Update: Thanks very much to everyone who supported this year’s Refugee Week, especially those who attended our event on Monday 16 June. Special thanks to our speakers and volunteers, and to Richmond Council’s Refugee Services for a grant in support of this event.
Over 40 guests joined us at the Vineyard Community Centre for an evening of artistic inspiration in Refugee Week 2025.
Our speakers included Rita Piglionica from Turner’s House who spoke about the Tales & Travels project supporting the creativity of migrant women; Samira Kitman, who shared her experience of seeking sanctuary and rescuing over 500 endangered artworks by major Afghan artists, and Julia Hall, whose painstakingly beautiful work weaves the stories of refugee women through paintings of the clothes they wear.
Samira also provided some authentically Afghan snacks and biscuits, which we very much enjoyed!
Next Monday marks the start of Refugee Week, 16-22 June 2025. This year’s theme is “community as a superpower”, and we are delighted to welcome some superb guests to our event this time next week.
Refugees Welcome in Richmond (RWinR) will be hosting a free celebration of Artistic Inspiration in Refugee Week on Monday 16 June, 6.30 to 8.30pm at the Vineyard Community Centre.
In particular, we will be joined by artists including Samira Kitman, Julia Hall, and Rita Piglionica from Turner’s House. They will talk about their work inspired by people seeking sanctuary and those who have settled in the UK.
Coming up next week and beyond
The following sanctuary-related events are also taking place during Refugee Week or later in 2025. Please contact us if you’d like us to share your event here too:
- Thursday 19 June, 6pm to 8.30pm: Richmond Council Refugee Week Celebration 2025 (free, register here)
- Friday 20 June, 2.30pm to 3.30pm: Warren Gardens unveiled as a Garden of Sanctuary
- Saturday 21 June, 1.30pm to 3.30pm: Summer garden party and launch of the Voices of Richmond Archive at Teddington Library (free, no booking required)
- Sunday 13 July, 5pm: Evening with Refugee Tales Wimbledon (£10 or £5 concession, book here)