Ambassador Blog

I’m Sam. I have been in Bristol for around 15 years. I love living in a culturally rich and diverse city, with inspiring people and communities. It makes life both interesting, and very fun! I’ve always had a passion for foreign languages and learning about different people and cultures… This interest continues to open up doors to new worlds; art, food, traditions, music and new friends. 

After working at the University of Bristol, welcoming and advising international students for a number of years, I was keen to go on my own international adventure – working in Japan, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina, Costa Rica and New Zealand, I learnt a lot! 

On my return, I was excited to start with BRF, as the team administrator. I have particularly enjoyed supporting the team with its community engagement work, and coordinating the festival programme. 2023 was  definitely a busy one… We started the year with the South West conference. It was brilliant to meet people from all over, and was a great opportunity for our team of refugee and asylum seeker ambassadors to influence the narrative, and share their thoughts. It brought the importance of individuals with lived experience informing our work to the forefront. The ambassador programme has been a real highlight in terms of our growth, and we have all learned a lot by working together and getting to know each other. 

Last year, it felt like there was a thirst for live events again, after a couple of uncertain years. Organisers and attendees were filled with enthusiasm to support and take part in the festival. We had a record number of events in the June programme and were very excited to be able to bring Celebrating Sanctuary back to Queen Square.

So, a very happy new year from us all at BRF.  Most of us are probably thinking about Spring now! We are getting ready to launch in to our next cycle of events, kicking off with a fundraiser gig on 16th Feb. We are putting on an exciting audio-visual global music show at Strange Brew; Addictive TV’s Orchestra Of Samples, featuring Bristol based Cameroonian artist Alphonse Daudet Touna (Hélélé) ‘A unique musical journey without borders, taking in Senegal, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Colombia, Brazil, India and more.’ Support act is the amazing Bristol Griot. This will be a brilliant evening, find out more and get tickets here.

We also have the 2024 Festival planning meeting coming up on Thurs 29th February. Bristol Old Vic are hosting us, and we look forward to lively discussions around the Refugee Week theme ‘Our Home’, and sharing ideas for this year’s programme. Places are booking up fast, so do sign up now to reserve your spot.

As we launch in to planning the 2024 Festival Programme (June 8 – 23), we remember how important it is to spend time breaking down barriers and experiencing joy in each other’s cultures and music. Finding ways for everyone to share their cultures and skills is key. When we welcome and connect, we form stronger and happier communities.

Hey, I’m Reem, an 18-year-old newcomer at the Bristol Refugee Festival, stepping into the role of their youngest events ambassador.

Back in May 2023, my drive to support Sudan during its war led me to a quest for fundraising. I knew nothing about events planning, but my dad connected me with Vandna (BRF Community Engagement lead) who became my guiding star through the entire event planning journey. Together, we crafted an event that managed to pull in over £500! When I later found myself in Egypt, I made sure those funds reached Sudanese families seeking refuge there.

Being part of the Bristol Refugee Festival is more than a title; it’s a gratitude-filled experience. It’s opened doors to meeting incredible souls and diving into the richness of diverse cultures and religions. The last event was a standout moment when Vandna graciously invited me on stage to share a poem expressing what “home” truly means to me. Here is my poem.

In the heart of Sudan , where the Nile winds sing,
Our home echoed love, a cherished spring.
Beneath the sun’s caress, on ancient ground,
Safety and warmth, a heartbeat’s surround.

Then fate unfurled a map anew,
Bristol’s streets embraced a different view
From Khartoum’s glow to Clifton’s air,
Our home transplanted, a journey so rare.

“To me, a home is where you feel loved,
Safe and cherished,” Malala quoted
Our home is comfort and keeps us motivated
In each brick of our dwelling, that truth rings,
A sanctuary where family springs.

Bristol’s skyline, a canvas to explore,
Yet Sudan’s echoes in every door.
New accents blend with tales untold,
A quilt of cultures, both young and old.

In the heart of our home, where laughter weaves,
A sanctuary where each soul believes.
From Sudan’s plains to England’s west,
Our home is truly blessed.

Hi! I’m Carlota (she/her). I’m a Portuguese theatre and performance artist based in Bristol and have lived in the UK for 8 years. I work with artists, communities and young people, focusing on co-creation, access and social change.

As a migrant, issues of identity and belonging are very present for me and I bring them into my work, as well as my experiences of mental ill-health. I frequently work as Director/ Facilitator with organisations such as Myers-Insole Local Learning CIC, Lightbox Theatre, Many Minds mental health charity, Travelling Light theatre company and Bristol Old Vic.

In 2022, I started to develop a methodology for inclusive practice which embraces and removes language barriers, incorporating different languages and translation on stage, and integrates access for d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people.

I organised some workshops for migrant women in February/March 2023 at Docklands Community Centre and Bristol Refugee Festival (BRF) were incredibly supportive, helping to promote the sessions and even coming along.

Attending BRF events always made me feel very welcome. There is something comforting in being in a room filled with people from different cultures and nationalities. I find it so much easier to connect with others over this shared experience of not being from the UK, and the understanding of the challenges that migration poses.

The success of my workshops led to a partnership with Bristol-based charity Borderlands, and we ran two theatre workshops for women as part of BRF’s festival programme in June.

I strongly believe that theatre can be a powerful tool for self-expression, to bring people together and improve wellbeing. It can be a great platform to raise awareness, increase empathy and improve representation. In my work, I am dedicated to breaking down barriers in access to the arts, and creating high-quality cultural experiences which defy perceptions of what theatre is and who it’s for.

Activities at Borderlands theatre group for migrant women. Photo: Chelsey Cliff

Since September 2023, we offer free weekly theatre workshops for migrant women at Borderlands, alongside theatre trips and opportunities to share our work. This participatory theatre project addresses language barriers and explores identity and what it means to be a woman in different cultures. We have so many skills and knowledge in our group and these sessions offer an opportunity to try new things in a supportive environment.

We have also been working with Ania Varez, a Venezuelan dance and movement artist based in Bristol. We are always open for new participants to join us and all levels of English are welcome.

We had our first sharing as part of Theatre of Migration, an event commissioned by Counterpoints Arts for Platforma Festival 2023. Some of the participants ran an ice-breaker for the audience and showcased their art, writing, crafts and food recipes.

As part of the event, community artist Hiba Elhindi showed a film about her brilliant work with the Sudanese community and we discussed the ethics of participation, making theatre from lived experience and working with migrants, chaired by (BRF community engagement officer) Vandna.

I am so pleased to be able to work alongside such inspiring people and outstanding organisations who bring their expertise to our work together. The event was filmed and I am writing some reflections to be published alongside the recording – keep an eye on Counterpoints’ socials!

Vandna (left) and Carlota (right) participating in discussion at Platforma. Photo: Chelsey Cliff

Our next sharing will be on 7th December at Borderlands and will include a yummy meal. Everyone is invited and there will be a crèche available, as well as BSL interpretation. Book your free place here.

I am also currently directing Bristol, do you mind? with Many Minds. It’s a piece about people’s connection to Bristol and public spaces in the city. It will be performed on 5th December at Travelling Light Studio (Wellspring Settlement). Tickets available on Eventbrite.

Finally, I have been working internationally with Future Laboratory, a project of research residences throughout Europe to identify missing narratives on our stages.

Find more information about my work on my website or by following me on instagram.

Main photo credit: Seb Peters

Since arriving in the UK seven years ago, Nabil Amini’s been a powerhouse in his community. Along with BRF, he currently volunteers with Bristol Refugee Rights, Borderlands and Aid Box Community – running art tables, working to make people feel welcome and to bring a smile to as many faces as possible. He’s also a member of the Bristol Refugee Artists Collective (BRAC), who are looking ahead to a joint exhibition with UWE later this year. 

It’s safe to say Nabil takes every opportunity he can to get out, meet people and exercise his creativity. Here he talks more about his motivations and his philosophy for wellbeing.

Before, it wasn’t my interest in doing art. I wanted to go to university to study biology, but I wasn’t allowed to in Iran because I’m a refugee.  The first time I arrived to Bristol Refugee Rights (BRR) they had an art table and said did I want to paint something. . So I did some painting and they said ‘Oh, you’re really good at that’. I said, ‘Seriously?! You mean that is good?!’ They said yes! Then every time I went to BRR I did a painting, and I brought some stuff home to practice a lot. Maybe 5 years ago, I got my first exhibition, as part of BRAC.

Sometimes people suggest doing meditation and say ‘close your eyes and relax’. , but when I close them my brain is not mine, it’s going everywhere. Painting is like my meditation. 

I really like realistic painting. I like landscapes most, showing the beauty of nature. I’m using landscapes to help people connect with nature. Colour is very important to me. Colour is everything! In my opinion, green makes you calm. Other colours might make you feel upset. When you go outside and see the damage, you feel it in your heart.Because I lived in three different countries, I know how the climate changes and how bad it is for the people in those areas. I’ve seen the problems in Afghanistan and Iran. Most of the people in Afghanistan are farmers – when blossom is damaged, they don’t have any fruit in the summertime. Lots of rivers are dry, because there’s no snow, or snow at the wrong time. 

I used to live in a small village in Iran with a beautiful river. It had wild animals, horses and fish. We were going swimming, hunting fish and cooking them. That was the best time in my life. Then, the next city opened lots of factories. They put all the sewage in the river, and all the trees died. I saw the way it had changed, it was so sad. 

When I go outside and walk sometimes I believe each bush or plant looks like a hand. I touch my hand to the leaves of trees to say hello. I feel like they’re my friends in a way and if I miss some of them, in my heart I say ‘I’m sorry, I’ll catch you next time!’

I love music and dancing. I have four instruments at home – a santor from Iran, guitar, keyboard and flute. I can’t play any of them – yet I’m still happy I have them!  I’m learning to play guitar with the Dovetail Orchestra. I’m also doing a show this month with ACTA, the community theatre. I like it because it’s about climate change, and also family. Nowadays I think society is making families far away from each other. The culture here is very different from mine. Here you leave home at 18. In my country we stay together: sometimes the parents make a bigger house, and even if I got married I would stay or live nearby. 

For me, doing art and music is a way of being with people, which makes me calm. When I’m doing some activity with someone I’m not thinking about bad things. I don’t judge others and if they judge me on anything, I can ignore it. It makes me patient. 

I really like helping people. Volunteering at BRR, when I’m talking with people they hear similar languages to their own and that makes them happy and comfortable. When I serve them I think, I don’t have the money to help in that way but I can help them with talking or thinking positively. 

The refugee people, before they get the visa, they’re not really happy and they’re not thinking about anything except their cases with the government. So I talk to people and say, I know it’s hard, but it can be OK. You’re not allowed to work, you don’t have any money, but you can’t change that. If you’re always thinking bad things, it might do bad things to you. Wellbeing is very important. If you become sad, lots of problems come into your mind, and lots of health issues in your body. When people come into these charities we want them to enjoy their time – because when the time is gone, we can’t get it back. So don’t just spend the time thinking about your case. You can learn lots of things while you’re waiting. Especially in Bristol there are lots of good activities and opportunities for people. I know it’s impossible to make all the world peaceful, but at least I can improve some people to think positive things. 

Before I worked with those charities, I was like a bird without wings. They give me the wings to fly to help the people. I need to help people and for me nowadays it doesn’t matter who needs help – be it British, immigrant, refugee. All of us are human and we have our dark side and light side. All of us are the same. The blood that is in my heart is the same colour as any another person, whether black or white or from any other country. It doesn’t matter – we are all the same.

Nabil featured in the We The Curious ‘Earth Stories’ series – read it here.Borderlands has produced a toolkit for those interested in running art tables for refugees and asylum seekers. Access it here.

In our latest blog we hear from Pooja, another of Bristol Refugee Festivals’ Ambassadors, on life in Bristol, what motivates her and the projects she devotes her time to.

My name is Pooja Bhardwaj, living in Bristol with my 4 year old son Raiyan in Bradley Stoke for 3 years and over. I love Bristol – its location near so many sea sides, lovely people, and this city has got beautiful history attached to it that makes it more special and memorable. In Bristol life is different, I sense alot of positive vibes. I found it lucky to be in Bristol because my life made major positive changes only after moving here. 

I found myself very lucky to have had an awesome opportunity to restart my career, in the accounting profession that I always dreamt of. To be honest I am very positive about everything I do in my life, so I thought it’s never too late to start. As I knew beforehand that where there is a will, there is a way, so as I started the course eventually I got the support to finance my fees and college expenses. 

For me as an asylum seeker this is the biggest motivation that you are getting all the support that you need to have a successful career. I am delighted and grateful to Bristol Refugee Festival (BRF) who have always supported me extraordinarily to achieve my goals, understanding my needs and giving me a sense of belongingness. Just recently they helped me raise the money for my accounting course for which I am so grateful.

I always from the corner of my heart wanted to help and support others. When I came to Bristol in early 2020 during the peak of the pandemic I got substantial support with groceries and essentials. I was so glad to receive this, but on the other hand I found it to be great if I could help some charities by volunteering for them. 

I started to volunteer at Aid Box Community (ABC) as well as volunteering with BRF as an ambassador. It feels so good when I interact with diverse groups. I love helping the ABC hub every Monday. What brings me there is the super supportive nature of the people working around me in the team, and honestly it feels like home. We have good communication with lots of chats and cups of coffee. 

People are so happy here in Bristol and the surroundings are so beautiful, it inspires me to be here for the rest of my life.