Refugee Week is the world’s largest arts & culture festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary. Established in 1998 in the UK, Refugee Week takes place every year around World Refugee Day (20th June). The theme for Refugee Week in 2025 is “Community as a Superpower”.
Refugee Week has evolved into an international movement, with events spanning the globe. You can find events happening everywhere, more information about the week and resources on the Refugee Week website.
Macc has collated some of the events being held by the amazing members of our GM Sanctuary Seekers network and other organisations this year around Refugee Week, which you can view below. If you are aware of any events not listed here, or would like more information about our GM Sanctuary Seekers network, please email [email protected].
| Event | Details | Find out more |
| Harmonise Teachers CPD with Music Action International | 21st May; 4-6pm, Bridgewater Hall. FREE event for primary teachers in the lead up to our Harmonise schools performance celebrating Refugee Week. Our team of outstanding, multi-lingual musicians with refugee heritage will be sharing trauma-informed ways of using music in the classroom to increase wellbeing, language development and fulfil curriculum objectives. All of this while having fun and exploring amazing songs in many languages from around the world. | Book your place here. |
| Hong Kong Cultural Community: The "Shape of Becoming" Exhibition. | 4-10th June. The Shape of Becoming《片語成章》 A collective archive of the memories and struggles of Hongkongers since the 1970s. This exhibition brings together oral histories from across generations — medics, organisers, artists, parents, youth and exiles — alongside protest artefacts, personal objects, soundscapes, and community memory installations. We also warmly invite you to a series of evening events that explore protest, migration, folklore and oral history through film, books and performance. |
More information here: https://vms.hkcc.org.uk/events/exhibition-event-highlights/ |
| VCFSE Showcase: Hong Kong and Ukraine integration support in the North West | 9th June; 1-2pm, Webinar. Please join us as the we shine a light on some of the local VCFSE organisations we have been honoured to work with, support and fund in their mission to improve the lives and integration journeys of Hongkonger and Ukrainian forced migrants in North West England. This event will offer vital insights into the work being delivered in the region to support Hongkongers and Ukranians seperately and together. The session will provide an overview of the work funded by the RSMP and offer you the chance to ask questions. | Sign up on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/vcfse-showcase-hong-kong-and-ukraine-integration-support-in-the-north-west-tickets-1354948390109?aff=oddtdtcreator |
| Community as a Superpower: Finding Homes for Refugee Children | 10th June; 2-3pm, Webinar. Refugee children arriving in the UK need a safe, caring place to call home. Somewhere they can settle for a few weeks, months or sometimes years as they take steps towards their future. RSMP will be hosting a special webinar focused on the welcome and support provided to young people arriving in the North West. We will be highlighting the “Safe Space in a New Place” campaign, which aims to find safe and supportive homes for refugee young people. | Sign up on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/community-as-a-superpower-finding-homes-for-refugee-children-tickets-1365648765219?aff=odcleoeventsincollection&keep_tld=1 |
| Pre-Refugee Week RSMP ESOL & Employability webinar | 11th June; 11-12pm. Come along to this webinar showcasing some of the great ESOL + Employability providers in the North West in honour of Refugee Week 2025! | Sign up on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pre-refugee-week-rsmp-esol-employability-webinar-11am-12pm-june-11th-tickets-1345218236959?aff=oddtdtcreator |
| RSMP Webinar: Community as Enablers of Health | 12th June; 11-12pm. This one-hour session will offer insight into different examples of how communities play a role in the health care of refugee communities in the North West. Discussion will include a focus on Community Health Champions, supporting wellbeing and building local connections, and identifying unmet needs and barriers to care. | Pre-Refugee Week RSMP Webinar Series. Community as enablers of Health, 11am-12pm, June 12th Tickets, Wed, Jun 12, 2025 at 11:00am Eventbrite |
| RSMP Refugee Week - Community as a super power Asylum and Refugee Resettlement | RSMP would like to invite you, the superheroes working in our communities, along to our Asylum and Resettlement Session. During the session we will provide you with a brief overview of the RSMP and an introduction to what asylum and refugee resettlement are. We will have 4 guest speakers who can help us better understand some of our migrant communities and situations you may come across when working with them: The International Organisation for Migration discussing the training sessions they run, Bal Howard discussing Harmful Traditional Practices, Seana Roberts from Merseyside Refugee Support Network discussing the impact of asylum move on and eVisa, Jordan Alexander discussing Spiritual and Ritual abuse | https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/2fd14974-9a6c-45ed-9ea1-31c579b75172@b0ce7d5e-81cd-47fb-94f7-276c626b7b09 |
| Harmonise Manchester Free Performance for Schools | 15th June; 1-2pm, Bridgewater Hall. Harmonise is a national schools programme that improves children’s wellbeing and celebrates the contributions and creativity of refugees and safety seekers. This year, you and your pupils (KS2 & 3) can get involved. Book your class an amazing interactive experience at The Bridgewater Hall learning songs with local children and musicians from across the globe! | |
| Barnardos: Intro to ICTG Service | Date: Monday 16th June 2025 Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 AM or 17:00 PM - 18:00 PM Cost: FREE Where: Online |
More info here |
| Rochdale Council Volunteer Celebration | Tuesday 17th June; 10-1pm. Please be invited to our Rochdale Burough Council Volunteer Celebration at Deeplish Community Centre. Community Celebration, listen to some of our residents stories and share community support and a meal | |
| Barnardos: In Their Shoes - An experiential case study |
In Their Shoes - An experiential case study Date: Tuesday 17th June 2025 |
More info here |
| Barnardos: Undertaking Journey Work with Children |
Undertaking Journey Work with Children Date: Wednesday 18th June 2025 |
More info here |
| Barnardos: The Hopeful Journey of Patience |
The Hopeful Journey of Patience Date: Thursday 19th June 2025 |
More info here |
| Acoustic Amnesty Gig Fundraiser | 20th June; 7pm, Salford Trinity Church. A night of music on Refugee Day, raising money for refugee charities: Rainbow Haven and Refugees at Home. |
Buy tickets here: https://wegottickets.com/event/655581/ |
| Saturday Film Club: Refugee Week Special! |
Saturday 21st June, Mcr Central Library, Performance Space (Ground Floor). Join us at Manchester Central Library for a fantastic afternoon for the whole family dedicated to Refugee Week 2025. Watch a family favourite on the big screen and join themed craft sessions. Free entry, just drop in! 1pm-4pm: Film Screening with Crafts 1pm-4pm: Discover a New Zine! by GMYN 1pm-4pm: Get Artsy with Migrant Support |
Entry to all activities is free, drop in. Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online. |
| Community as a Superpower at the Whitworth | Saturday 21st June 10am – 4pm Community as a Superpower at the Whitworth 🌟The Whitworth (a Gallery of Sanctuary), Manchester Refugee Support Network, KaskoSan Roma Charity and Afrocats invite you to join us this Refugee Week, and Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month, as we celebrate the everyday magic when communities come together in creating this year’s Refugee Week theme 'Community as a Superpower'. There's something for all ages including art workshops, performances, and pop-up exhibitions. | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/community-as-a-superpower-refugee-week-and-roma-history-month-celebrations-tickets-1358464035499?aff=oddtdtcreator |
| Stockport Refugee Week Conference | 27th June; 9.30am - 2.30pm at Guildhall in Stockport. Everyone is welcome! There will be workshops, lived experience, community initiatives, great food! | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/stockport-refugee-conference-tickets-1392857948619?aff=oddtdtcreator |
Refugee Week 2024
For Refugee Week 2024, Macc released a special edition of our Shorts policy bulletin, and held an event to bring the Asylum and Migration sector together with the wider VCSE sector. Both of these activities aimed to raise awareness of Greater Manchester’s asylum and migration sector, the work done by frontline organisations and stories of lived experiences.
- View our Refugee Week 2024 policy bulletin here
- See our post from the Refugee Week event here