New report from Migrant and Refugee Communities Forum

... Migrant Communities and the Big Society

Returning the Relic Box

A Sunday morning drive to north London to return the Relic Box loaned to the I PACKED THIS MYSELF exhibition by artist Patrick Coleman. We've been hugely privileged to been able to show this box, packed with items from Patrick's father's life. It's inspired many and opened many people's eyes to the reality of migration.

Am sorry to say goodbye to it, but it is time that this amazing object returned to its owner and creator.

The drive is a bit of a challenge as Scotland is playing Brazil not far off. We miss the worst of the traffic, thank goodness.

Migrant Voice Conference - Bridging Arts presentation

'Who's telling our stories?

Unheard voices; mobilising migrants to speak up'

April 15^th 1-6pm -

April 16^th 9.30am-2pm

At: Amnesty International, The Human Rights Action Centre,

17-25 New Inn Yard, London EC2A 3EA

"Migrant Voice is delighted to invite you to our Spring conference examining public attitudes and media representation of migrants and exploring strategies for migrants' engagement in the public conversation on migration.

The conference is the first joint event of the newly established 'Migrant Voices for Change Network', with membership from migrant and refugee communities' leaders and professionals, media experts, academics and other stakeholders, from London, Birmingham and Glasgow.

The two day event will bring experts in the field of messaging, public attitude and migration to shed the light on the latest research and activities, including the Barrow Cadbury Trust, Oxfam, The Searchlight Educational Trust, Institute of Public Policy Research, Migrants Rights Network, Open Society Foundation, and others.

A panel of journalists from the BBC, The Guardian, Channel 4 and other media, will provide an insight into the British media perspective on the coverage of migration, and highlight opportunities for migrants to engage with and influence the media.

The conference will be a market place for exchanging innovative and inspirational projects and initiatives from across the three cities, and will see workshops facilitated by leaders in the art of communication, including Bridging Arts and Manifesta.

Day one will conclude with a reception.

Day two will engage members of the Migrant Voices for Change Network in hands-on media training and activities and facilitated discussions on strengthening the network and on developing and implementing communication strategies to get more migrant voices heard in the media and the debate on migration.

Please RSVP info@migrantvoice.org or call 020 8960 0121 indicating if you would like to attend day one of the conference only or if you would like to join the Network and participate in both days of the conference. Attendance is free but places are limited and will be given on a first come first served basis."

Camborne workshop and daffodil pickers

Jo Grace reports back on today's workshops at Camborne Community College.

"It was very interesting visiting Camborne Community College today. They had a migrant worker member of staff who very bravely stood alongside Konrad for the Q&A session, she said afterwards that she hadn't realised how stressful it would be to stand up in front of so many students, but I think it was great for the students to hear answers from someone they knew already. We even had a question in Polish. The students split into 8 groups to write their postcards/letters. It might be interesting to ask the school to forward us some examples of this work. We had some great questions and a dozen or so students hung around afterwards to chat to Konrad some more, and one helpful student then showed us the way back through school to reception. The student's knowledge of daffodil farming was the best we have encountered in any of the schools, and they recognised swiftly the new photos of the local pickers."

Excellent feedback from Penrice Community College

Assistant teacher Jason Wood writes a kind email following hard work by Jo Grace and Bartek earlier in the month. Both found the school very impressive and focussed on the issue.

"We were impressed by the way you adapted your assemblies to the different year groups and also responded to the different expectations of english and drama classes. We have a significant number of migrant worker families in school and you have helped improve students empathy for migrants.
Your workshops recieved a very good response from the students and teachers. You made us think and challenged perceptions of migrant workers in Cornwall."

Workshops at the Roseland

A beautiful sunny morning - it feels like spring, though there has been a bit of a frost overnight.
Pass daffodil fields on the way up to St Austell... yellow fields all over west Cornwall. A bad sign: the crop in once sense has failed (to make its way to the shops). It's because weather earlier in the month, and at the end of February, was unseasonably warm.

Two groups of around 60 at the school: some very lively and interesting discussions with Irina, the migrant worker from the Ukraine who has joined us.

At Paddington

On train back to Cornwall for this term's final workshops ....
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