As part of our Platforma Festival 2025 across the East of England this October, Counterpoints are partnering with City of Sanctuary to host an Away Day at Norwich Theatre for Theatres of Sanctuary across the country.

Sanctuary in Arts Awards celebrate the arts organisations who go above and beyond to welcome people seeking sanctuary.

The key criteria for the awards are:

-Learn: find out what it means to be seeking sanctuary; and be actively involved in awareness raising.

-Embed: take positive action to make welcome and inclusion part of the values of your organisation or community, to support sanctuary seekers and refugees, and to include them in your activities.

-Share your vision and achievements: let others know about the positive contribution refugees make to our society and the benefits of a welcoming culture to everyone.

For this Away Day we are bringing together theatres and theatre companies who hold the Sanctuary Award to meet, connect, share practice and consider how best to work together. This event is by invitation only – if you are interested to know more, please contact tom@counterpoints.org.uk

We are grateful to Norwich Theatre for hosting the event and for sharing some of their work.

Agenda for the day (Venue: Norwich Theatre)

12-1: Arrivals and lunch

1.00 pm: Welcomes, introductions and checking in on the current context for this work

2 pm : Progression Routes for theatre makers from refugee and migrant background (presented by Norwich Theatre)

2.25pm: Group discussions on progression routes.

3pm: Tea break

3.30: Building a bank of resources for the network: introduction and then group discussion

4.30: What next?

5pm: Close

5.30pm: Performance “3 Migrant Women” by Norwich Theatre + Q&A (also open to the public)

7.00pm: Close

Image credit: Norwich Theatre / Donna Thompson