Scottish Refugee Council will initially bring Glaswegians together over a multi-cultural meal
A charity project will see refugees and Scots gather together to share food and stories over the next 12 months all the while creating a new exhibition in Glasgow
Led by the Scottish Refugee Council, Share My Table will see refugees and local Scots meet at workshops and special multicultural meal featuring food from around the world before preparing a public exhibition and performance at Tramway next year.
The culmination of the project, which is supported by Creative Scotland, Tramway and the Hidden Gardens, will mix visual art, the exhibition will feature performance and storytelling around the theme of welcome and belonging.
Suzi Maciver, arts officer at Scottish Refugee Council, said: “Refugees are never far from the news.
Sharing a meal is a great way to get to know each other and realise that we often have more in common than the news headlines suggest
“Harrowing scenes of families packed into unsafe boats, desperately seeking shelter from conflict and violence have become commonplace. But news reports of a global crisis don’t always tell the personal stories of people forced to flee their homes.
“As more people seek safety in Scotland it's more important than ever for us to get to know each other as neighbours, colleagues and friends, and to recognise that all our unique experiences and contributions combine to make Scotland such a vibrant place to live.
“Sharing a meal is a great way to get to know each other and realise that we often have more in common than the news headlines suggest. It is also a great chance to try some of the delicious recipes that refugees bring to Scotland.”
The project is being launched in the midst of the world’s worst refugee crisis, with more people than ever before forced to flee their homes in search of protection from violence and human rights abuses.
The finished piece will be part of the Refugee Festival Scotland in 2017.
Maggie Maxwell, head of equalities and diversity, Creative Scotland added: The workshops and performances will create the starting point for cultural sharing and conversations that will deliver personal, societal and cultural benefits to everyone involved, and support the integration of these New Scots as artists in Scotland.”
For more information on the project contact Pauline Diamond Salim, at Scottish Refugee Council on 0141 248 9799.
