To celebrate Refugee Week 2025, we're inviting our community to come together for a creative workshop on Monday 16 June exploring 'words of hope in community and education'.
This is a drop-in session, so whether you can join us for the full three hours or just spare 15 minutes to get the creative juices flowing, please sign up and come along!
The workshop will use poetry and creative activities to encourage our university community to consider the theme of hope, explore identity and build connections through writing and art.
The event will be led by our inspiring facilitators Mir Abdullah Miri, PhD researcher on Warm Welcome Scholarship and Lecturer in the Department of Education, and Joy Cranham, Lecturer, Department of Education. Check out the schedule below.
Event schedule - Monday 16 June
10am-12pm - Drop-in creative workshop featuring poetry writing and creating a 'Tree of Hope' communal installation.
12-1pm - Launch of the 'Tree of Hope' in the library foyer with tea and coffee. The workshop will close with an inspiring talk from Mir Abdullah Miri, sharing his own words on what hope means to him.
Here is a snippet from his speech:
I speak of hope because it is not charity.
It is not a handout.
It is dignity.
It is the power that helps us take the next step.
Hope opened doors for me. Not back to where I was, but forward to where I could belong.
Not just as a refugee, but as a survivor.
A scholar. A teacher. A researcher. A contributor.
A reminder that no experience with poetry is required - this will be a fun, creative, warm and collective space to explore ideas as a community - all are welcome!