Refugees build community and belonging through art

Creative programs are drawing on the power of art to support refugees to tell their stories and connect with local communities.

The United Nations World Day of Social Justice on 20 February aims to raise awareness of social inequalities and break down barriers based on gender, age, colour, region, religion, tradition, and/or disabilities.

Recently, researchers from Souther Cross University found that the creative arts can ‘enhance well-being, improve social connections and promote a sense of belonging’ for those who have experienced trauma, including refugees.

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Celina Lei is an arts writer and editor at ArtsHub. She acquired her M.A in Art, Law and Business in New York with a B.A. in Art History and Philosophy from the University of Melbourne. She has previously worked across global art hubs in Beijing, Hong Kong and New York in both the commercial art sector and art criticism. She took part in drafting NAVA’s revised Code of Practice - Art Fairs and was the project manager of ArtsHub’s diverse writers initiative, Amplify Collective. Celina is based in Naarm/Melbourne.