A Day of Welcome (13th June 2025) is an annual day of solidarity and learning in schools that aims to build a culture of welcome and understanding for people seeking sanctuary. It supports teachers to develop refugee education and kickstarts Refugee Week by providing free live events, resources and activities for pupils of all ages. Schools can join in as much or as little as they like.
- Click here to register your school
- Click here to download the Teachers’ guide with a summary of the offer and everything you will need to plan your own Day of Welcome
- Contact the The Day of Welcome Team: dayofwelcome@uk.cityofsanctuary.org
Registered schools gain access to:
- Teaching and learning resources: Providing new lessons, guidance and activities for KS1-KS4 for use on 13th June or anytime
- Free live events: Sharing books, art and stories, bringing the voices and experiences of people with lived experience of seeking sanctuary into your classroom (for pupils 5-18 years old)
- Refugee Education support: Sharing the latest training and guidance on how best to support any pupils and families at your school who have experienced forced displacement – for use on 13th June and anytime
There is ongoing support for schools in Newcastle who are seeking to become Schools of Sanctuary and for those who already are to enhance their work. Find out more about Newcastle Schools of Sanctuary here.
Refugee Week is the world’s largest arts and culture festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary. Through an exciting programme of events, activities and media campaigns, Refugee Week brings together people from different backgrounds to connect beyond labels, and foster a deeper understanding of why people are displaced and the challenges they face when seeking safety. People can take part in or host local events, share news about the week and take part in simple acts to stand in solidarity with refugees.
The theme for Refugee Week 2025 is “Community as a Superpower.” Community is the incredible everyday. Ordinary and extraordinary. Simple acts of shared generosity. Kindness multiplied to become an unstoppable force!
Visit the Refugee Week website here to find out more about the week, what’s on and how to take part, as well as the free resources available to celebrate and promote Refugee Week 2025:
- Resource Packs (including Children & Young People, Event Organiser Pack and Neighbourhoods Pack)
- Social Media Pack and Public Marketing Folder
- Simple Acts (illustrated by Moomin Characters)
- Anyone can register here for the free film programme which will be available during Refugee Week through a link provided to those who register (films can also be previewed to check their suitability for people’s needs)
- For updates, sign up to the Refugee Week newsletter and find them on Facebook, Instagram and X/Twitter. There will be updates about: Refugee Week poster and resources and the annual Refugee Week conference and network meetings to connect and exchange.
Henna Asikainen & Roua Horanieh: To Own Both Nothing and the Whole World
BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead – 11 June 2025 – 6 July 2025 (free)
An exhibition of work by artists Henna Asikainen and Roua Horanieh will be presented at Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead during Refugee Week 2025. The project has been developed with the participation of a group of people with experience of migration and displacement, who now live in Gateshead and Newcastle.
To Own Both Nothing and the Whole World has been co-commissioned and co-produced by Counterpoints Arts and Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, and made possible by the support of Moomin Characters Ltd. It is part of celebrations marking 80 years since the publication of the first Moomin story by Tove Jansson, which had a focus on displacement. The title of the exhibition is a quote from Snufkin, one of the characters in the Moomin stories. Click here to find out more.