The Chester City of Sanctuary Group is leading the Refugee Week celebrations this year, working in partnership with Storyhouse, Chester Cathedral and the CWAC Refugee and Asylum Seeker Team.
This year’s theme is courage and we are celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary.
The word courage comes from the Latin cor, meaning “heart.”
Inspired by the lives and experiences of people seeking sanctuary, Refugee Week 2026 invites us to explore the theme of Courage.
For refugees around the world, courage is often a daily necessity. It is the courage to face unknown journeys, learn new languages, navigate unfamiliar systems, or simply to wake up each morning and step into an uncertain world.
At a time when some seek to divide and blame, Refugee Week 2026 calls us to come together and share the courage to welcome, to stand for what we believe in, and to celebrate culture and community – to be joyful, imagine new possibilities, dream, heal, and connect.
Courage isn’t always loud or bold. It can be found in simple acts: opening your door to a neighbour, trying new food, reading a book, or watching a film that changes your view of the world. It can be speaking up, asking for help, sharing your story – or simply having the courage to be yourself.
Through art, stories, and community, we celebrate the courage that lives within us all – and how connection helps it grow.
Join us for Refugee Week 2026, 15–21 June 2026
Several evens are happening at Storyhouse:
- There will be a ‘Tapestry of Welcome’ in Storyhouse foyer which represents 24 different organisations which are offering welcome and support to sanctuary seekers across the Borough. Do come and take a look and find more information about the different organisations. There will also be information to take away
- In the library, ‘Quilts of Courage’ are being created. These will be started in May half term where children will create a quilt square which expresses what courage means to them – this could be written words or a drawing.
- The Bishops’ Blue Coat Church of England High School will have an exhibition of art, words and poetry on the first floor of Storyhouse called ‘Co-Existence’ – see next post
- There will be a special refugee week screening of the film ‘The Old Oak’ – on Wednesday 17th June at 6.00pm , followed by a Q& A with Canon Dr Anthony Lees – Smith, Dr Valerie Barron who was the Vicar in the film and is a community organiser in Tyne and Wear, and two Trustees of Chester City of Sanctuary Group
- On Thursday 18th June at 6.30pm in ‘The Kitchen’ (ground floor) there will be a Musical Reflection with Matt Baker of ‘Theatre in the Quarter’. This will feature stories from people who have made Chester their home, along with music from the University of Chester Choir, Proud Marys Choir, Plum Club, Theatre in the Quarter , the Patchwork Choir, Irfan Rais and Sadegh Dabiri.
Meanwhile, in the Cathedral we have:
- ‘Villages around the world exhibition’ from Hearts4Refugees : celebrating the many cultures in the community. This will be open 15-20th June at the Cathedral at specific times , to be announced.
- ‘Art session’ being run by Kirushan Sivagnanam, the Cathedral Artist in Residence, and Arezoo from Hearts4Refugees. This drop-in session will be between 11.30am-1.30pm at 30 St Werberg Street.
On ‘World Refugee Day’, 20th June, Chester Town Hall, Eastgate Clock and Newgate will be lit up in orange to mark the day.
Looking forward to seeing you all during the week!