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Image of the Sanctuary Fair programme - see webpage https://www.rsc.ox.ac.uk/events/oxford-sanctuary-fair-2023 for detailsA free, all-day drop-in event connecting refugees, students, and the local community.

Come along to Oxford’s first town-and-gown Sanctuary Fair - a free, full-day event at Oxford Town Hall, on Thursday 11 May. 

The Fair is open to everyone and provides an opportunity to learn more about refugee issues and how we can all make a difference. 

It will include panel discussions and interactive workshops featuring students, academics, activists, politicians, community leaders, and influencers, many of whom have experienced displacement first-hand. 

Stalls from community organisations will give you a chance to meet those who are making a difference on the front line, and to find volunteering opportunities and practical actions to support refugees and asylum seekers in Oxford and beyond.

Sanctuary Fair 2023 is a collaborative event hosted by Asylum Welcome, the Refugee Studies Centre (University of Oxford), and Oxford City Council.

If you would like to register your attendance at the event, you can do so here.

Find out more about 'Access to Oxford Town Hall' here.

Oxford Sanctuary Fair 2023 banner

Sanctuary Fair programme

Download the final programme here

PLENARY SESSION

Assembly Room (10.30 - 12.00)

- Making Sanctuary a Reality in Oxford

- The Political Landscape of Migrant Rights in the UK 

PANEL DISCUSSIONS

Main Hall (12.30 - 18.30)

 

COMMUNITY Panel | 12.30 - 13.30

Arriving, Surviving, and Thriving in Oxford

 

EDUCATION Panel | 13.45 - 14.45

Access to Education for Refugees and Asylum Seekers

 

HOMES Panel | 15.00 - 16.00

Hosting Refugees in Oxfordshire

 

FAITH Panel | 16.15 - 17.15

Supporting Refugees through Faith Communities

 

CAMPAIGNING Panel | 17.30 – 18.15

Keep Campsfield Closed: a Local Campaign

 

WORKSHOPS

St Aldates Room (12.45 - 17.15)

 

ADVOCACY Workshop | 12.45 - 13.30

What can I do? Advocating for migrants’ rights today

 

CAREERS Workshop | 13.45 - 14.45

Career Pathways in the Refugee Sector

 

DEMOCRACY Workshop | 15.15 - 16.00

Building a City of Sanctuary: Local Authorities and Migrants’ Rights

 

CREATIVE Workshop | 16.30 – 17.15

How Can the Arts Amplify Voices of the Displaced?

 

Annual Harrell-Bond Lecture

The Annual Harrell-Bond Lecture is named in honour of Dr Barbara Harrell-Bond, the founding Director of the Refugee Studies Centre. It is held each year in Michaelmas term.

Annual Elizabeth Colson Lecture

The Annual Elizabeth Colson Lecture is held in Trinity term. It is named after Professor Elizabeth Colson, a renowned anthropologist.

Public Seminar Series

Each term the RSC holds a series of public seminars, held on Wednesday evenings at Queen Elizabeth House. Click here for details of forthcoming seminars.

Connect with us

To keep up to date with our events and activities, sign up for email alerts from the RSC and Forced Migration Review, and connect with us on social media.

Forthcoming events

Humanitarian extractivism: the digital transformation past, present, future

Wednesday, 08 May 2024, 5pm to 6pm @ Seminar Room 1, Queen Elizabeth House, 3 Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TB

Film screening and discussion: Missing in Brooks County

Wednesday, 15 May 2024, 5pm to 7pm @ Seminar Room 1, Queen Elizabeth House, 3 Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TB

Forced Migration on Film: A Conversation with Marc Isaacs | Annual Elizabeth Colson Lecture 2024

Wednesday, 22 May 2024, 5pm to 6.30pm @ Tsuzuki Lecture Theatre, St Anne's College, 56 Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6HS

Book launch: The Politics of Crisis-Making: Forced Displacement and Cultures of Assistance in Lebanon

Wednesday, 29 May 2024, 5pm to 6pm @ Seminar Room 1, Queen Elizabeth House, 3 Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TB

Skilled worker visas for refugees – a qualitative evaluation of the UK’s Displaced Talent Mobility Pilot

Wednesday, 05 June 2024, 5pm to 6pm @ Seminar Room 1, Queen Elizabeth House, 3 Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TB

A celebration of the life of David Turton

Saturday, 20 July 2024, 2pm to 3pm @ The Crypt Cafe, St Peters Church, Northchurch Terrace, London N1 4DA