Healing through art, together | World Refugee Week 2022
As they get underway with marshaling a packed World Refugee Week, we catch up with Deborah Falzon and Julienne Schembri of Dance Beyond Borders, who will be organizing the inaugural Maltese edition of the global event across various venues on the island from 20 June
Healing through art, together | World Refugee Week 2022
The power of creative expression lies in its ability to inspire enjoyment and empathy, offering a unique perspective on life. Dance Beyond Borders, a community arts organization, aims to harness this power through the organization of World Refugee Week in Malta, featuring cultural events prioritizing the viewpoint of refugee artists.
Beginning on World Refugee Day (June 20), the week-long series of events will include music, dance, visual arts, and film screenings, all aimed at providing opportunities for refugees to share their stories and represent themselves through art. The event will kick off with a ‘March for Peace’, inviting refugee community representatives to share their stories of ‘collective healing’ through a walk from Marsa Bridge to Belvedere Gardens, concluding with a musical performance by Trakadum.
Co-founders Deborah Falzon and Julienne Schembri emphasize the event's goal of promoting integration and celebrating diversity, envisioning Malta as an EU state actively supporting such initiatives. The program will feature artists presenting themes related to their migration journeys, offering insights into the experiences shared by the refugee community.
Through collaborations with refugee musicians and artists, the festival aims to foster artistic expression and participation while highlighting the multitude of experiences within the refugee community. Endorsed by Counterpoints Arts, the festival is supported by various organizations, aiming to create a unified community that celebrates diversity and shared humanity.