Getting to know you
DERBY-BASED theatre company Maison Foo is looking to break down barriers between local residents and those looking to seek asylum through the new socialising event, Meet Your Neighbour.
Taking place at Derby Theatre on December 1, the get-together aims to encourage more interaction within the community, particularly to welcome refugees from across the world.
The event came about following an interaction Maison Foo’s artistic directors Bethany Sheldon and Kate Lowe had with a refugee last year in which they were told that they were the first “proper conversation” they had had in two years.
“We came away from that meeting asking ourselves what could two artists do to make people from refugee and asylum seeker communities more welcome?” Beth said. “We approached Derby Theatre (where we are Associate Artists) and Derby Refugee Advice Centre to see if they would both work with us to set up a steering group of refugee friends to put on a community event and both agreed.
“Meet Your Neighbour has been developed through this connection- it’s an event where people from many different backgrounds can come together to enjoy each other’s company, get to know each other and importantly create an understanding of different cultures and communities.”
She added: “We feel if more people just took the time to get to know people they would soon stop listening to the negative