Refugee - Empathy Action

Craft and Conversation

A Spotlight on Wednesday’s Craft and Conversation, which started a year ago.

A joint initiative run by Empathy Action and Tonbridge Welcomes Refugees, it brings together women from Syria and the UK. Here’s what it’s all about by our Becky Matthewson, a regular volunteer at craft and conversation.

Hello, I’m Becky and I volunteer with Craft & Conversation. I’d like to invite you to take a seat, grab a coffee, and hear a little of what we get up to most Wednesday mornings, a time that has become a highlight of my week.

First on the scene is always Sandy; she lights a single scented candle and warms the place up. On goes the kettle, out comes the cake, and the door is propped open in welcome.

Sandy is the gentle engine of this gathering. Her ideas fuel its smooth running, and she shows us all how we can create whatever we want.

We are a smallish group of women from near and afar. Some of us can craft, others are better at brewing the coffee (like me, although I’m grateful that Sandy never gives up on my efforts).

Each week we find needles and threads, wools or coloured pencils, or grey offcuts from fleece blankets produced for refugees (now ready to be upcycled in a very imaginative way).

Sometimes the group is quiet with concentration, the calm punctuated only by a low recital of numbers, in Arabic or English, as we count our stitches. At other times, there is raucous laughter when one of the native English speakers attempts to learn the Arabic word for, say, “bubble” (it’s a tricky one).

Together we sit and talk around a big red table, making anything from juggling balls to friendship bracelets. Today we crochet squares in cream and blue. When finished they will be shaped into a blanket for a Syrian friend with a new-born.

We even know how to build gingerbread houses for Christmas.

Which leads me onto food, because we always end up talking about food. It seems that the Syrian women among us cook in a very go-slow and thoughtful kind of way – never is it a shove-in-the-oven affair. The way they describe it makes us all stop and listen. The flavours, the spices, the eating of it. It’s a taste of home.

Craft & Conversation meets on Wednesdays between 10.30am and 12.00pm. If you’d like to be involved in this, or other work, please get in touch. Craft may not be your forte, but neither is it mine (I know I’m better at making tea).

It’s a wonderful opportunity to be part of something rather special.

My Desperate Journey by Jenny Maslin

Part time EA administrator, full time singer, musician and teacher, Jenny Maslin

My name’s Jenny and I volunteer with Empathy Action as an administrator. Having sat through many staff meetings and heard all about the planning and preparations that have gone into creating our new simulation, I was excited (and a little nervous) to see what it was all about. I experienced Desperate Journeys as a participant during their launch week and co-founders Ben and Matt asked me to write about my experience…

I joined a group of 26 strangers from all different walks of life, none of us quite sure what to expect. We were welcomed by the simulation’s director, given a passport, some money and asked to remove our shoes before entering one of the seven marquee tents that housed the whole experience. From there the journey began as we were thrown into a situation where, as a group, we had to make multiple decisions for our group’s safety, under pressure and with limited information available. I won’t give any plot spoilers, but will focus instead on the two questions that were asked at the end:

‘What struck you?’ and ‘How did you feel?’

When not volunteering with Empathy Action, I work as a musician and teacher. Sound and silence are a big part of my life and would therefore naturally be a focus for me as I walked through the dark, maze-like set. I found myself making observations between the cleverly designed soundtrack that followed us and the feelings I was experiencing: joyful party music; incoming explosions; the harsh voices of soldiers as they burst in on us; pants, sobs and cries of fear from the actors; the heavy silence as our group sat in darkness on a dingy to Europe, listening to the stories of desperation from a fellow passenger; the subtle changes in music as we turned corners and faced new, improved or worsened situations. I was struck with a sense of powerlessness, swept up in a tide of sounds and people I’d just met, travelling to an unknown destination.

I felt frustrated by the lack of autonomy of group decisions, and could see parallels with the loss of freedom of choice a refugee would face. I felt loss when we heard that our host’s family home and street had been flattened, and grief too when the same family had to make the horrendous decision to separate when applying to relocate. Earlier that day I had been enjoying the first signs of spring, gardening in my quiet peaceful neighbourhood. I had exchanged texts with my sister who has chosen to spend 2 years in Australia as part of a secondment scheme. I miss her very much but know that she is safe and happy, will be returning this year, and that I can visit her without many of the bureaucratic hurdles we experienced in the simulation. These feelings were brought home further in a concluding and powerful speech from one of our volunteers, and a resettled refugee herself. Reem told us of her family’s struggle to flee her home country and resettle in the UK. They are still waiting for the remainder of her family to be granted asylum. Her story brought me to tears. I left the simulation in deep thought, humbled and very moved.

As we drew to a conclusion, we were told that there are 65.6 million people worldwide (a similar amount to the entire population of the UK) who have been forcibly displaced from their home: That’s around 1 in 100 of the world’s population. Refugees don’t start out as refugees. They are mothers, fathers, friends, colleagues, students, professionals… human beings just like us. We must engage with this world crisis and do what we can to help.

More accounts of Desperate Journeys:

“Desperate Journeys”, understanding the global refugee crisis through empathy

Empathy Action’s new Refugee immersive experience launches this week to help build understanding and action for the biggest humanitarian crisis since the second world war.

The UNHCR reports “we are now witnessing the highest levels of displacement on record. An unprecedented 65.6 million people around the world have been forced from home. Among them are nearly 22.5 million refugees, over half of whom are under the age of 18”.

As the saying goes, “to begin to really understand another human being, you first need to walk a mile in their shoes.” Empathy Action invites participants to do just that in this new live interactive experience.

“Desperate Journeys” explores the global refugee crisis by tracking the journey of a family forced from their home in a war torn country. It is a challenging piece based firmly on facts, first hand accounts and case studies to bring home to those taking part the human stories behind the headlines.

The experience is delivered within a maze-like set which we can assemble in a large hall or large marquee (at least 12×18 metres). It runs for 70 minutes as part of a 2 hour package delivered by the Empathy Action team, including briefing and a reflective feedback and discussion session. The experience is designed for up to 25 participants at a time, who will be guided through it by our cast members.

By running such simulations we aim to deepen understanding of the greatest refugee crisis since the Second World War and give rise to a heartfelt desire to take action.

To speak to us about “Desperate Journeys” or to book please contact us.

More on Desperate Journeys

Developing Desperate Journeys: Acknowledgements & credits

Journey’s End: getting involved after taking part in Desperate Journeys

Simulation FAQS

Desperate Journeys Launch (Jan 2018) Press Release

Building “Desperate Journeys”

“Desperate Journeys“, Empathy Action’s new live interactive experience will be launching early next year to explore the refugee crisis with schools, businesses and groups.

Empathy Action are now actively looking for cast, backstage crew and event support to help build empathy with the global displaced and develop solutions and support for the refugee crisis.

The team have been trialling the set build at Tonbridge School courtesy of the Community Action Department of the school during their mid term break.

The experience is delivered within a maze-like set which can be assembled in a large hall or even outside during the summer. It will run for around 90 minutes as part of a 2-3 hour package delivered by the Empathy Action team, including briefing and a reflective feedback and discussion session. The experience is designed for up to 30 participants at a time, who will be guided through it by our cast members.

The challenging new piece is firmly based in facts, first hand accounts and case studies of this global issue to bring home to participants the human stories behind the headlines.

The launch is scheduled for 22-27th January at Tonbridge Baptist Church.

Empathy Action is now actively looking for more volunteering help to deliver this experience. The plan, to develop a pool of performers and crew, to rehearse through the autumn ahead of our launch week.

We need adults of any age who are comfortable improvising around a core script, interacting with the participants, and delivering powerful personal stories.”

If you are interested in helping please get in touch. Two local workshops will be running for all those interested.

Thursday 2 November 10 am -1 pm (Christ Church, Tunbridge Wells)
Friday 10 November 7 pm -10 pm (Christ Church, Tunbridge Wells)

If this strikes a chord with you please get in touch to hear more or to sign up for the workshops. Updates on the project will also be posted on Empathy Action’s Facebook page.

“Desperate Journeys”- A New Refugee Simulation

“Desperate Journeys”: a new Empathy Action live interactive experience

“We need more empathy” is becoming a common call for action. It’s being said by world leaders, leaders in schools, businesses and the voluntary & aid sector. Empathy Action is planning to expand its range of empathy activities including a Refugee experience in 2018.

Empathy Action has been researching and writing a new Refugee simulation called “Desperate Journeys” to use in its growing empathy-building work with schools, businesses, NGOs and other groups.

Over 65 million people around the globe have had to flee their homes in the biggest refugee crisis since the second world war. The challenging new piece is following over two years of research, firmly based on facts, first hand accounts and case studies of this global issue to bring home to participants the human stories behind the headlines.

“Desperate Journeys” is a live interactive experience grounded upon the empathy adage,

to begin to really understand another human being, you first need to walk a mile in their shoes.

The experience is designed to be delivered within a maze-like set that can be assembled in large halls or marquees. It will run for 90 minutes as part of a 2 hour package delivered by the Empathy Action team, including briefing and a reflective feedback and discussion session. The experience is suited for up to 30 participants at a time, who will be guided through it by our cast members.

Some seed funding from the Pickwell Foundation has been gratefully received and we are looking for volunteers (for cast and ongoing event work), more funding and partners.

If you are interested in being involved please get in touch.