Refugee Week and Fly With Me

Celebrating Refugee Week at Preston Park Museum

At Preston Park Museum, we are proud to take part in Refugee Week. This is a UK-wide festival that celebrates the resilience, creativity, and contributions of refugees and people seeking asylum.  

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Dressing our identity: A tapestry of stories 

In collaboration with the Refugees and Asylum Seekers Project Stockton (RASPS), Action Asylum, and Creative Minds, we invited community members to participate in a powerful artistic project which involved creating a unique Refugee Flag through embroidered patches. Each patch, crafted with care, told a personal story of identity, heritage, and self-expression. 

The final artwork was an inspiring fusion of colours and symbols, forming a striking addition to the orange and black national Refugee Flag. This collective effort went on display as part of the Red Dress exhibition at the Museum in 2023. 

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Fly With Me 

On August 15 2022, we took part in Fly With Me, an international kite-flying festival led by Afghan artists, actors, and sportspeople. This event marked one year since the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban and honoured the ancient Afghan tradition of kite flying; a symbol of hope and freedom. 

At Preston Park, we partnered with Action Asylum to bring this tradition to life. Together, we crafted beautiful kites and filled the sky with vibrant colours, standing in unity with those affected by displacement. 