Green Man Festival Celebrates a Decade of Refugee Training
Green Man Festival in Wales is marking 10 years of a programme that trains refugees and asylum seekers, offering them valuable skills and a sense of belonging as they build new lives in the UK. The initiative, run by the Green Man Trust, the festival's charitable arm, has worked with 191 refugees and asylum seekers since its inception. Most participants are aged 18 to 28, but some have been in their late 50s.
Training and Integration
Fiona Stewart, who owns and runs the festival, explained the programme's structure: "It's a proper training scheme, so the idea is that they learn about communication, integration, they learn front of house work, so dealing with the public, they're giving directions, they're asking questions." Participants have also run their own food stalls, learning about health and safety, food management, and money management. "It's been a kind of a crossover of a lot of skills," Stewart added.
Personal Stories of Transformation
Mina, a cyclist from Afghanistan who fled the Taliban in 2022, said working at Green Man helped her "feel more connected to life in the UK." She joined the programme because she "wanted to learn more about British culture and also wanted to connect with people." After studying politics at university, she will graduate this summer and return to Green Man, which this year is headlined by Wolf Alice, Mogwai, Wilco, and Four Tet. "I really enjoyed being in the festival," Mina said. "It was my very first experience of being in a festival, and my very first experience of camping." She added that she built connections with other refugees and asylum seekers from different countries, and "now we are still friends."
First-Time Experiences
Javid, also from Afghanistan, described the festival in the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park as his first ever music concert. Under the Taliban, he said, "there is no music and it's banned to listen to any music. So if someone is spotted with a musical instrument, the person would be prosecuted just because of having a musical instrument." Visiting Wales was exciting for him, with camping and festivals being new experiences. He learned about Welsh culture and some Welsh language, and the communication skills he gained helped him in his current work as an interpreter. "The psychological benefit of participating in Green Man was that usually for people in my situation, sometimes there is bad news, and it's like a big chunk of negative energy would affect other parts of my life," Javid said. After receiving some bad news, he had stopped running, but the programme provided "a big chunk of positive energy" and helped him start running again.
Diverse Participation
Refugees and asylum seekers from 52 different countries have trained at Green Man. Last year, participants came from Afghanistan, Libya, Sudan, Pakistan, Syria, Nepal, Yemen, and Ukraine. The festival provides all necessary equipment, including camping gear and warm clothing.
Positive Impact
Olga, from Ukraine, said: "Overall, it's really like something to give you a fresh start and I'm pretty sure when we return back home it will be very positive vibes. And you can spread this back." She felt part of the crew and described the group as "very special." Another Ukrainian participant, Sophia, added: "It's very rewarding to get such a good opportunity... We are really happy not to get this for free but to contribute."
Safe Environment
Stewart noted that not every festival would provide a safe enough environment, but Green Man does. "I've worked at other festivals where this just wouldn't be possible because of the noise level, or behaviour issues, or whatever," she said. "But I think it does work at Green Man, so we've had the best opportunity to enable that to happen."
Community and Acceptance
Stewart emphasised the programme's importance in a time of divided communities and hostility towards refugees and asylum seekers. "I know from feedback that some of them have felt quite intimidated by what they see, what's going on," she said. "When you meet people like this, they're trying to make the best of their lives... They just want to be accepted, and they can offer a lot as well, they can bring so much to our culture."
Building Confidence
M, from Egypt, said: "When I first came here, my English wasn't great and I wasn't comfortable to speak with strangers." Participating in the project helped him "get out of my comfort zone to speak with people," and he now works in a cafe. He had never been to a music festival before but now sings in a choir and is "really interested in the arts." He is returning this summer for the fourth time and said: "One day maybe I will perform at Green Man."
A Shared Experience
"For us, it's a wonderful thing to do, but it's also incredibly inspiring to see," Stewart said. "Just from the point of view of seeing them out integrating with the rest of the team is a lovely thing, but also for the team as well." She added that no one necessarily knows they are refugees or former asylum seekers unless they bring it up. "I think it's that feeling that they're just a kid in a field with everyone else."
