Music workshops for displaced people

Aim: We need your support to run our music workshops with people held in contingency immigration environments, such as budget hotels.

“It would be difficult to design a system that more perfectly delivers despair and deteriorating human health and mental capacity than these ‘asylum camps'" - A person currently held in contingency accommodation.

Over 25,000 people who are seeking asylum in the UK are currently being housed in contingency accommodation such as budget hotels. In fact, there are now more people being held outside Immigration Removal Centres than there ever have been. 

Many, including families, have been through unimaginable situations such as war, torture and trafficking.

Hundreds of people are crowded together. Those living in this accommodation have no information about when they might be moved, or released. People tell us that it is like prison. 

“In your mind, it is always hard because you don’t know anything, and you have to wait thinking about what is going to happen to you.” - Carlo, El Salvador

As much as they are permitted to come and go, their lack of settled status and budget of £8 per week, means that isolation, repetition, boredom and despair is widespread. There is no social or psychological support or even any activities to pass the endless time.

We know that feeling involved, inspired and creative can impact positively on their mental health, reaping benefits for those involved and the wider community. So, we’ve started weekly music sessions to bring strength and hope.

We are asking for your support to keep our creative programme going.

Our programmes help participants to express and manage emotions, believe in themselves and make relationships with others – all these being elements in resilience, the ability to cope with stress. 

"This is so important for people like me displaced and far away from their home countries. Music can facilitate a kind of peace for people like me who are going through troubles related to the circumstances of being a refugee that consume all their time and thoughts. 

Playing and listening to music frees me from being trapped by these thoughts and renews my sense of purpose about the rest of my life" - Navid, Iran

In a system where you're often not even called by your name, the workshops can give someone a sense of self-worth as well as space for inner escape and expression and a connection to other people. 

Please show your solidarity  and support to the thousands of people currently living in uncertainty and give what you can.

One donation, twice the noise. Thanks to our funding partner BA Community Fund, today your donation will be doubled! 

Thank you for your willingness to help strangers to find real hope in horrible situations.

*Faces are not shown in order to protect the identities of people who have not consented to having their identities shared