October – December 2023
Participants old and new came to venues in Huddersfield and Mirfield to explore ideas for a festival in 2024, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of 6 million+ Charitable Trust. Everyone created scrapbook pages of images and words representing unique aspects of their different culture and countries, and enjoyed a printmaking workshop with Karen Stansfield, to explore those themes further. And of course, all of this was accompanied by shared food. Thank you to the Brelms Trust for making this possible.
January – April 2024
Working with artist Marianne Matusz, refugees from Ukraine, Sudan, Kurdish Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan, Bosnia and those who have Jewish heritage, created Tibetan style prayer flags and dramatised a collectively written poem on the HMD theme of the Fragility of Freedom.
This was movingly performed and warmly received at the Holocaust Memorial Day event organised by Holocaust Centre North at the University of Huddersfield.
Refugee artists and participants initiated a Spacehive Campaign to raise money for Dear Sunflowers – a community arts and performance project celebrating the life of Ukrainian artist Maria Prymachenko. Ukrainians and people from many other countries and cultures plan to work together on this.
May – August 2024
Sunflowers: As a result of an intense programme of writing, rehearsal and making sessions during May and June, the colourful, musical and vibrant Dear Sunflower parades and performances in Holmfirth and Dewsbury were incredibly successful, attracting considerable press and media coverage. There were over 50 people in the cast and choir, and 200 people took part in the parades.
Lawrence Batley: We also contributed to the Lawrence Batley Theatre’s event to celebrate becoming a Theatre of Sanctuary in June! Fatima and Hussain performed some Kurdish songs and the Ukrainian bird of peace flew in the courtyard.
Srebrenica: The 6 million+ family and friends created an online ceremonial lighting of candles to mark the anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, shared on facebook.
Party: Over 80 people attended the Trust’s 10th birthday party in Huddersfield. The food was delicious (special thanks to Fatima) and people shared song, poetry and dance.
