Liverpool City Council shines spotlight on refugee experience during Refugee Week

A live theatre production by the Treehouse Theatre featuring young refugees telling their own life stories on stage will bring home the reality of the refugee experience to Liverpool City Council’s Refugee Week program (19- 25 June 2022).

Co-founded by Catherine Maguire-Donvito, Ruth Hartcher-O’Brien and George Rosier, the purpose of the Treehouse Theatre program is twofold; facilitate trauma recovery among young refugees and educate the Australian public, particularly high school students, on the reality of the refugee experience.

Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre (CPAC) will host its latest production, I Was There, on Thursday 23 and 24 June, featuring 30 new refugee stories told by those who have lived them, through spoken word, movement, and projected imagery.

Mayor of Liverpool Ned Mannoun said the production is an amazing addition to Council’s program which will draw inspiration from this year’s Refugee Week theme of ‘healing’.

“This Refugee Week, we recognise the stories of courage, resilience and overcoming immense odds that contribute to the collective story of Liverpool. We also recognise that through the power of storytelling healing can happen as we realise our intrinsic interconnectedness as individuals,” Mayor Mannoun said.

First organised in Sydney in 1986, Refugee Week grew into a nationwide initiative to inform the public about refugees and celebrate positive contributions made by refugees to Australian society. The week also includes World Refugee Day on 20 June.

Mayor Mannoun highlighted the history of the Liverpool Local Government Area as a Refugee Welcome Zone (RWZ) since 2014, and more recently, as a member of the RWZ Leadership Group since 2020.

“As a Refugee Welcome Zone, the City of Liverpool is committed to upholding the rights of refugees, demonstrating compassion for their experiences, and celebrating and promoting diversity in the community.

Shining a light on the refugee experience is one way we’re bringing this commitment to life, and I encourage everyone to get involved in the activities and festivals throughout the week,” Mayor Mannoun said.

Council’s program will launch on Sunday 19 June 12pm-4pm with Almuntada, a Refugee Week festival at CPAC in partnership with the Iraqi Australian University Graduates Forum. The festival will feature arts and crafts, storytelling, and music and folklore dancing.

This will be followed by an event in Macquarie Mall on Thursday 23 June 10am-1.30pm featuring information stalls by refugee and migrant service providers, art displays by refugee artists, short film screenings and a community art mural.

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