In February Writers Centre Norwich organised for over 200 students at schools across Norfolk to work with a professional writer and a refugee to compose a series of Letters to Europe. These missives from the young people of the UK to their counterparts in Europe form part of an international conversation about the future of Europe, and the hopes and dreams young people harbour for it.
These workshops followed on from those in October last year in which the young people looked at the story of the Strangers, refugees from the Low Countries who came to Norwich in the 16th century.
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 value 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. This month some of these students will be working with a writer and staff at the Norfolk Record Office to create refugee themed podcasts which will form part of the national Refugee Week festivities in June.
Together these complimentary strands aim is to raise awareness of Norwich as a City of Refuge, encourage understanding about refugees, and engage young people in creative writing activities.
