As part of Refugee Week in Barnsley, there will be a free performance of Refuge Island by Whispered Tales . This public event is open to all and as well as the 20 minute performance there will be a 40 minute opportunity for questions and answers with the Director and Performer. Teas, coffees and light refreshments will be served before and after the performance.
REFUGE ISLAND is a performance that shares three courageous stories of three women who were forced to leave their home. Set within a surreal traffic island a lone woman appears and we begin to hear just why she braved the elements to seek refuge in another country. The show has a 20-minute soundtrack that involves edited first hand interviews from three true stories.
The first woman’s voice we hear is Helene who is of Irish descent, sharing her grandmother’s story from the 1940’s. The second voice we hear is Vana who fled Bosnia in the 1990’s and the third is Saghur’s story who fled Afghanistan in 2021. Olena Hrabchak is the solo dance performer who herself became a refugee when she was forced to leave Ukraine in 2022. The performance involves a cutting-edge film hosted within the set that was created by Parang Khezri, an Irian artist who sought refuge here in the UK. The performance is suitable for all ages and has the power to truly build empathy and understanding. After the performance the artists lead questions and answers with the audience discussing the themes of the show.
This is one of many events being organised in Barnsley to celebrate Refugee Week which takes place from 15–21 June 2026. It is the world’s largest arts and culture festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and courage of refugees and people seeking sanctuary. It brings people together through thousands of events and activities, from performances and talks to exhibitions, community gatherings and creative projects. A community-powered festival, it is shaped by individuals, artists, schools, libraries, venues, local authorities, cultural institutions and grassroots organisations. Founded in the UK in 1998, it takes place every June alongside World Refugee Day (20 June) and has since grown into a global movement with over 2 million participants, across over 20 countries.
This meeting has been organised by Barnsley Borough City of Sanctuary. Information about the performance can be found at https://www.whisperedtales.org/refugeisland.