Refugee Week Scotland kicked off last night with a thrilling concert at the Old Fruitmarket in Glasgow. The spectacular event, organised in partnership with British Red Cross, attracted a packed house that came to enjoy three Scottish Album of the Year Award shortlisted artists Malcolm Middleton, Karine Polwart and Admiral Fallow.
Passion and commitment
The most memorable part of the night was the passion of those same artists in advocating for refugee communities in Scotland. All three acts made a point of pausing between songs to explain their support for Refugee Week Scotland.
In particular, writer and compere on the night Alan Bissett emphasised that celebrating the contribution of refugees in Scotland is important during a time when there are so many negative stories around immigration in the media.
The music rose in volume and passion as the night ended with an atmospheric sing-along to Admiral Fallow’s anthemic ‘Isn’t This World Enough?’. The one constant running through the show was the evident passion of all the artists for the aims of Refugee Week Scotland.
Watch a film of the concert
Thankfully, for anyone who missed the gig, our talented volunteers from Glasgow University Student Television (GUST) were on hand to capture the performances and interview the acts about why they got involved with the festival. It definitely gives a sense of the passion that was on display:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIC4hFShoLU
That same passion will be evident at events held across the country as part of Refugee Week Scotland. You can find the programme of events here.
