This year's Refugee Week theme was Courage. Last Sunday, we joined communities from across Hastings at the Sanctuary Festival and found ourselves thinking about what courage means in everyday life.
For many Ukrainians living in the UK, courage is finding the strength to carry on after difficult news from home. It is learning a new language, changing careers, returning to education, adjusting to unfamiliar surroundings and continuing with life while carrying worries about family and friends in Ukraine. For the women of Culbaba Theatre, courage is also stepping onto a stage and singing songs that have travelled through generations. These songs connect us with home and allow us to share a part of Ukrainian culture with people who may be hearing it for the first time.
The festival brought together people from many backgrounds and experiences. Throughout the day we met visitors who stopped to listen, asked about the songs, talked about Ukraine, and shared stories from their own lives. Many stayed after the performance to continue the conversation. These encounters are an important part of our work. Every time we perform, more people learn about Ukrainian culture through music, stories and personal connections. What begins as a performance often continues as a conversation, a new contact, an invitation, or a friendship. We were proud to represent Ukraine through song, traditional dress and the rich musical heritage that we continue to carry with us wherever we perform.
Thank you to the Sanctuary Festival team, Hastings Supports Refugees and Hastings Museum & Art Gallery for organising such a welcoming event. We are grateful to everyone who came to listen, talk to us and spend part of their day with us. A special thank you to Petro Budnyk for capturing the moments we could not see while we were performing and meeting visitors.
Refugee Week was dedicated to courage. We left the festival reminded that courage can be found in ordinary people, in shared experiences and in the determination to keep moving forward.
If you would like to learn more about Culbaba Theatre, attend one of our events or support our work, we would love to hear from you.
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