Art Refuge - Uk

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Art Refuge; the place for spirits to soar!

The Art Refuge Programme provides Tibetan refugee children with a protected time and space in which to play and make art. After making the arduous journey across the Himalaya's in search of an education and a brighter future, the children arrive at a reception centre in Nepal. These centres provide a safe and nuturing space in which they can simply be children again. 

Within the Art Refuge programme they are supported by adult facilitators who have undertaken the same journey into exile and therefore can understand and relate to the children’s fears, anxieties and need for comfort. For these children, whose lives have been disrupted, playing and making art is an essential therapeutic activity which can help to reduce stress and establish normalcy. Clearly, play and art activities of and in themselves, cannot change stressful circumstances. What such activities can do, however, is enable the children to engage in meaningful interactions, thereby helping them to cope with stressful experiences through shifting the balance of social, environmental and psychological factors in a positive direction.

Why do we need your help?

Art Refuge is the only organization officially working with the children in the reception centres in this way, and we therefore have a unique role to play in their transition from Tibet. Currently, we depend entirely on donations. All of the contributions recieved go towards ensuring the centres and the local tutors are enabled to support the Tibetan refugees. This means providing the required supplies for the activities, maintaining the classrooms and most importantly paying for the local tutors to work with the children.