大象传媒 Scotland - 大象传媒 Scotland - The charity that is giving a voice to musicians in exile

The charity that is giving a voice to musicians in exile

Being a refugee or asylum seeker often means that, as well as the effects of a physical displacement, you can suffer great change from what was your previous life.

Loop met with Aref, who helps to run a community project in Glasgow's Govan area called Musicians in Exile.

The project aims to provide musicians who have been displaced with the opportunity to meet other refugee and asylum seeking musicians and allow them the chance to play the music that may have otherwise been taken away from them in their move to Scotland.

The three hours a week that let these refugees and asylum seekers forget their worries

Musicians in Exile allows refugees and asylum seeker musicians to practice music together.

Aref believes that getting together with like-minded people and performing music gives attendees an opportunity to unwind from the stresses of their lives.

"Those who have fled their countries because of war and conflict could be facing a lot of difficulties during the week... I’m sure these are the only three hours a week they forget everything."

Even though there are refugees and asylum seekers from all around the globe, Aref says that the common language of music means that communication isn't as much of an issue as it could be:

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Aref

"We have musicians here who can’t speak English very well, but they can communicate to the other musicians with their instruments.

"We are learning from each other, we are getting to know about each other’s cultures, new instruments, sometimes even new languages."

As well as practice sessions letting musicians prepare themselves for the bi-monthly concerts the project puts on, Aref believes that providing an creative output for displaced musicians is hugely important:

"Instruments for musicians are like their children and when they don’t have them they are lost. When you provide instruments, you are providing a world back to them."

Aref performing at a Musicians in Exile concert

Aileen Ritchie of Ignite Theatre feels that providing young refugees and asylum seekers with a creative outlet is important way of helping them integrate into their new home country:

"I think it's really important that, if you've relocated from one continent to another and your only experience of Scotland is the bus, school and then home, that you have somewhere else to go which is supportive."

The project started in 2006 with the remit of working with young asylum seekers and refugees in order to provide a way of helping them progress in a more positive way.

Ignite Theatre: Bringing hope to the young in Glasgow