts and culture across England, working to enrich people’s lives. It supports a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to visual art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections.
Portsmouth City of Sanctuary:
Portsmouth is a city proud to offer safety and sanctuary to anyone fleeing violence and persecution or who is vulnerable and isolated. With dignity and compassion, we welcome all vulnerable people. We welcome those who seek sanctuary, and we are committed to building work streams of action to offer support to asylum seekers, refugees, veterans, the homeless, and those suffering domestic abuse and hate crime.
Portsmouth organisations have come together to form a City of Sanctuary, sharing a vision to confidently demonstrate inclusiveness, openness and participation.