Who We Are and What We Do
Every year significant numbers of refugees leave Tibet, crossing the Himalayas into Nepal then India. Many of these are children and young people who arrive emotionally and physically exhausted, often disorientated and in some cases traumatized, having undertaken a difficult and dangerous journey and often having left behind their families, not knowing if they will ever be able to return.
Art Refuge, originally named ‘The Painting Club,’ started life in the Tibetan Homes Foundation, Mussorie, India in 1994. It was created by FOTWA (Friends of Tibetan Women’s Association) as a series of month - long after school painting clubs for refugee children where they painted their memories of Tibet, the journey into exile, and life in their new schools in India. It provided an opportunity for creativity and healing after what had often been a frightening journey. Today the Art Refuge Programme helps refugee children during their transition through Nepal and their passage into India.
In 1999 Sarah and Kitty were asked to help the children who had just arrived from Tibet, before they started in their new homes and schools within Tibetan communities across India. And so the Art Refuge Programme was born.
In the late 1990s Sarah and Kitty also became involved with the Sri Yasodara Orphanage in Sri Lanka, helping young girls who have lost their parents to the civil war and natural disaster. When the tsunami happened in 2004 they focused more of their attention on helping children in Sri Lanka and in time this has become their sole focus.
In 2006, Art Refuge UK was established to specifically take over and develop the work with Tibetan children.
Why
Tibetan refugee children have important needs beyond the obvious material ones of food, shelter and medicine. One of these needs is the opportunity to play. The Art Refuge programme provides refugee children with a protected time and space in which to play and make art. They are supported in this by adult facilitators who have undertaken the same journey into exile and therefore can understand and relate to the children’s fears, anxieties and need for comfort. For these children, whose lives have been disrupted, playing and making art is an essential therapeutic activity which can help to reduce stress and establish normalcy. Clearly, play and art activities of and in themselves cannot change stressful circumstances. What such activities can do, however, is enable the children to engage in meaningful interactions, thereby helping them to cope with stressful experiences through shifting the balance of social, environmental and psychological factors in a positive direction.
Where we work
The Art Refuge Programme now takes place in Nepal and Dharamsala, India with the children who have just left Tibet and are in transit on their way to their new schools in India. They may be in Nepal for up to 2 months, but in Dharamsala for only a few weeks. While in Nepal, the new arrivals receive food, clothing, medical attention and identity papers before travelling to India by bus. During this time the children and young people participate in the Art Refuge programme twice a day. The programme provides a safe, nurturing environment in which the children can paint, play, make music and dance. In Dharamsala the children’s needs continue to be met and additionally they are prepared for their transition into school. The Art Refuge staff are supported by email, Skype and through site visits by the Art Refuge Chair and board, art therapists and other specialists.