Young at Art is NI’s leading children’s arts provider. Established in 1998 as creator of the region’s first international arts festival for children and young people, they have grown both the Belfast Children’s Festival and their year-round programme of activities of significant levels of access and quality.
Aims of the project
- To raise awareness and understanding of the experience of child refugees/asylum seekers.
- To improve attitudes towards new arrivals in Belfast in children from West/North/South Belfast.
- To support the building of positive relationships within communities receiving migrants/new arrivals.
Objectives:
- To deliver schools engagement project in 4 primary schools in North, West & South of Belfast.
I was keen to see the project in action.
On the 13 March I went to see 'We come from far, far away' at the MAC in Belfast. The play was showing as part of the Young at Art Festival and is part of 'We Come From Far, Far Away' Engagement programme which is well underway and kicked off during March in Fane Street Primary School.
The Festival programme describes it thus;
Inside a traditional Mongolian yurt there is a small tent, and inside this tent there is a boy. He has travelled a long way from Syria, mostly on his own. He can show you the things he has brought with him and he can tell you the reasons for his journey, but he can’t tell you where the story ends.
Based on true stories shared by young refugees aged 13–18 yrs who have arrived alone to seek asylum. Using live music, storytelling, clowning, comedy, shadow puppetry and a small tent, this show tells a big story in a beautifully intimate way.
Being performed in a tent gave this play an intimacy that would have been missing on a stage. As the story unfolded the children were entranced by the performers, who wove their story with humour and pathos. The musicians added another element to the performance, that both entertained and informed the action. It was a perfect way to describe the refugees' difficult and sometimes tragic journey to safety.
The children were well briefed and able to identity the route the refugees travelled on a large map. They enjoyed their trip to the MAC to see the show and enthusiastically took part in a post-show discussion with the cast and creators.
If you ever get the chance go and see it.