Arts and refugees meet in inaugural forum

A robust program of panel discussions and presentations will feature more than 40 speakers including Chinese-Australian artist Guo Jian and Iranian-Australian filmmaker and human rights activist Saba Vasefi.

The event, which was developed by not-for-profit Settlement Services International (SSI), in partnership with CPAC and with the support of CuriousWorks, will give people working in two complementary sectors the opportunity to share and reflect on their experiences and practice.

“By bringing together people whose work straddles the arts and refugee space, we hope to encourage discussion, critical thought, and creative exchange, and nurture future collaborations,” said SSI Arts and Culture Coordinator, Carolina Triana, who developed the Forum.

“The event is also a fantastic chance to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions refugees and people seeking asylum have made to the arts, while reflecting on the particular needs and challenges that artists from refugee backgrounds face in Australia.”

This contribution is highlighted in two exhibitions taking place at CPAC in conjunction with the Arts and Refugees Forum. The Refugees exhibition features works from 22 world-renowned artists from refugee backgrounds that were gathered from major public and private collections across Australia.

Another exhibition taking place at CPAC in conjunction with the forum is Beyond Refuge: Citizens, which CuriousWorks has developed with local Sydney-based artists who are former refugees, current asylum seekers and first generation Australians.

Media enquiries:

SSI Communications Assistant Hannah Gartrell 0488 680 287