Jules Olsen

I have always been a slightly restless soul, seeking new adventures and challenges with a career that encompasses also sorts of work including running a Go-Kart track and being a Voice Coach, amongst other roles. Having become disillusioned with living near London and my work at that time as a corporate event manager, I moved to Bristol seeking more accessibility to nature and to explore more creative pursuits. Bristol provided a plethora of options and I threw myself into workshops and Festivals. Finding meaningful work was a bit elusive, but a chance conversation with Deasy Bamford from Tribe of Doris changed all that. They were looking for someone to help with their events and activities and had heard on the grapevine that I was good at organising stuff! This connected me to Celebrating Sanctuary and refugee week and after a few years coordinating this event I suggested that we could expand the programme and the Festival was born.

In 2019 I felt that whilst the annual Festival in June was very successful and raised awareness of refugees and asylum seekers, it was very centralised and happened in one month of the year. It did not connect refugees and asylum seekers to the communities they lived in and give them opportunities to share their skills and culture in those localities and create longer-term meaningful relationships. So, with funding from the Lottery, we began our community engagement programme and spread our activities across the city and beyond.

I am so proud of what our tiny team has achieved over the last few years. We have negotiated all sorts of challenges including a global pandemic and the hostile environment created by the last government. And even though there is a new dangerous, divisive narrative arising around the world, I am a strong believer that there are many more of us who wish to unite our communities and create welcoming spaces for all.

This year’s theme CommUnity as a superpower, reflects this perfectly and we really look forward to working with communities across Bristol and South Gloucestershire to celebrate our rich and diverse heritage.

Our next planning Meeting is on Thursday 13th February 10-12.30 at Bristol Old Vic.

On a sunny day in late October, our team of ambassadors visited Bath to look around the famous Roman Baths.

Mariia writes:

 “I enjoyed learning about how the Romans used the natural hot water from the spring. It was exciting to see the hot water bubbling up, and I even got to try drinking some of the mineral-rich water, which was a unique experience! The place is full of history!”

Sherien was struck by the stunning decorated ceiling in the entrance to the baths, and she writes about the structure and organisation of the baths :

“I admired the symmetry in the design, and the way the heating system was constructed, particularly the building’s orientation concerning the sun and weather. I was impressed by how they used hot and cold water for treatments and how they used the spacious area by including exercise zones, leisure centres and rooms of various sizes.

The hand-held audio guides are excellent. I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of languages available, and I appreciated how they made it easier for everyone to understand by allowing visitors to choose their preferred language at the reception.

I am very grateful for the visit to the Roman Baths. I hope more can be done to encourage more people to explore this beautiful historical site and learn about its history, especially those from diverse backgrounds.”

Fariha was also impressed by the history of the baths and moved by the beauty of the city :

“Exploring the Roman Baths was especially interesting. I was amazed by how the Romans heated the water and built such an impressive structure over 2,000 years ago. Walking through the ancient baths and seeing the hot springs up close really brought history to life.

Another highlight was tasting the famous spa water from the fountain in the Roman Baths museum. The water contains 43 minerals and has drawn visitors for centuries, believed to have healing powers. Drinking the warm, mineral-rich water connected me to Bath’s long history of health and wellness.

The city itself, with its beautiful Georgian buildings, added to the charm and made the day unforgettable. After visiting the Roman Baths museum, we took a lovely walk along the river. The breeze and weather were perfect, and we took a group picture and enjoyed a meal together. This walk helped me connect with nature, improved my social skills, and had a positive impact on my mental health. It also gave me more confidence to travel. I’m very grateful to the Bristol Refugee Festival for organising such a meaningful day trip for Ambassadors.”

Hello! I’m Esther, the new Programme Coordinator at Bristol Refugee Festival. I arrived in the UK last year and am thrilled to be part of this organisation.

Starting this role holds deep meaning for me. Coming from a migrant background, I understand the challenges of settling into a new culture and how essential it is to create a sense of belonging. My journey brought me here with a drive to help others find connection and support, especially those who, like me, have experienced the challenges of building a new life in a new place.

Before coming to the UK, I worked on events supporting the resettling community in Taiwan, where I saw how powerful community gatherings could be. These experiences taught me how much we all benefit from building strong connections—whether we’re offering help or receiving it. Working here, I can help others find their way into the community while also strengthening my own sense of belonging, which is something truly important to me.

My love for arts and crafts, and especially food, is something I hope to share with others. I believe food and creativity bring people together, bridging cultural gaps and creating shared experiences. Few things connect us as effortlessly as a meal shared or a craft created together, and I’m excited to bring these passions into my role to help foster community spirit.

Having joined the team two months ago, I’ve already been part of some remarkable events showcasing the vibrant cultural contributions of Bristol’s refugees and asylum-seekers. In September, I attended the inspiring “Horn of Africa” event at Eastville Park, where refugees and asylum seekers shared their talents as musicians, poets, artists, and chefs, creating an unforgettable sense of community.

Another highlight was the “Welcome Chat” in Kingswood, where community members gathered to connect, share ideas, and offer skills. I loved seeing the warmth and support for each other and am excited for our outreach into new areas around Bristol and South Gloucestershire.

Looking ahead, I’m thrilled about our first Planning Meeting for the 2025 Festival on Wednesday, 27th November, at Trinity Community Arts. This will be a great opportunity to gather ideas for next year’s arts, culture, and educational events. We invite all communities, artists, venues, and organisations to join us in shaping this celebration.

I look forward to learning from each of you and celebrating the diverse cultures that make our community so special. See you at the planning meeting—I’m excited to work together to make the 2025 Festival unforgettable!

BRF Refugee Engagement Officer Danny shares his memories of this year’s celebrations at Queen Square.

“In June 2023, Celebrating Sanctuary returned to Queen Square for the first time since 2019 after a pandemic-enforced hiatus, and came around again in 2024.

“This has long been the flagship event for the BRF, bringing together refugees, asylum seekers, music lovers and sun bathers, with music from refugee performers and food from refugee cooks, and its return gave us a chance to enjoy a day of solidarity.

“Both this year and last, we’ve proudly presented a programme that has involved refugees as either lead performers or lead collaborators.

We’ve heard music from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Sudan, Congo, Cameroon, Tibet, and singers from Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Brazil, dancers from Nicaragua, Colombia, and Honduras, speakers from Sudan, Kurdistan, Kosovo, and India.

” And this year, for the first time this year at Celebrating Sanctuary, we saw the performances pause for a procession snaking its way to Sufi rhythms around the square to a Sudanese coffee corner.

“These celebrations at Queen Square give us the chance to bring people together from diverse backgrounds, into one place to celebrate our shared humanity, and to enjoy some amazing collaborations between refugee and local performers.”

Diego Pena

The city of Bristol has two faces, day and night. When the sun covers the city, people live their lives as usual, go to work, school or whatever. If you’re lucky you can run into random situations and random conversations with random but lovely characters.

Talking to many people I realised that it is not something unusual to hear that Bristol is a city where creative people explode and collaborate. When the sun is gone and the night arises, Bristol can go to sleep in some areas or it can be frenetic in others, filled with people having fun without carrying about any sort of problems whatsoever.

On the 16^th February, I went to Strange Brew to take some photos. The evening started calmly as people were arriving and the place was getting crowded. I was walking around the stage and the place in general getting familiarised and checking any good spots to get some shots.

The stage was full of musical equipment, instruments that I had never seen in my nineteen years of existence, cables, microphones and more cables. I knew then that it wasn’t just a normal gig, it was going to be one that people would enjoy because it was something new… And I know people love new.

Once the place was almost full – and I am talking about actually being full with people having to squeeze to fit – the music started.

I can describe the music I heard at the beginning with words like soft, inspiring, living or just fresh. The music was played by a duo making the sound with a trumpet and what looked like the son of a harp and a guitar.

The feeling of being there listening to them and telling the meaning of those songs without lyrics, allowed you to tell that the songs were created while experiencing different palettes of emotions. You could tell that every song had a story behind it, some of those stories that you only read about in books or hear somewhere else because you can not imagine them, because you don’t know what colour the sun is in those places, how people talk and act, what the feeling of those places being your home is.

I remember taking some photos when I saw a guy standing next to me staring at the weird instrument trying to hear its sound carefully, knowing that after that evening it was going to be difficult to hear it again. I thought about how comforting it is to know that in this city there are people that treasure these little things that different cultures have to offer and yet they are also proud of theirs.

Following the first act, some poetry was read, poems written by a guy in Palestine. They told us how much it meant to him that his writing could travel that far away and that it could be heard by people. Everyone was silent and tried to listen carefully.

I think that sometimes we just don’t think that much about poetry, and we forget that it can contain a lot of power. We forget that just some verses can protect a tiny piece of history from being forgotten, that it can be the solemn proof that the passion living in the hearts of people around the world can be immortal.

 The culmination of the night was the show of the Orchestra of Samples, a lovely show that gathered the sounds of different musicians from around the world and mixed them into songs.

Some minutes after their show started, I looked back and was amazed at how people were dancing without caring about anything else. I had the vibe that they were extremely concentrated on it as if it was their way of saying thank you to the guys playing the music on the stage.

They never got tired, they never wanted to stop and, even when the show was over, I saw them leaving the place with a smile. I was right: people love new.

Words and photos: Diego Pena

On 29 February we held the planning meeting for our 2024 festival at Bristol Old Vic. It was exciting to see the room buzzing with so many different people, organisations and ideas. We set the tone by sharing cultural ideas about how to celebrate the return of spring.

And – as we always like to be a bit different and work with what particularly resonates with Bristol communities – we collectively settled on ‘Home’ as our local theme for 2024, to complement the national Refugee Week theme of ‘Our Home’.

One of our festival stalwarts, Tenzin Sangmo, has shared with us her memories of festivals past and why she’s looking forward to celebrating on the theme of ‘home’ this year.

“Bristol Refugee Festival (BRF) has always been an exciting moment for me and my Tibetan community in Bristol.

As a small thriving community in the midst of Bristol, a huge multicultural city, we have been given the opportunity to be seen and heard, and have never been left out.

Unlike other organisations who catch their eye on the big, loud and popular ones, BRF focuses on social inclusion and the deprived, giving opportunities for communities to showcase their stories, distinct cultures and human rights issues and concerns.

It has been a privilege and honour to be part of BRF every year observing our ‘Tibet Day’, looking towards the preservation of our unique culture and sharing the stories of Tibetan refugees around the world.

This year the theme ‘Home‘ sounds to me so warm and emotional too. Not everyone has a home although they have a place to live. For an individual ‘Home’ is a place where they can be anything, be loved and feel free. 

Especially for those who fled from persecution, for a refugee, from shock and torture, we all have a role to play. To create a connecting support service, understanding their culture and background, freeing them from fear and danger in this place.

Making them feel at home is the prime goal of all of us and of those services who are there to support them. The BRF team always works towards achieving those goals and I commend their multiculturalism and inclusive approach.

I really love this theme, very apt to celebrate and to work on.  Bristol, City of Sanctuary, a Home!”

Tenzin Sangmo

This year’s festival takes place 8 to 23 June 2024. Subscribe to our newsletter and stay tuned to our channels to be the first to get eyes on the full events programme.