Posted By: Richard White, 10 November 2010
It’s been a long time coming, but finally I got the chance to visit a school to witness a Letters to Europe workshop as part of the Shahrazad project. It was an experience I won’t be forgetting for a while… in a good way, of course!
All week Writers’ Centre Norwich will be sending a writer and a refugee to work with young people in schools across Norfolk to help them understand the issues surrounding refugees and asylum seekers, the future of Europe, and the hopes and dreams they harbour for it.
Our workshop was led by writer, Sarah Bower - who had already completed a session with the same students during the Strangers and Canaries project – and supported by refugee, Asmerom.
Asmerom gave a fascinating insight into some of the difficulties faced by refugees when entering a new country. What was the most surprising for our young class? Realising that not everyone has a surname the same way Europeans do. Asmerom explained that in his country (Eritrea, North East of Africa), the importance is placed on the first name, and if there’s any need for further identification, they follow up with their father’s first name. Needless to say, not easy to clarify when filling out European forms of self-identification!
Students from The Hewett hard at work during their Strangers and Canaries workshop
Sarah then divided the students into groups depending on certain characteristics. Young people love an excuse to tear around a room, but they soon realised the consequences of being segregated. The responses were fascinating, particularly when close friends has been separated.
One moment that surprised me – but considering modern trends, perhaps shouldn’t have - was when Sarah showed the students some clips from our YouTube page. During the writing exercises it was a tricky task to keep the students focused, but show them a film and you’ve got their attention from the off! The films were created by students working on the same project but with the additional help of the BBC Voices team.
After a short exercise on how to personify a place, alongside the learning that had already taken place, Sarah and Asmerom had the students writing their letters. This is the business end of the workshop, and it was great to see a new level of concentration from our young writers. Some brave souls read their letters aloud. They were quite simply inspiring: a particular favourite line compared the mottled view of Europe from the air as freckles on a face.
Time flies, the bell rang and the students ran. But not before we got hold of their masterpieces. We’ll soon be posting some of the letters on our Freedom of Expression page, but for a taster, here’s one by Lucy from Reepham High:
What is home?
Home is where I live,
My house,
I don’t have a house.
What is home?
My nationality,
The country on my passport,
I don’t have a passport.
What is home?
The place where I feel safe,
A sanctuary,
I am not safe.
What is home?
My belongings,
The things I have grown up with,
I have no belongings.
What is home?
My family and friends,
The people who protect me,
I have no family, no friends.
Do I have a home?
By Lucy, student from Reepham High.
It’s a wonderful piece, and from what I saw at the Hewett, young people have plenty to say regarding our home, and without a doubt, they’ll have a big say in its future.
