Theatre of Sanctuary
Sanctuary through creativity.
We became a theatre of sanctuary in 2020 and we are committed to creating a safe environment for all members of our community to come together and champion creative voices from all backgrounds
“My voice was heard. My people were heard.” – Participant, Migration Matters
Being Migrant
Our Being Migrant project involves developing a new piece of theatre entitled 3 Migrant Women. The work explores long-travelled stories and aims to inspire understanding, compassion and change. A kind, supportive, inclusive group of new theatre makers who exchange global theatre traditions and cultures.
This is an opportunity for migrants, refugees and sanctuary seekers to engage creatively and connect with other communities. The participants share diverse, theatrical languages to inspire and be celebrated.
This company has been creating with Norwich Theatre since January 2023.
Illustration by Rose Feather.
Outreach projects
Cultural Music Celebrations
Supported by Norwich City Council.
Throughout 2024 we engaged with refugees and sanctuary seekers in Norwich and Diss to co-create four Cultural Music Celebrations. Through practical workshops, planning sessions, discussions and music making, artists Samia Malik and Pete Murdoch worked with over 150 people to develop celebrations of culture, music and togetherness.
“Your outreach work with refugees and asylum-seeking people has been great. We have found this work really flexible, person-centred and genuinely well-meaning. It has been great to see the theatre put the needs of this group at the forefront, and try to create meaningful and joyful experiences for them.”
– Lydia Prem, Norwich International Youth Project Coordinator
Harmony Collective
The Harmony Collective was a sanctuary choir with a unifying focus on togetherness and welcome. It was open to asylum seekers and refugees who wanted to find a creative home in Norwich – and who want to sing with others and celebrate voices from around the world. Workshops initially took place at St Matthews Church, and later were held in a Norwich hotel that housed sanctuary seekers.
Guided by Samia Malik – singer, songwriter, artist and teacher – participants were led through a mixture of scales, rhythms and music of the world, including her own songs, some of which were sung in Urdu.
Refugee Week
At Norwich Theatre, we are proud to join other local organisations of sanctuary in celebrating Refugee Week Norwich. Each year, we programme an array of talks, screenings and creative events that explore, highlight and celebrate the refugee experience in our communities.
“Norwich Theatre has had a huge impact on the Refugee Week Norwich programme, you’ve been really accommodating with your space, resources, and support. We’re all about integration, and being able to reach the settled community through trusted organisations in our city is exactly what makes that happen. If you’re living on a very small amount of money per week you don’t have access to spaces that others use all the time, there’s absolutely no chance of buying entertainment and leisure outings, or developing skills, exploring interests, and sharing your unique story – so, for our new community members to actually be involved in workshops, occasionally given tickets, and even be part of putting on productions here, is a level of access that is really special… it’s quite amazing.”
-Alaine Mukene-Drew, New Routes Integration
Past projects
Migration Matters
Migration Matters was an opportunity for migrants, refugees and sanctuary seekers to join a new community bound by shared understanding and to explore their creative identity. It was also a support network giving a space for our participants to feel valued, visible and heard. This project engaged in workshops with Gecko Theatre, led by company members of their production of Kin.
Migration Patterns
This 2023 project developed a short film and portrait installation which explored how migration patterns of movement reflect the conditions of a changing world, and impact the cultural landscapes of both the places left and the places settled in.
Cyanotype created by Jonathan Adkins using a photograph of Salima Bryce, a participant of Theatre of Sanctuary. The piece is called Celebrating the Cyanotype.
Forgotten Things
To reclaim what has been lost
To be what now has been found
Sequence of events
Leading to the profound
Marvels of jewels
To be found
Search the inner guidance
Trust the written path
You are your own guide
Try find the moment
Inside the mind
Love and growth
Remind the soul
The lost traveller
Is but a journeyer without
A destination
Written by Salima Bryce, a participant of Theatre of Sanctuary. The poem was written in response to a writing workshop led by Steve Waters (Playwright and Professor of Scriptwriting at the University of East Anglia).
Open Studio
For International Refugee Week 2024, our Theatre of Sanctuary shared an Open Studio to talk about and share some of their work. A soundscape reflecting the first discussions shared about border control experiences was recorded and edited by our associate company, Limbik Theatre, which you can listen to here.