Poets and Musicians in Solidarity with Refugees

A video that appeared on The Guardian website yesterday does a number of things that we, in Leicester and the East Midlands, are also working on.

The video starts with Benedict Cumberbatch reading 'Home', a poem that talks about why people leave home and why they are using the Mediterranean to try and find places of safety.

The poem reminds me of Momodou Sallah's "Barca or Berserk". It also reminds me of "Poems for People", an anthology of poems and short fiction that Poets in Solidarity with Refugees are currently working on.

The Crowded House song, "Help is Coming", reminds me that in Leicester, a significant number of musicians, singers and songwriters are currently looking at producing a musical recording and at staging a concert in solidarity with refugees.

Both the Poets in Solidarity with Refugees and the Musicians in Solidarity with Refugees initiatives also aim to support the men, women and children who are in Calais as well as those who are using the Mediterranean in an effort to find places of safety. The initiatives also aim to raise funds for groups that work with refugees and asylum seekers.