Now in its 11th year, Refugee Week is going from strength to strength in the West Midlands, with a vast array of activities, events and entertainment celebrating the diversity and culture which refugees bring to the Region.
This year the Region more than matched the quality and diversity of activities of previous Refugee Weeks with an exciting, interactive and creative programme of events:
A snapshot of the activities in 2009 is given below:
Celebrating Sanctuary Festival - Saturday 13 June, Birmingham City Centre
Celebrating Sanctuary Birmingham held a free open-air festival of music, activities, displays and interactive performances in Victoria and Chamberlain Squares focusing on refugees and their contributions and experiences in the UK.
Local musicians and performers from refugee backgrounds showcased their talents on stage and interactive music and dance workshops created a festival atmosphere! Displays, stalls, street entertainment , educational and awareness-raising activities and workshops were also provided for children and adults alike.
The organisers saw the festival as a "brilliant start to Refugee Week", and were "amazed at the diversity of people there".
For coverage of the Celebrating Sanctuary Festival 2009, see BBC Birmingham Refugee Week 2009.
Refugee Schools Festival - 12 June, Birmingham City Centre
The Refugee Week Schools Festival brought together about 450 young people from schools across the city to raise their awareness and understanding of refugee issues through enjoyable activities.
A series of workshops and open drop in sessions with various activities, quizzes, information and crafts were provided by professional artists and educators and agencies such as Celebrating Sanctuary, Red Cross, Children's Society and Birmingham City Council . The school groups then came together for a debate, where they were asked to put forward actions to make a difference to the lives of refugees in the UK.
For more information, please contact Isata Kanneh at isata@celebrating-sanctuary.org.uk
Coventry Events
Coventry hosted the 'Escape to Safety Exhibition' throughout Refugee Week in schools and on Saturday 20 June in Coventry City Centre.
A number of events celebrated the diversity of cultures in Coventry were held including a Culture Alive afternoon hosted by Coventry New Community Network on Saturday 20 June and a World Music Night on Sunday 21 June at the Escape Bar.
There were also powerful multi-media performances from Banner Theatre with 'We Share the Same Sky' at City College on Monday 15 June and from the Campaign to End Statelessness at the Memorial Park Car Park on Sunday 21 June in combination with a free car wash!
Dudley Events
Dudley celebrated Refugee Week with the 'Celebrating Communities Together Fun Day' on Saturday 20 June in Dudley market place. Shoppers and passers by had a chance to sample foods from around the world, find out about services, see singing and dancing from a Sudanese group, and take part in belly dancing workshops. A local refugee artist was also on hand and made hand-painted balloons for the local children!
Tina Hellings, from Findyourtalent who performed Bollywood and Belly dancing at the event, said `this day has been fantastic with all ages and cultures joining in. Its nice to see community spirit across the Black Country. Events such as this one help to change the perceptions of refugees and celebrate their culture in the Black Country community`.
Walsall Events
A display of refugee photographs, artefacts, and information was exhibited all week at Walsall Museum and on Sunday 14 June samples of food from refugee countries of origin were provided 
together with country information, recipe cards and myth-busting information at the 'Taste the World' event at Walsall New Art Gallery. A host of people came into the Gallery and the refugee cooks were on hand to talk about their food and open up conversations with the public.
Walsall Refugee and Asylum Seekers Inter-agency Forum held an event on Tuesday 16 June which brought together local service providers and refugees in the Borough. In the morning, speakers from WMSMP, Red Cross, Refugee Council and other organisations raised awareness about refugee policy, issues and their ongoing work, with the afternoon being an opportunity for refugees and asylum seekers to meet local service providers and see what help is available.
An exciting cricket match took place on Thursday 18 June for Refugee Week involving the Walsall Afghan Cricket team and Handsworth Cricket Club with significant support from local communities and celebrity Afghan fast-bowler, Hamid Hassan.
Walsall Asylum and Refugee Centre also held a celebratory event on Saturday 20 June that involved music, dance and food from a diversity of countries, as well as a celebration of traditional dress and a showcasing of the Refugee Storylines project. Stewart Kunaka facilitated six workshops in Walsall Primary Schools during Refugee Week as part of Storylines and read out some poems at the event, written from conversations with the Walsall asylum and refugee community.
For more information, please contact Liz Allsop at liz.allsop@walsallcs.serco.com
For more information about Refugee Week in the West Midlands, please contact Clare Daley at c.daley@wmlga.gov.uk or on 0121 678 1078
