When I was seven I lived for four months in an old boarding school in Leeds with 50 refugees from the conflict in the former Yugoslavia. My dad, frustrated with the lack of response from the British government, had set up a charity to assist people fleeing the conflict.
As part of the charity’s work, 50 refugees had been brought to live temporarily in the school, and we moved in too to help them settle.
New cultures
This was a time of great adventure for me. In that old boarding school there were so many places to explore, so many friends to play with, so many adults giving me attention, new cultures to learn about, there were camera crews from time to time, journalists taking photos, local people popping in and out, even Bobby Charlton came to visit!
Return
I returned to Leeds at the start of April to begin researching this event for Terra Incognita’s new production for 2014, My Friend Selma. I met up with people who had also been children when we lived there; some of these people I hadn’t seen for over twenty years.
It was incredible to hear their stories, to hear about the journeys they made from their homes, to hear their first impressions of the UK. It was incredible to hear all of these memories delivered in Yorkshire accents far broader than mine.
Happy experience
All spoke of the sadness of leaving home, the confusion of coming to a new place, and the worry for family and friends back home. It was moving to hear what these people had seen and the journey’s they’d already been on when I met them at the age of seven. Yet despite these traumas, everyone I spoke to remembered their first few months in the UK as a relatively happy experience.
When I asked them for a sound they remember from living in the old school, nearly all of them said laughter.
They felt safe, they had friends and they felt welcomed and supported by the local community. Wouldn’t it be great if all refugee and asylum seeking children in the UK today had the same experience?
As part of Refugee Week Scotland 2013, Vickie will be sharing some of the real-life stories behind My Friend Selma at the Tron Theatre on 18 and 19 June. Book here.
