Young Ukrainians share their experience of moving to Gloucester
The Folk of Gloucester centre is holding events to celebrate Ukrainian culture and this weekend some young refugees shared their experiences.
Each weekend a range of activities and workshops have taken place including performances from Ukrainian choirs and bands, traditional arts and crafts, and on Saturday 20 April a group of young refugees shared their experiences.
The group worked with Everyman Theatre to bring their stories to the stage.
Speaking before the performance, the group members compared their lives in Ukraine to now in the West Country.
Most of the group have been here for two years.
Uri said: “What I was most surprised about was there were so many planes flying around.
“When the war started in Ukraine there were no planes because the air was closed and then when I came here I was looking up and there were planes and it was a common thing, just unusual.”
Anna said: “When you do hear a plane coming in Ukraine, it’s not a good sign because it might be from Russia.
Everyone said they found it “scary” when they arrived because of the planes in the sky.
Danny said the sound of the planes can “trigger” him because of the situation in Ukraine.
The group also talked about school, and how that compares.
They agreed many subjects are different, and how they are taught is a big change too.
Anna said: “Loads of students do drama here but we don’t have it as a subject in school.
“In Ukraine, teachers give you content, and you learn it. Here, teachers interact more with students.
“Out there, it’s more about self-learning.”
In terms of the performance, they wanted to show people what it meant to be Ukraine.
Anna said: “We talk about various emotions and feelings that Ukrainians experience. The audience are living through the feeling with us and understanding this emotion.”
Danny said: “We also want to remind you about the war. It’s really important that we deliver the message because we need support from other countries.”
Anna said: “There’s wars happening all over the world and there are so many refugees going through the same thing as us. We have to remember it’s still happening, everywhere in fact. We need to support each other.”
Uri said: “The driving force to do the play for me was that people were telling me they weren’t seeing Ukraine on the news anymore and they didn’t know what was going on.”
Robin Burton, a volunteer at the Folk of Gloucester: “This festival aims to introduce the people of Gloucester to the incredible richness of Ukrainian culture.
“It also aims to give refugees from the conflict in Ukraine, the opportunity to get together and be proud of their own culture. It also aims to provide everyone with as much joy as possible.”Full programme of events here.