about :: previous events
Melbourne pilot project 2008
Refugee Realities is a simulation based experience that puts you in the shoes of a person displaced by war.
The 2008 experience was held at Gasworks Arts Park in Albert Park, Melbourne, between 22 February and 13 March.
There were 7,000 visitors, including 4,000 Victorian school children, who walked through the Refugee Realities installation, which included a landmine field, border crossing, shelter area, food and water collection points and medical tent.
The event generated significant media attention:
Evaluating impact
In July 2008, Oxfam Australia completed a thorough evaluation of the Refugee Realities event in Melbourne. The evaluation looks at the impact of the simulation on the 7,000 visitors who experienced it. You can find the evaluation here
Thanks to our volunteers and sponsors
We'd like to thank the 200 volunteers who donated their time to make Refugee Realities 2008 a great success. Thanks, too, to our wonderful sponsors and partners including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Australian Red Cross and Red R Australia.
The Making of Refugee Realities
University simulations 2008
In 2008, students from Ballarat University and La Trobe University each ran a Refugee Realities simulation on campus for their fellow students and teachers. These events generated significant attention on campus and were made possible by the hard work and dedication of dozens of wonderful volunteers.
Wesley College December 2009
Wesley College in Melbourne produced Refugee Realties for three days in early December 2009, with year eleven students presenting to year six and seven students. Although the two “drivers” of the project were teachers Ramona Baumgartner and, especially, Megan Kelly, it was the year elevens who in the words of Megan, “made Refugee Realties their own”. Some forty year elevens came back from early holidays and gave up their time to design, build sets, and guide students. They performed with extraordinary skill, aplomb and verve.
Mildura December 2009
Sunraysia Ethnic Communities Council was approached by Oxfam with the idea of producing Refugee Realties in mid-2009. As support for the idea grew, more than ten major organisations became involved in Mildura's “Human Rights Festival”, with Refugee Realties as a key element. Presentations held on Friday 11 December (250 students of Irymple Secondary College) and Saturday 12 December (for the general public) were notable for their design, the construction of the refugee journey, and the number of local volunteers involved, led by La Trobe University and The Mallee Women's Care Centre.
Mildura and surrounds is made up of over 52 ethnicities, so it's an ideal place for a refugee simulation. Photos of the simulation can be viewed here.