James Brining, Leeds Playhouse Artistic Director and CEO said: “A decade ago we became the world’s first Theatre of Sanctuary. Community, support and the warmest of welcomes have been key components in the Playhouse’s DNA since we first opened our doors. We’ve been privileged to meet and work with hundreds of refugees and people seeking asylum in the last ten years, offering safety and support as we connect through the power of creativity. We are all truly proud of the work we’ve done together; work which has grown and developed over the years, responding to the people arriving in our city and entering this creative space.

From our Asmarina Voices choir and Hearts youth group to our weekly Conversation Cafe and the work we create on our stages exploring the lived experiences of people seeking safety, our aim is always to celebrate what unites us rather than highlight what divides us.

We are very grateful to our colleagues, volunteers, partners and supporters who, from the start, have helped to meet the needs of people seeking sanctuary in our city. Most importantly of all, however, I want to say thank you to the people who participate in our Theatre of Sanctuary programme for inspiring us every day. We have learnt so much from you over the last 10 years and your strength, courage and creativity continue to enrich our lives. It’s fitting that our celebration coincides with Refugee Week, which this year explores the theme of ‘Our Home’. Our home will always be your home.”

10 milestone moments to celebrate our decade as the world’s first Theatre of Sanctuary

As part of Refugee Week (17-23 June), we are hosting a range of activities, workshops and sharings, including a celebratory Gala Evening of exciting and inspiring performances, as we mark the 10^th anniversary of the Playhouse becoming the world’s first Theatre of Sanctuary.

Over the last decade, we’ve opened our doors and our hearts to hundreds of refugees and people seeking asylum, offering safety, hospitality and support as we connect through the power of creativity.

Here are 10 of our most memorable milestone moments…

1. Our Theatre of Sanctuary journey began in 2013 when we staged Refugee Boy in our Courtyard theatre. Based on Benjamin Zephaniah’s 2001 novel and adapted for the stage by Lemn Sissay, it tells the story of 14-year-old Alem who becomes a refugee overnight due to civil war. The acclaimed production, which went on to tour nationally, anchored the Playhouse’s commitment to engaging with refugees and people seeking asylum, propelling us to seek sanctuary status. Through wrap-around work made in response to the show, and an open call out to partners from across the Leeds City region to link up on how we all welcome people, working with the City of Sanctuary. We became a safe space and with this Asmarina Voices was born.
2. Asmarina Voices, our choir for female refugees and people seeking asylum, was the first group established as part of our Theatre of Sanctuary programme. More than 90 families continue to make use of this thriving group, singing with musician Sophie Thiruchelvam, performing at events in the Playhouse, in Leeds and across the country. Our choir members have created three of their own songs in English, which is not their first language.
3. Leeds Playhouse became the world’s first Theatre of Sanctuary on 27 January 2014, showcasing our commitment to making our space as welcoming as possible for people seeking sanctuary. Over the years we have run awareness-raising sessions with staff; offered free tickets for shows at our Theatre; opened our spaces to welcome ground breaking productions such as Queens of Syria, an all-female cast of Syrian refugees, and All the beds I have slept in created with a refugee cast from Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Morocco and by Phosphorus Theatre Company; stood shoulder to shoulder on movements such as #TogetherWithRefugees; cast participants from the programme in our mainstream production Searching for the Heart of Leeds in which also Asmarina Voices performed; created Hearts Youth Group in a partnership project with The Children’s Society and Solace designed for young people seeking asylum and refugees aged 15-25; plus offered places within our youth theatre.
4. Ruth Hannant and Rose McCarthy were the driving force – and the beating hearts – of our journey towards achieving Theatre of Sanctuary status. Ruth, who was Head of Communities at Leeds Playhouse, forged our first link with Rose, a founder of Leeds City of Sanctuary. Together with the Refugee Council, they worked tirelessly to ensure our theatre – and our city – provided a safe haven for people seeking sanctuary.

Ruth Hannant said: “Becoming the first Theatre of Sanctuary was my proudest moment of working at Leeds Playhouse. It was an honour for us to be recognised for the work we had been doing, the learning we had undertaken and the commitment our theatre was making to stand up for and support refugees and people seeking asylum, ten years later I am still feeling that pride in the Playhouse’s ongoing commitment. I am grateful to all the inspiring people who have been brave enough to accept this invitation of welcome over the years and walk through the door to join us and together feel we have created something wonderful.”

5. Running for the last eight years a and to help our choir members concentrate on their singing, we set up a creative play session, Playing Me led by Lisa Miller and delivered by professional key workers, to keep their children entertained. More than 90 families make the most of this carefully curated session on a rota system, so their pre-schoolers can read stories, play games and share food together.
6. In 2021, the Playhouse joined forces with the Young Vic to commission Freedom Project, a new piece of writing by Luke Barnes and directed by Alexander Ferris, our Associate Director (Creative Engagement) at the time. It was developed with creative input from young people with lived experience of seeking asylum and was performed by young refugees Mohammadreza Bazarbashi and Hossein Ahmadi, who had developed their acting skills on creative programmes at the Playhouse.

Director Alexander Ferris said “It was such a privilege to work with the amazing people who informed the creation of Freedom Project. We spoke to 100s of young people seeking sanctuary in Leeds and London and they all had incredible stories, generosity and plenty of joy to share. From our sharings at the Young Vic in London, online during the pandemic through to the final performances in Leeds, every step we took with Hossein, Reza, Masego and Meiraf, not to mention the myriad voices we heard from along the way, was enlightening, powerful and urgent. The story remains resonant today and we need to make sure we are always listening to young people seeking sanctuary and giving them the chance to shout about how they want their futures to look.”

7. Members of our Theatre of Sanctuary programme regularly share delicious food that reminds them of home as part of a series of Kitchen Takeovers. The Playhouse has also worked with more than ten cooks to explore a variety of cuisines from across the globe, including Diana Flores Gallardo, who specialises in traditional Bolivian and Latin American food and is part of the City of Sanctuary movement.
8. On 20 June 2022, the Playhouse led the way in welcoming Little Amal to Leeds. The giant puppet of a girl refugee is a global symbol of human rights, drawing attention to the numbers of children fleeing war, violence and persecution. Thousands of people walked, sang and danced with her through the streets of Leeds in a mass show of solidarity, and the Playhouse was honoured to be able to gift her our own message of hope with a heartfelt speech on the steps of the Civic Hall and a performance by our Asmarina Voices choir.
9. Working with Leeds City Council’s Resettlement Team, we’ve run a Conversation Café every Tuesday from 11am-12.30pm for more than eight years, uniting people from across Leeds to play games, build a community and practice English in an informal setting. We’ve been on trips to the beach, Temple Newsam and Skipton Castle and have enjoyed Nowruz celebrations, iftars, kitchen takeovers and film nights.

Tim Woodhouse Leeds City Council Community Engagement Officer “The partnership we have with Leeds Playhouse has been great for the service we offer our clients, and for wider partnership building. The families we support have access to a safe, welcoming and friendly space where they can practice and improve their English skills, meet new people from different communities and receive practical advice and support. It has also been beneficial for bringing together organisations in a shared space where we can provide a range of support in a ‘drop in’ style weekly session.”

We haven’t achieved all this alone and are very grateful to our numerous partners who have helped us to develop as a Theatre of Sanctuary in the past decade. We have worked together on events, programmes, trips and performances, enabling us to create a safe space at the theatre and ensuring our city is a true place of sanctuary. Thank you to the Children’s Society, Solace, the City of Sanctuary Network, Refugee Council, Leeds City Council , Refugee Forum, RETAS, PAFRAS, Theatre of Sanctuary network, The Liz and Terry Bramall Foundation, Caddick Group, Irwin Mitchell, MODA, The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust, The Ragdoll Foundation and to everyone who has supported our work, celebrated our achievements, and given us the chance to support so many people, families and communities.