A guest blog for Refugee Week 2022

A guest blog for Refugee Week 2022 - Under the Same Sun

Abir Soleiman, IOM UK • Jun 08, 2022

Meet the people behind Singing Our Lives - and come and see them perform in June!

“My name is Jade Jackson, and I am from… Clapham Junction!” says Jade before bursting into laughter. Whenever the clouds above London generously leave enough space for the sun to shine on the city below, it makes Londoners cheerful, almost as if they were inwardly and outwardly celebrating the brighter side of life. You may think this is why Jade is smiling today, but in fact being out and about under the sun has a very special significance for her.

This afternoon we are in a church hall where once or twice a week for the past six months Jade has been joining rehearsals for the ‘Singing Our Lives’ project, run by the community-based organisation Together Productions.

Jade is ready for today’s rehearsal and explains: “Nowadays I am very open, but I used to hide in my room and not come out because I feared that people would laugh at me and say things about me, and this is not true. I used not to let people come near me, even if I could see they were nice because I thought that I was not going to be nice to them, and it made me so afraid. When you are tortured in your own country it is not good at all … torturing people is so bad."

"When I arrived in the UK, I could not even talk to anybody; when I tried to get out of my flat, if I saw somebody walking in the street, I used to run back inside. Now I feel free, walking everywhere and singing, because everybody is the same and we are free!"

Today, under the same sun, Jade and her beautiful smile radiate kindness, joy and hope: the signs of her own courage and resilience. Being part of the Singing Our Lives project gives her even more strength: “I really enjoy this group because everybody feels so safe here, as if we are friends and family, and whether you sing well or not, they will accept you and you learn … it is very good!”

Benedikt Humm, originally from Germany, has been living in the UK for over thirty years now and is also part of the Singing Our Lives project. He explains how rewarding it is to get together with people from all walks of lives: “It really is a lovely hot pot … a mixture of different people, cultures, backgrounds, and ages. It’s a creative, slightly chaotic, mix that really involves so many different people from all walks of life with different personalities that I just find so enriching. It really brings a lot of joy to be part of it!”. One of the takeaways for Benedikt is that, “particularly working with some of our refugee singers – we are all more or less the same, all with similar needs … obviously some people have had very challenging backgrounds, but as humans we are so similar; we all want a little bit of comfort and a little bit of recognition, and this is what Singing Our Lives is really about.”

The recognition that Benedickt talks about is an important step in the process of healing from trauma and extreme circumstances. Yonas, who proudly describe himself as “one of the co-founders of the Sing for Freedom choir” is from East Africa and has been in the UK for twenty years.

The choirs and the Singing Our Lives project are catalysts for change in the community as they bring together people who may never otherwise have met, allowing them to connect, collaborate and create. They also have a positive impact on people’s lives: “Torture destroys your life,” explains Yonas, “I lost my confidence, and the choir boosted my confidence. I have the confidence to sing, to meet new people, integrate in the community … it has helped me a lot. That’s why I love this choir!”.

In Yonas’ words: “We are survivors of torture; we lost everything, we don’t have families here, but this choir is our family. We struggle to find the confidence to associate with the community. For us, this is our integration in the community: it helps us boost our confidence, to rebuild our life.”

A member of the Thurrock community, Tim Drake, explains how “within music we become one people. It breaks down differences, cultural barriers … it is so important”. For Tim too, being part of the Singing Our Lives project has helped him regain the confidence he lost due to some personal challenges: “I used to sing in a choir when I was a child, and as an adult I discovered that I still enjoyed singing. Over time, my confidence was able to grow; I’ve started to understand where I fitted in the world and what I could bring to the world”.

The Singing Our Lives project allows people to share their love for music and singing while also providing a safe space for sharing their stories. “It is interesting and revealing to hear people’s stories,” says Irene Hamilton, another member of the local community who has been part of the project for several years now. “Of course, I can’t say that I know what it is like being a refugee, but I now have a better understanding of this issue; we can’t just label refugees as if they were an alien group of people … they are just like you and I, and it made me think that given certain circumstance it could be any one of us … you only have to look at what’s going on in Ukraine.”

But how did the Singing Our Lives project start?

Co-founder Jeremy Haneman is, along with Holly Jones, co-director of Together Productions, the community-based organisation that runs the project: “My parents and all my grandparents were refugees, so this is a personal issue for me,” says Jeremy. “Group singing goes back to the dawn of human history; it touches something very profound in us and enables bonds of affinity between people to form very swiftly.”

"We (Holly Jones and myself) were very concerned about the refugee crisis engulfing Europe in 2016 and the hostile attitude towards refugees in the UK, so we wanted to do something about it. My parents and all my grandparents were refugees, so this is a personal issue for me. We decided to commission a composer and a librettist to work with our various groups to write three songs. It went very well so every year we reinvent the project, and it seems to be growing and growing, now with people contributing from all over the world. Writing an opera is the next exciting phase for us…”

***

The Singing Our Lives project brings together people from local UK communities with people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds to compose and perform new music, and this year, to mark REFUGEE WEEK 2022, the project will culminate with a special event open to the public, “Under the Same Sun”, taking place on SUNDAY 26TH JUNE, 6 PM, at the UNION CHAPEL IN LONDON (19b Compton Terrace, N1 2UN).

Find out more and book tickets here.

IOM, the International Organization for Migration, have been partners on the Singing Our Lives project since 2017.

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Singing For Our Minds - Exciting News!

By Holly Jones • 19 Jan, 2024

We’re delighted to announce that we have been supported by a generous grant from the Baring Foundation to support the next stage of our Singing For Our Minds programme. In 2024 we will be working with an amazing team of singing and mental health professionals along with our singing communities to produce a new online resource that will provide musical leaders with easy and accessible tools to ensure they bring maximum joy to their singing groups. There is a welcome growing awareness of the many positive benefits that singing together with others can offer for mental health and well-being. However, professional music leaders do not always have the tools or expertise needed to prioritise the well-being of artists and performers. And in the face of an escalating mental health crisis, many who work in musical settings are concerned to develop their skills and knowledge to ensure that they are creating a musical environment that is beneficial for everyone. Presented in easy-to-access short video format, with links to further research and reading, this open-source resource will provide an invaluable and practical source of advice and support for anyone seeking to ensure that their singing groups or activities are inclusive, artistic spaces where people experiencing mental health problems can sing, create and thrive. You can find out more on the Singing For Our Minds webpage, where there’s also a link to a short survey for anyone who’d like to share their views on what will make a good resource. Watch this space for updates! And please do contact us if you’d like to find out more or get involved: hello@togetherproductions.co.uk

Our Impact in 2022-23: a Year of Growth and New Ventures

By Alexandra Godfree • 11 Sep, 2023

New impact report reflects on an exciting year

Uncovering Thurrock's Hidden Stories with Thurrock Museum

03 Jul, 2023

Did you know that Thurrock has a Museum? I should know because I’m lucky enough to work in it! If you ever fancy a visit, it’s tucked away on the 1st floor of the Thameside building, Orsett Road, Grays. The building is also home to the library and theatre. The Museum began collecting things from the Thurrock community in the early 1900s and my latest estimate is that we have around 30,000 items! Each object in our collection helps to weave together the story of Thurrock, from the settlement at Mucking in the East of Thurrock, inhabited since the late Stone age, the building of Tilbury Docks in the late 1800s to more modern chapters, such as the development of the Dartford tunnel and later the QEII bridge. Sometime in the 2000’s though, our stores became full and we have had to stop collecting for now. My dilemma then was, how do we continue to record Thurrock’s story if we can’t take in any new objects? And this is where the ‘Sharing our Lives’ project came in. This project aims to collect stories of migration into Thurrock which, although a feature of Thurrock’s history since time immemorial, this most recent wave has shaped the community in a major way. These stories can be stored digitally and therefore don’t take up much space so it was a ‘no brainer’ for me to get involved. It also meant that I could start connecting with people in the Thurrock community who wouldn’t necessarily know about the Museum. As the focus of this project is story collecting, the first objective was to attend some oral history training. The training was incredibly useful with lots of tips on how best to help people to share their stories, the main take-home message being; say as little as possible and listen, which is harder than you’d think! I’ve helped to collect stories from the people attending Grays Gurdwara and it’s been very insightful, not only learning about a different culture but also realising that we all face the same basic challenges. I also got the chance to experience the wonderful hospitality and great food! A bonus of the whole experience was the opportunity to visit The National Archives at Kew, where we were treated to a tour of the stores, which was fascinating. We also got to see the original passenger list for the Windrush. For me, volunteering with the Sharing Our Lives project has been an opportunity to learn new skills and get to know people in the community that I otherwise wouldn’t usually meet. I’m hoping that it’ll be a first step of many towards making the museum more relevant to its current community and continuing to chronicle the story of Thurrock. Michelle Savage Museum Officer, Thurrock Council Discover the stories at www.sharingourlives.co.uk.

Discovering our Shared Histories

By Alexandra Godfree • 21 Nov, 2022

This year we are excited to be embarking on a new journey - for the first time we are taking our distinctive co-creative methodology and using it to unlock hidden stories of migration past and present - specifically from Thurrock, Essex, an area in which we have been working for many years and are proud to have developed strong community partnerships. Sharing Our Lives has been supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund to find, record, curate and share the largely undocumented and unrecorded experiences and contributions of migrants to and from Thurrock throughout history and up to the present day. It will specifically seek to uncover and give a platform to previously unheard or marginalised stories and experiences, with an emphasis on locally rooted narratives. The project began in June, with illustrator Salina Gani and facilitator Rachel Victor-Sampson inviting local people to share their memories and stories of migration at two events in Tilbury - the celebrations to mark the arrival of the Empire Windrush and Tilbury Port Open Day, where Together Productions was also presenting Singing Our Lives. Rachel told us: " It was actually a real honour to listen to stories of people who came to England back in the 60's/ 70's, be it by boat or plane. The stories were so vivid and touching that I could also transport myself back in time to imagine what it must have been like. I met so many interesting people who initially thought that they wouldn't have much to contribute but once they started talking they realised that they had an important story to share ". This autumn has seen us working with students from the Gateway Academy. Working with Rachel and historian Valina Bowman-Burns, the students have been exploring what heritage is, whose stories are usually told and whose are not, and gaining skills and tools to help them go out into their local area and collect stories from friends, family and other community members. They will then bring back to share with the group, reflecting on what they have found most interesting and surprising about the stories they have uncovered. So far the students have astounded us with their enthusiasm, creativity and commitment, and we feel very confident that the history of tomorrow is in excellent hands! "What can I say about the young people who are part of this programme? They and the teaching staff are absolute joy to work with. I love the different perspectives that the young people presented on the topics of heritage and migration and how they demonstrated their creativity and imagination when tasked with creating team group names and in making short promotional films. They are so talented and I can't wait to see what they go on to produce as part of this programme" . Rachel Victor- Sampson Once the stories have been collected, the students and a team of community Heritage Champions will be collaborating with a team of artists, including a composer, lyricist and film-maker, to bring the stories to life through a new series of songs, an exhibition and a film, all of which will be premiered in summer 2023. We are still looking for more Community Heritage Champions to join the team, so if you have a connection to Thurrock, and have your own personal / family experience of migration, and/or a keen interest in local history, we would love to hear from you. Please contact sharingourlives@togetherproducitons.co.uk Find out more on our project page and wat c h this space for more news and updates about this exciting project!

The Superpower of Singing

By Kushinga Hare • 13 Sep, 2022

Trigger warning: Suicide Singing is a superpower. It resonates with everyone and has the power to move, physically and emotionally. For the oppressed and voiceless, singing has always been an important form of communication, a testimony to their strength and resilience. The Sing for Freedom Choir is made up of members of the community, sanctuary seekers and survivors of torture. Some have experienced unimaginable suffering, been separated from their children, locked up in detention centres and have had their freedom taken away. The hostile environment championed by the UK government and the new Nationality and Borders Bill means asylum seekers are faced with an impossible fight and find it difficult to make lives for themselves once they reach the UK, and this has a detrimental effect on their emotional wellbeing. Most of our sanctuary seeking members are currently housed in Home Office accommodation and can be moved at a moment's notice, making it hard to settle or build connections. If entitled to financial support, they survive on £40.85 a week. Singing provides some respite from the struggles of daily life, builds friendships, and alleviates loneliness. For some, joining a choir has been a life saver. One choir member, a survivor of torture, who has lived in the UK for twelve years and is still waiting for a decision on his asylum case after two failed appeals was in detention for six weeks and said music saved his life. He spent the first three days of detention in his room before being persuaded to come out and make a visit to the church. He joined the choir and found comfort in singing, at times spending six hours a day with the choir. He said, “If I just sat in my room, I could have killed myself”. Years later, he joined the Sing for Freedom Choir and continues to sing. Another rightly said, “The Sing for Freedom Choir is not just a choir, it is my family ,” and I could not agree more. There is something intimate about getting together every week to sing. It lightens our burdens, lifts our spirits, and brings us together. Our choir is a mix of sanctuary seekers and members of the community who are not from a sanctuary seeking background, but when we come together, we are a family. Where you come from, what you look like, and your occupation does not matter. During a rehearsal, you can feel the joy when we finally get a song right or remember the lyrics and the relief and pride after a huge performance is heart-warming. But most of all, you can feel the love that we have for one another. As the Autumn term begins, my heart feels with joy at the prospect of seeing everyone again after a six-week break. I have missed singing in solidarity with my Sing for Freedom family. I have missed singing, sharing food and just being together. Find out more about the Sing for Freedom Choir and how to sign up for one of our free Autumn taster sessions on September 22nd and 29th here