Royal Holloway Celebrates Status as a University of Sanctuary

(Left to right) Janice Rodrigues-Mendes, Tracy Bhamra, Professor Anna Gupta and Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Julie Sanders

Just the most moving and important event this afternoon at Royal Holloway, University of London marking our commitment to our University of Sanctuary status. We had a special screening of The Walk, a film responding to the remarkable Little Amal puppetry project from Good Chance Theatre. And the absolute privilege not only of watching it but having a rich and generous panel discussion with 4 members of the team  afterwards. Special thanks to Elias Matar, Bartolomeo Bartolini, Connie Treves and our very own awesome graduate Hannah Harding for their inspiring contributions. 

Thank you also to Anna Gupta and Janice Rodrigues-Mendes for their consummate hosting as always and to Tracy Bhamra for her continued support for this work and to all our amazing attendees, not least RH colleague Helen Nicholson who has long been a personal inspiration for me in the space of participatory research and community based theatre. 

So good to get to speak to many of you and a special thank you to those who gracefully shared their own stories with me. It was an honour to be in the room. 

#TheatreOfHope #UniversityOfSanctuary #MakingSpace