Creativity brings cultures together
23rd April 25
Displaced young people visited The King Alfred School over the course of eight weeks for a project that saw the sharing of cultures, cuisines and creativity.
KAS students collaborated with the Babylon Migrants Project, an organisation that encourages personal development, teamwork, and self-expression in young people from refugee, asylum seeking and migrant backgrounds.
In four fortnightly sessions, students welcomed the displaced young people into the school for Photography workshops. In return, they were taught bellydancing, gaining insights into the cultural significance of the Middle Eastern dance.
“The aim was to use artistic expression as a way to connect people and celebrate different cultures,” shares Ranya F (Year 11), one of the KAS students involved in the project.
“I truly enjoyed working with The King Alfred School students,” said Amal, who led the bellydancing workshops. “It is the first time I have taught belly dancing in the UK and I found it incredibly rewarding.”
As part of the project, students also had the opportunity to visit The Abbey Centre, a community space in Westminster. Here they performed and sang the traditional Syrian song Al Maya (Arabic for ‘to the water’). “The experience reinforced how important it is to step outside of schoolwork and connect with the world around us,” said Ranya.
At the end of the project, the young people came together in the Main Hall for a showcase of their work. It was a joyful evening, with attendees sharing foods from their various cultures.
The project was part of the students’ GCSE in Global Challenges, a school-directed course that introduces them to some of the major socio-economic, environmental and ethical challenges facing the world, and allows them to develop their own informed responses.
“Overall, this experience has been rewarding, inspiring and meaningful,” said Ranya. “It has given us a chance to step outside of our usual academic routine, be creative, and contribute something positive to the community.
“More than anything, it has shown us that when people come together to share culture and creativity, incredible things can happen.”
You can watch a short student-produced film about the project below.
