{"id":2889,"date":"2026-06-15T12:33:18","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T11:33:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/student-news\/?p=2889"},"modified":"2026-06-15T12:45:44","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T11:45:44","slug":"refugee-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/student-news\/2026\/06\/15\/refugee-week\/","title":{"rendered":"Refugee Week"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is it and when is it?\u00a0<\/u><\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

Refugee Week is the UK\u2019s largest arts and cultural festival celebrating the contributions, creativity, and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary. Held annually in June to coincide with World Refugee Day on 20 June, the week features nationwide events including film screenings, art exhibitions, and community gatherings designed to promote understanding and connection. The week aims to foster a culture of welcome, counter negative narratives, and build understanding of why people are forced to flee their homes.\u00a0Refugee Week<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0takes place between 15 and 21 June, and this year’s theme is \u2018Courage\u2019, to honour the resilience of refugees seeking safety and everyday acts of bravery to build new lives.<\/p>\n

<\/h4>\n

What is the definition of a refugee?<\/u><\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

A refugee is an individual who has been forced to flee their home country due to war, violence, or a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. Under the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, a refugee is someone who is outside their country of nationality and is unable or unwilling to return due to the severe threat of persecution. They have a right to international protection and cannot be forcibly returned to a country where their life or freedom is in danger.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What are Kent doing for Refugee Week?<\/u><\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

In April 2026, Kent hosted\u00a0FREEDOM<\/strong><\/a>, an innovative participatory visual arts project by Surya Chandra, Artistic Director of Graduate Theatre Company Unity Arts Collective. The project brought together refugees, people seeking asylum, migrants, students and community members to explore the meaning of freedom through creative expression. Through a series of workshops, participants created sculptural human figures representing emotions connected to journeys, uncertainty, hope, resilience and belonging. FREEDOM has returned to Jarman Studio 1 and will be held there between 15 and 17 June, before moving to Templeman Library between 19 and 21 June.<\/p>\n

What else is happening for Refugee Week?<\/u><\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

From 15 to 21 June,\u00a0Canterbury Cathedral are marking Refugee Week<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0with hourly prayers for refugees, a designated Chapel in the Cathedral, and two special services of Eucharist. This has been organised in collaboration with\u00a0The Social Justice Network<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0Kent Refugee Action Network (KRAN)<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0Rochester<\/span>\u00a0Cathedral are also hosting an event with KRAN called\u00a0Transferring Skills<\/strong><\/a>, which will take place on Wednesday 17 June between 6:30 and 7:30pm in the Ithmar Chapel at Rochester Cathedral. During the event, Ukrainian paintings conservator and icon painter Valeriia Kravchenko will talk about her work as a refugee from Ukraine in 2022 to her current role at London’s National Gallery.<\/p>\n

<\/h4>\n

Support for students who are care-experienced, estranged, refugees, asylum seekers, or carers<\/u><\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Tristan Ireson-Howells is the Senior Welfare Adviser for the Student Support & Wellbeing (SSW) team and can provide support for students through face to face and Teams meetings to talk through issues affecting studies and wellbeing. To get in touch with Tristan, you can email T.Ireson-Howells@Kent.ac.uk or visit SSW in the Eliot Extension. There is information about support for Care-experienced and Estranged Students on the Kent Students’ Union website<\/a><\/strong> and information about support for students who are care-experienced, estranged, or carers on the University of Kent website<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/h4>\n

One year of \u2018University of Sanctuary status\u2019<\/u><\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

The University of Kent is celebrating one year of being awarded\u00a0\u2018University of Sanctuary\u2019 status<\/strong><\/a>. In the last year, Kent have deepened their commitment to refugees and people seeking asylum through the following initiatives:<\/p>\n