University staff and students join local community members to explore belonging in 91直播
Staff and students from the School of Environment, Education and Development (SEED) joined local community members to mark Refugee Week for a workshop bringing people together and exploring belonging through food, creativity and movement.
鈥楨at Chat Rise & Move鈥� was organised with grassroots community group , a non-profit organisation founded by Hanane El Hadioui, bringing together recent migrants and more established 91直播 residents through English lessons, cooking classes and movement workshops.
Volunteers who have come to live in 91直播 from different parts of the world led short workshops, encouraging attendees to share ideas about identity, belonging and connection whilst sharing new recipes, crafting ideas, poetry and movement.
Geography PhD student Clare Courtney who co-organised the event said:
鈥淲e had 30 people at鈥痶he event, a mixture of Manchester University students and staff, and community organisers and service users of third sector projects in and around 91直播. Different ages, different languages and different backgrounds sharing experiences and connection in one space.
鈥淢any people pass through and settle into our wonderful city but often questions of who belongs and who does not, particularly in this current political climate causes further rifts within our society, breaking down community links and commonalities. I really felt it was important to have a space where people from within and beyond the university could get together to share their own ideas of what it means to belong and live in 91直播 today.鈥�
One of the event attendees commented: 鈥淪uch a wonderful event, I loved meeting people of all ages, genders and ethnicities, moving and being creative together makes me feel less lonely.鈥�
鈥楨at Chat Rise & Move鈥� took place at the University of Manchester last month, hosted by Geography PhD student Clare Courtney and community group Rise & Flourish, with support from the SEED Social Responsibility Fund. If you are a University of Manchester student, and you would like to be involved in volunteering with Rise & Flourish, please .