workshops for young people

‘Now I know what refugees go through on their journey for a better life and what they’re willing to sacrifice: dignity, family and home. To make refugees feel welcome I can listen more to their struggles’ (year 10 student)

‘I haven’t tried drama before but I liked it. I felt like I wanted to use acting to tell my story too! Today I felt powerful!’ (16 year old refugee youth club member)

We passionately believe in the power of the arts in inspiring change. We lead bespoke workshops and schemes of work all year round for young people to creatively explore one of the most urgent issues of our time.

We run two main types of workshops: workshops for refugees and workshops about refugees (aimed at schools). All our workshops are co-led by facilitators with lived experience.

To enquire, contact zeek@phosphorostheatre.com

workshops for refugee groups

Aimed at ESOL classes, refugee charities, housing projects and social services. We mostly work with 16-25 year olds but also lead workshops for 25+, children and families.

‘Thank you for coming and running a fantastic day with the students! It was as much an experience for me as it was them. It was great to see and hear them discussing all of the issues we as teachers have tried to avoid’ (Teacher, Bury St Edmunds)

We have seen how much drama can impact confidence, self-esteem, commitment and integration in groups of refugee young people. Our drama workshops use performance skills like storytelling, comedy, creative writing and role-play to explore ideas of power, arriving in a new place, friendship and life in the UK. Everyone is given space to speak out loud, and we use music, pictures and movement to ensure the content is accessible from pre-entry ESOL upwards. We don’t focus on personal experiences of forced migration, though often our participants choose to share parts of their own story.

Co-led by facilitators with lived experience makes our workshops inspiring, inclusive and validating for newly arrived young people.

‘I liked making some stories about me, and listening to Syed’s story about him’

’I was amazed by how we all created something beautiful together’

‘I felt proud remembering how powerless I felt on my first day of college and how powerful I feel one year later’

‘I learnt how to talk in front of others and use my body to tell our stories’

workshops about regugees

Aimed at primary and secondary schools, supplementary schools and other youth settings.

Fostering a welcoming and tolerant society for refugees and migrants must start with empathy. Our creative workshops for schools are aimed at children and young people with little knowledge of or friendships with refugee communities. We explore experiences of forced migration and debunk myths in a fun and sensitive way. Distressing news coverage may be overwhelming and confusing, but our workshops are about people, not headlines. Our facilitators with lived experience bring important perspectives on these global topics, and open up conversations about how we can work together for change.

We use devising techniques, creative writing, storytelling, music and objects to bring refugee stories to life, and encourage emotional, practical and creative responses.

‘I learnt that refugees have skills and a lot to offer the UK. Meeting someone like Syed helped me understand that’

‘Before today I knew refugees were people running away from their country. Now when I hear the word ‘refugee’ I will think of human beings’

‘Now I know what refugees go through on their journey for a better life and what they’re willing to sacrifice: dignity, family and home. To make refugees feel welcome I can listen more to their struggles’

‘I learnt about human rights and how refugees are treated in the UK’

‘I think more people like Syed should share their stories’