Amazing Music Festival Kicks Off Refugee Week In Hull

Refugee Week kicks off next weekend with a special celebration of music, art, culture and unity in Hull.

Gig in the Gardens on Saturday June 17 will see musicians take to the stage in Queens Gardens for a fantastic day of world music.

The event is also part of the Great Get Together, where thousands of celebrations are planned to honour and celebrate the memory of Jo Cox.

Steve Ibbetson, Chair of Hull City of Sanctuary, said: “It will be great to see Gig in the Gardens take its place once again as the premier world music event at the heart of our great city. Showing the diversity of the city, its openness and welcome of refugees fleeing violence and oppression, it should be celebrated by all.”

Hull Refugee Week is part of Hull City of Sanctuary. On June 20 the city will be officially declared a City of Sanctuary by a local refugee at Hull Minster.

The gig, a colourful celebration of British diversity, will see one of the UK’s most diverse bands, Rafiki Jazz – made up of musicians spanning four continents with migrant & refugee artists at its heart – take to the stage.

Also performing are infectious 9-piece K.O.G & The Zongo Brigade from Ghana via Sheffield, African fusion band Hekima & The Bongo Flava from Tanzania via Hull, and the city’s very own creative and unique sound sensations Bud Sugar.

Also on display at the event will be artwork Tent by Kate Daudy, a London-based British artist focusing on questions of home, identity and memory. In early 2016, thanks to the intervention of the Spanish arts organisation ONUART, Daudy was given a used UNHCR tent from Zaatari camp, in Jordan, with which to create an artwork.

Gig in the Gardens is a nonticketed free event. It starts at 11am on Saturday June 17 and will run throughout the day at Queens Gardens in Hull.

Gig in the Gardens is part of the Hull UK City of Culture 2017’s schedule and is funded by
the Creative Communities Programme under the Big Lottery Fund and the Tribune Trust.

The event is also being supported by the Warren, Open Doors, British Red Cross, Refugee Council and Community Integration and Advocacy Centre (CIAC).

Hull Refugee Week starts on Saturday June 17. Additional events include the UK celebration of World Refugee Day at Hull Minster on Tuesday June 20, Hull Independent Cinema, plus a gig at the Adelphi on Wednesday June 21 and Refugee Celebration on Thursday June 22.

Martin Green, Director of Hull 2017, said: “Refugee Week is a fantastic opportunity for Hull to celebrate its proud record of being a place offering both sanctuary and opportunity to refugees.

“Gig in the Gardens kicks off a brilliant week-long celebration of unity and British diversity with a number of different and exciting events going on.”