2023 was one of the most difficult and turbulent years in our 11-year history. The Illegal Immigration Bill was passed, breaking international law and effectively banning anyone from seeking asylum in the UK. The lack of safe routes has resulted in thousands more lives lost at sea. The anti-migrant rhetoric has continued to poison our political debates and perceptions of migrants and refugees. And the escalation of conflicts across the globe has pushed our common humanity, values and international institutions to a (heart) breaking point, with the latest developments in Gaza and Israel leaving everyone in our network feeling desperate, hurt and furious for a change.

But however difficult and challenging, this hostile context has also generated new solidarities, partnerships and creative responses. Through our many collaborations across the UK and internationally, we have created an impact that far exceeds the scale and size of our small team and operations:

  • Our Refugee Week festival grew to a new level, featuring over 9500 events in the UK and blossoming in 16 other countries.
  • Through our Pop Change programme, we’ve provided consultancy on 3 new films and created new networks and initiatives in collaboration with BFI, Bafta, Choose Love, Netflix and others.
  • Our No Direction Home comedians found a home and residence at Soho Theatre, where they performed 6 sold-out gigs.
  • For our biennial Platforma Festival we co-produced more than 30 events with partners and communities across the South West of England.
  • Our public art commissions included new works in outdoor public spaces in Athens, Berlin, Halifax, Dover and Cornwall.
  • Our events programme featured performances, screenings, salons, conferences and lectures, many of which were done in collaboration with Southbank Centre.
  • As part of our learning strand, we ran our first women-only retreat with a focus on displacement and climate change, and we co-produced our Summer School on collaborative practice and social change.
  • We launched a range of new initiatives, including our Arts, Refugees and Mental Health programme, the Footnote and Counterpoints Literature Prize and a new series of art commissions inspired by the Moomins.

All of this was made possible because we are able to partner with so many inspiring artists, communities and organisations whose creativity and unwavering commitment to creating change has kept us carrying on even through the most difficult moments.

We have also been fortunate to have an incredible team of staff, trustees and advisors, strengthened this year by new colleagues who have brought a fantastic range of lived experiences, skills and perspectives, helping us expand our commitment to working with care, generosity and experience-based knowledge.

Earlier this year we published our new 4-year plan which evolved through conversations with our team, artists and partners. The plan frames our ambition to increase the impact of our narrative change work in the UK and internationally, and to develop more intersectional approaches relating to displacement, climate, racial justice and mental health.

As we look forward, we also remain mindful of our founding inspirations. Key among those was the late Edward Said, the Palestinian-born intellectual who wrote that:

“Most people are principally aware of one culture, one language, one setting; exiles are aware of at least two, and this plurality of vision gives rise to an awareness of simultaneous dimensions, an awareness that – to borrow a phrase from music – is contrapuntal.”

The idea that displacement is both traumatic and transformative experience which can generate more plural and creative perspectives is something that we have been re-confirming in practice repeatedly over the past 11 years. We know that creatives and communities from displaced and migrant backgrounds have incredibly important perspectives to offer us; the perspectives that might be especially relevant now as we navigate our way through these challenging and divisive times.

We hope that you will join us all in working towards shaping a more plural, compassionate and inclusive world.

Download our full Highlights publication and watch our highlights video below: