UWE Bristol students share powerful refugee and migrant stories

Media Relations Team, 08 July 2024

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Photo shows a lady smiling in front of a rack of clothes she's made — Tetyana, who features in one of the podcasts, with clothes from her brand Twinkle.Leo. Photo credit: Zhenya Melesyk.

A new podcast ‘Wisdom from the Global Majority’ launches this week, telling the stories of both migrants and refugees in Bristol through their own words.

The five-part series has been made in collaboration between MA Journalism students at the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol), and not-for-profit social enterprise ACH.

The project has been funded by the university’s College of Arts, Technology and Environment Public/Community Engagement and Knowledge Exchange Fund.

It pairs up students with refugees and migrants who have been supported by ACH, using their storytelling skills to explore and celebrate successes often overlooked by mainstream media.

UWE MA Journalism (audio, documentaries and podcast) student Molly-Rose Crossley was one of five students who produced the new series. She said: “Creating these podcasts was a brilliant way to learn more about the community and other similar groups ACH work with, like Refugee Women of Bristol and Bristol Refugee Arts Collective. It was refreshing to discuss the language used around refugees and migrants.

“It’s incredibly important for universities to work with social enterprises like ACH. There are limited opportunities for students and these communities to mix, so encouraging these collaborations in a university setting is a positive experience.”

One episode follows Tetyana and her brand Twinkle.Leo, named after her son. Tetyana attends markets around the city, has an online shop and a regular stall at SPARKS, in Broadmead.

She came to Bristol from Ukraine in 2022, and was supported by friends, customers and ACH to reignite her business in the UK, making and selling kids clothes and bedding.

Other contributors to the podcasts have travelled to the UK from places such as Sudan and Afghanistan, working with ACH to start new businesses and expand education.

ACH’s Marketing and Communications Officer Sena Vicdan said: “We are incredibly excited to launch our new podcast series, which provides a platform for individuals from refugee and migrant backgrounds to share their powerful stories.

“By creating a platform for their narratives, we're promoting equitable representation and celebrating the rich diversity within our community.”

Established in 2008, ACH is a social enterprise comprised of a diverse group of strategists and researchers led by lived experience. Their vision is to empower refugees and migrants who reside in the UK to lead self-sufficient and ambitious lives.

The podcast series begins on Tuesday 9 July and will be released on the second Tuesday of every month on Soundcloud.

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