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Get Involved

Get involved: the why & the how

Why get involved?

The Sanctuary in Arts network is a supportive community; sharing resources, examples of best practice and working together to make refugees and people seeking sanctuary not only welcome, but actively included.

Your art practice can make a different. Here’s four good reasons why:

  • Art can lead with compassion, solidarity and inclusivity, helping to shape a culture of welcome
  • Art promotes understanding, turning empathy into action
  • Art platforms and celebrates the contribution of people seeking sanctuary
  • Art breaks down barriers, encourages conversation, forges friendship and brings communities together

How to get involved?

Learn: This is all about educating yourself, your team and your audiences. By raising awareness of why people flee their homes to seek sanctuary elsewhere and the challenges people face when they do, you can help dispel misinformation and promote compassion and understanding.

Live it: You’ve got all the information, so it’s now about taking positive action to make welcome and inclusion part of your everyday work. How you do that is up to you: promote artists from sanctuary-seeking backgrounds, hold inclusive open days and workshops, add your voice to advocacy campaigns etc.

Speak out: Help build this movement of welcome. Use your platform to inspire, engage and raise awareness.

For more information and practical examples, download our Arts in Sanctuary resource pack.

Connect with your local City of Sanctuary group for support and advice, or reach out to [email protected]