Brighton Dome marks Refugee Week with a free family get-together

Connect, a day of free events bringing families from all communities together is coming to Brighton Dome Café-bar on Saturday 1 July, 11am-4pm.  Fun for all ages will include everything from kite making workshops to learning the art of batik, and table tennis.

Connect is the culmination of events held across Brighton & Hove to mark Refugee Week.

A mini #RefugeesWelcome parade organised by Hummingbird Project will launch the event. Meeting in Pelham Square Gardens, Trafalgar Street at 10am and winding its way through North Laine to Brighton Dome, all are welcome to join. The theme is Forest Carnival (inspired by The Hummingbird and the Forest Fire a story told by Kenyan environmentalist Dr Wangari Maathai - think flower crowns, greens, gold and teal).

There will be live music and food from the Sussex Syrian community, including a performance from poet and oud Player Bashir Al Gammar, and Bhá’í storytelling with Farah Mohebati. Learn to play the oud and qanun (Syrian instruments) and make your own puppet to perform in a puppet show.

Take part in a photoshoot with the Brighton flag designed by artist Gil Mualem-Doron. He has also designed a provocative replacement for the Union Flag is a collage of traditional fabric designs of former colonies and refugees' and migrants' home countries.

In order to speed up your entry into Brighton Dome please avoid bringing bags if at all possible, as there will be security checks on the door.