In October over 700 students at schools across Norfolk were introduced to the story of The Strangers, European refuges who came to Norwich in the 16th century and whose impact on this region remains to this day. The Strangers were famous for breeding canaries and the fact that Norwich City FC is known as The Canaries is one of their most famous legacies.
The Strangers and Canaries workshops have been running for three years now, providing an opportunity for young people to reappraise how they conceive of themselves and their identity. In many cases the workshops marked the first contact the students had knowingly had with a refugee, and this humanising experience proved incredibly powerful. Through storytelling and creative writing exercises they were able to get behind the hard headlines to gain some idea of what being a refugee actually means. The importance of this is expressed in some of the post workshop comments:
"I liked the workshop because the story was coming from the person who had experienced it. I hadn't really thought about it before."
Abi Coe (Aged 13)
"It helped my friends and I realise how lucky we are and that we should not take things for granted."
Kayla Thomas (Aged 12)
The lessons don't end there though. In February 2010 these same students will be able to take part in Letters to Europe workshops, further enhancing and developing their understanding of the wider world, and their place within it.
