ART REFUGE UK IN CALAIS
On route back to London from Calais’ refugee camp where we witnessed a denser and steadily growing population living in amongst the sand dunes on this unlikely stretch of land on the coast of northern France. Alongside multiple challenges to human resilience, we were moved by the ingenuity, creativity and skill with which people are literally carving habitable living spaces out of the undergrowth and finding ways to coexist and survive. Many refugees we met were keen to share their stories and worries, an environment particularly challenging for those from Syria whose families are still trapped in the horrors of war there. Many recognised, for both themselves and for others, increased levels of stress and the urgent need in the camp for safe spaces to take this, where words alone might not suffice. The pilot art therapy project, originally initiated by Naomi Press in August, will be launched on September 24th, led by Anna Kalin and in formal partnership with Medecins du Monde.
PLEASE CONTINUE TO DONATE and help us reach our target so that Art Refuge UK can deliver, effectively evaluate and subsequently sustain into the Winter months this much needed psychosocial project in Calais’ refugee camp. http://bit.ly/1Km9QpQ