end the hostile environment

Call out 1: resources for migrant culture workers

At Migrants in Culture we are developing a migrant resource pack: a document collecting and connecting existing sources of information and support for migrants working in culture.

We are inviting our fellow migrants to contribute to the pack: let us know about organisations, programmes or resources that provide professional, legal, financial, pastoral help or support with access to mental and physical healthcare for migrant culture workers.

We want to connect existing knowledge and resources and build on previous research and thinking we have undertaken. This is part of a longer process of bringing together communities and support and building an open-border culture sector, welcoming to all migrants. 

To contribute, send your suggestions to migrantsinculturesurvey@gmail.com, with 'Resources for migrants' in the subject line. Feel free to share multilingual resources or resources from beyond the UK but relevant to the experiences of migrant culture workers here. We will be collating resources until 31 May. 

We are happy to receive website links, online material available to all, information on initiatives working locally, or anything else you think might be helpful. 

The resource pack will be made available for free on the Migrants in Culture website.

Call out 2: hostile environments - new testimonies

Migrants in Culture members and those in our network are reporting a new surge in the implementation of Hostile Environment practices, with arts organisations increasingly conducting visa checks and developing regimes of control, oppression, and exclusion.

We are reaching out to our community to listen to, and connect with, the impact of this past year on migrant culture workers, building on testimonies gathered as part of our Hostile Environment survey. This will inform the next steps Migrants in Culture will take to advocate for a welcoming culture sector for all migrants and contribute to our growing Hostile Environment evidence base.

We want to know: 

What has changed for migrant culture workers in 2021?

For example:

• Have you noticed any shifts in how organisations engage with you and your work? 
• Have you received any additional support? 
• Have you faced restrictions to COVID cultural recovery and support due to being a migrant? 

Please submit your testimonies, observations or impressions here.

If you prefer to submit in a different format, please get in touch at migrantsinculturesurvey@gmail.com 

We are open to receiving your testimonies by 31 May.