Curating Community: In conversation with Refugee Festival Scotland

“I’ve never believed in seeing this work as a competition; it's more of a collaboration,” says Esraa Husain, a creative writer, facilitator, community organiser, researcher and, this year, Refugee Festival Scotland’s Programming Fellow. In recent months, they’ve collaborated with the festival’s small but mighty team to deliver a programme of events which celebrates and connects refugee communities across Scotland, from 13 to 20 June. 

This year’s festival theme, Milestones, speaks to the 40th anniversary of Scottish Refugee Council and the 25th anniversary of Refugee Festival Scotland. For Husain, this year also marks ten years of their living in the UK. “It means so much to me to find community here and establish a network and feel more at home and at ease,” they say. Husain’s programme, Building Solidarity and Kinship, consists of five events, spanning in-person and online spaces. With film, poetry, movement, performance, discussions and community meals, the programme offers something for everybody. In particular, they’re looking forward to a poetry reading event at Listen Gallery and short film screenings at Glasgow Film Theatre and Eden Court. 

“I think that language of Building Solidarity and Kinship is a language that I've been navigating and exploring and understanding for years now, especially moving here from the Global South, and moving around different cities, different countries... It's something that's very integral to my experience of movement and displacement,” they say. Currently completing their PhD on Black Scottish writing – another milestone for Husain this year – they’ve found this solidarity and kinship arise within their research time and time again. “They [Black Scottish writers] became more than just research, just academics. They became part of my practice.”

Refugee Festival Scotland takes place across the country and Husain’s programme is no exception. Previously living up north, Husain was keen that their programme reached far and wide. “Based on my experience, I noticed that there are special barriers and a special sense of isolation when you live in the north and the Highlands... the cities and the communities are smaller, also in terms of transport,” they say. There’s a common misconception that refugee communities – as well as migrant communities and communities of colour – solely find themselves in Scotland’s Central Belt. In reality, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness are also home to growing refugee communities. “I know we are there and we are everywhere – the communities who come from migrant backgrounds are everywhere.” The festival’s access provisions also speak to the diversity of the refugee experience: this year, for the very first time, the festival will have BSL interpreters and a Wellbeing Officer while an online event in Husain’s programme opens the door even wider. 

For Husain, it’s crucial that individuals feel welcomed and supported when attending – after all, Refugee Festival Scotland is a festival for and by refugee communities. “I want them to know that it will be enough for them just to be there and share their presence. And I hope that it's not going to be demanding in any way,” they say. Husain is also keen that the festival encourages other individuals to pursue their own hopes and interests. Last year’s Programming Fellow, Huss Al-Chokhdar – a queer Arab multidisciplinary artist and programmer – inspired Husain to apply for the role this year. Attending the festival saw Husain make connections within and outwith the community; they’re excited to offer such opportunities to audiences this year.

With the offer of event guidelines and funding opportunities, refugee-led groups and refugee support organisations are invited to contribute to the festival through hosting their own events. As such, the festival isn’t purely curated by one centralised programme team; rather, it’s reflective of and driven by the community’s wants and needs. “It gives us a sense of agency. It makes our voices heard.”

In curating their programme, Husain has sat with the weight of our current socio-political climate. “It comes with a responsibility, and with a lot of ethical questions,” they say. Last summer, we saw racist riots; only last month, Keir Starmer announced a terrifyingly hostile immigration policy. “People's rights are under threat. The political environment that we're in is very scary and can be very hostile,” says Husain. This threat is increasingly present for disabled, queer and trans refugee individuals amid the UK’s continued legislative attacks upon such groups. Community is more important now, than ever. 

“It's very challenging to find that balance between not just pumping the traumas and the pain, but also at the same time celebrating us and celebrating our talents and skills and what we have to offer,” they say. There is, indeed, a lot to celebrate – but the festival is keen to offer audiences solace in trying times, as well as joy. As Husain notes, “It’s a work in progress.” And it’s a work we can progress together.

---

Refugee Festival Scotland runs from 13-22 Jun across Scotland
More information & tickets available at refugeefestivalscotland.co.uk/