SolidarityNow presents its new video about “Perle Music”, a band formed by refugees
On the occasion of the World Refugee Day on June 20th and the European Music Day on June 21st, SolidarityNow introduces 9 Congolese and Guinean artists through the #ArtIsMyLife project. For them, their art is their life.
Moria, Richard, Theresa, Giselle, Sara, Sami, Momo, Armond and Abdul, found support and are currently supported by the organization’s programs in Northern Greece – the Accommodation and Hosting Program in Thessaloniki and the Child & Family Support Hubs Program in Volvi Accommodation Scheme. Today, they talk about their love for poetry, painting, music and writing.
SolidarityNow collaborates with the photojournalist Giorgos Moutafis and who documented the recording of two songs performed by refugees at a recording studio in Thessaloniki. The songs were performed by the “Perle Music”, a music band that was formed by Congolese refugees, during their stay at Volvi Accommodation Scheme. For Richard, Moria and Theresa “Art concerns us all”.
In this short video presented by SolidarityNow, art proves to be an extremely important part in life. Through Art, people can confess their pain, their wrath, their fears, but also their dreams. For these 9 artists, art has been therapeutic, it helped them stand up for themselves, to try/fight/aim for the best, and dream for the future.
The #ArtIsMyLife project wants to remind us something very important; that in this life, nothing has a single dimension. Everything has a complement. No one is just a refugee or an asylum seeker or a migrant, he/she is always something more. He/she can also be a great poet, or a painter, or a writer, or a philosopher and musician.
Since May 2017, SolidarityNow is supporting the 9 artists from Congo and the whole community of refugees at Volvi Accommodation Scheme through the Child and Family Support Hubs program and the Accommodation & Hosting Program in Thessaloniki. Since 2016, SolidarityNow, has provided accommodation and support to more than 6,000 refugees and asylum seekers.
Read the stories of the 9 artists from Guinea and Congo here.
* The Accommodation Program is implemented by SolidarityNow and is part of the ESTIA Support Program for Integration and Housing of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and funded by the European Union Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO).
** The Child and Family Support Hubs program is implemented by SolidarityNow, supported by UNICEF and funded by the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations /ECHO.
*** The Organisation Internationale De La Francophonie (OIF) finances French language courses for asylum seekers in Athens and Thessaloniki.
**** The organization of Iliaktida was responsible for the management of the Volvi Accommodation Scheme along with UNHCR’s support, through IATAP.