The event, ‘In Our Shoes: Bridging Policing and Local Communities’, is a collaborative effort between partners Voicing the Void, the PSNI, and the South Belfast Policing and Community Safety Partnership.

It featured a series of short films and spoken word pieces highlighting the experiences of people who have fled persecution for a new life in Belfast, followed by a panel discussion involving a refugee participant to hear their perspective on the challenges of integration, navigating new cultural norms, and building relationships with local authorities.

The event featured a spoken word piece titled ‘Journeys of Hope’, performed by three women who fled the war in Syria. They bravely shared their experiences and the traumas they endured on their journeys toward safety.

One of the project participants said: "For me, this project was about giving me a voice to the world, building on my desire to rise from sadness and tragedy to strength and hope, through the world's support after hearing my story. This project encouraged me not to be silent about injustice, to defend the oppressed, and to get to know the oppressors. And to be able to thank the people who hugged, supported, and helped me."

Another participant thanked Voicing the Void for their support and guidance, saying: "Being involved in this project has been an eye-opening experience for me. It has not only deepened my understanding of the impact that hate crimes have on individuals and communities, but it has also highlighted the power of storytelling in healing and raising awareness. I am truly grateful for the opportunity Voicing the Void has given me. Their support and guidance have been a great source of inspiration and healing, and I am thankful for everything.

“I want people to understand that everyone has a role in challenging hate and creating safer, more inclusive spaces. By sharing these stories, together, we amplify voices that often go unheard and inspire real change in communities.”

Earlier this year Queen’s pledged to become a University of Sanctuary, meaning that the University will welcome people fleeing violence and persecution through facilitated access to Higher Education, and provide support to local refugee communities.

Saturday’s sold-out event was the latest in a number of arts-based projects organised by Queen’s as part of the University’s Sanctuary goal. Other projects include:

• The Translating Age project, which explored the lives and contributions of older migrant women as they forged new lives in Northern Ireland, through a variety of creative mediums, including poetry, prose, short films, knitting, and dance;
• Photovoice, which used photography to explore belonging and exclusion with newcomer and migrant women in rural areas;
• Art for Change, a summer programme where young people from immigrant, asylum seeking, and refugee backgrounds explored arts-based wellbeing strategies and lead group social action projects addressing mental health issues.

Dr Ryan Feeney, Vice President for Governance and External Affairs and Registrar at Queen’s, said:

“Queen’s has a long history of tackling disadvantage and improving outcomes for everyone in our society. The goal of our Sanctuary pledge is to make our University a place of safety, solidarity and empowerment for people seeking sanctuary. Our migrant, asylum seeker, and refugee communities have so much to offer society and arts-based projects such as this, and our other recent arts projects, give communities an outlet to help learn from each other and codesign solutions together.

“We know that being able to contribute to and experience art has the power to allow people to express themselves, seek enjoyment and feel more at home in a place, which is why arts and creativity is such a huge focus of our Sanctuary strategy.”

QFT plans to further enhance their inclusive film offering to make screenings more accessible for Sanctuary communities. Plans include free ticket options, more diverse captioned screening, family-friendly events, and broader promotion among Sanctuary communities.

Voicing the Void Chief Executive Officer, Rory Doherty, said:

"Our goal with the ‘In our Shoes’ project is to bridge the gap between diverse communities and the PSNI, cultivating understanding, empathy, and cohesion across Belfast's communities. Central to our initiative is the transformative power of restorative storytelling.

“'In Our Shoes' is a testament to how sharing personal experiences can foster and navigate open conversations to help with understanding cultural differences, with a view to creating safer and more inclusive communities. While these stories and this initiative focus on South Belfast, we know from our advocacy work that there are similar stories across Northern Ireland.”

South Belfast Superintendent Finola Dornan, said: “The Police Service and the local Police and Community Safety Partnership wanted to inspire change, by bringing the voice of our local refugee community directly to officers working in south Belfast.

“South Belfast is one of the most multi-cultural areas of Northern Ireland and we are very proud to serve the local community, in all its diversity. Everyone deserves to be respected, supported and to feel safe, free from intimidation or violence. 

“As a Police Service we continue to work in partnership to challenge perceptions and to eradicate hate crime. We are very grateful to Voicing the Void for their support in the delivery of this initiative. My sincere thanks goes to the inspirational people who used their own lived experience to help us, to broaden our perspectives and provide a better service to others.”

Special thanks to the project funders: The South Belfast District Policing and Community Safety Partnership (DPCSP), the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust (JRCT) and the National Lottery Community Fund.

Media

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