This Saturday the 21st of June, as part of Refugee Week, The Folk of Gloucester is hosting a thought-provoking play by former Gloucestershire resident and charity worker Pammy Mitchell. “Refugee Matters / Refugees Matter” explores the complex issues that refugees and asylum seekers face in the UK system through the viewpoints of a charity worker and a volunteer. Performed by local professional actors John Bassett and Jude Emmet, the show offers an insight into the increasing difficulties faced by those seeking refuge in the UK and the frustrations of those trying to help them.
Playwright Pammy Mitchell started out working with refugees and asylum seekers as part of her role as a social worker in Birmingham. She later moved to Gloucestershire, and in 2015 began volunteering with local charity GARAS (Gloucester Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers). Together with her husband, she initiated and organized community support for the Syrian families who were given houses in Stroud, and taught English to asylum seekers who she befriended in Stroud and Gloucester.
Mitchell says the play details some of her genuine experiences. “A big difficulty in the system is that there is not enough English teaching. Language is vital to enable settling in, independence and work,” she says.
“Also, young asylum seekers are often wrongly assessed as being older than they are and can really suffer from this, for example not being suitably housed and supported.”
However, it’s not all negative. Mitchell says her reason for writing the play was to celebrate the individual asylum seekers’ and refugees’ stories, as well as highlighting the hard yet rewarding role of a volunteer worker.
“I wanted to highlight the positives as well as the difficulties – particularly to combat the often negative stories in the media,” she says.
The play was written in partnership with local charity GARAS (Gloucester Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers), who perform vital work with the local refugee community. GARAS offers support to those seeking asylum in Gloucestershire, welcoming them when they arrive, advocating for them on a daily basis and helping them to adjust to a long-term future in the UK.
Mitchell now lives in Vietnam and New Zealand, but hasn’t stopped writing or advocating for refugees. She is currently writing a follow-up to “Refugee Matters / Refugees Matter”, alongside a play about trafficking in Vietnam, consulting with a charity in the country who work with trafficked young people.
“Refugee Matters / Refugees Matter” takes place at 7:30pm this Saturday the 21st of June at The Folk of Gloucester, 99-103 Westgate Street, Gloucester, GL1 2PG. Tickets are £10 and can be bought on the door or via The Folk of Gloucester ticket site.