OVERVIEW

LOST VOICES gives expression to the voices of displacement, past and present, through storytelling and the visual and performing arts.

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Main overview

123.2 million people are forcibly displaced worldwide — one in every 67 people on earth (UN Commissioner for Refugees, 2024). A further 83.4 million are internally displaced. This represents an immense loss to the world of creativity and contribution. Yet sanctuary seekers and displaced people share a common humanity and resilience — a human spirit determined to rise, contribute, and embrace difference.

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Project
Description

Working with over 200 participants across fourteen months (2025–2026), LOST VOICES created an 8ft x 10ft banner reflecting the journeys of those experiencing displacement and seeking sanctuary in the UK. An event celebrating the banner was held on 29 January 2026 at Morley College London, featuring a performance of “This London” in the Johny Harris Theatre. The performance wove together personal memories from Lewisham Refugee and Migrant Network Women’s Group, sharing their expectations, challenges, and achievements in building new lives. The banner and event were supported by Lost Voices Partners and featured on Radio Morley, reaching audiences in 110 countries.

“Whilst not able to be there today, I’m grateful for the invitation and wish you every success.”

— Mayor Sadiq Khan

From January to June 2026, Lost Voices is working with Woodpecker Court College and Kent Refugee Action Network to record oral histories from young people (both sanctuary seekers and disadvantaged youth in the UK) and elders of the Kent mining community.

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This contributes to
commemorations at Kent Mining Museum marking:

The 1926 UK Miners’ Strike
The 1939 opening of Kitchener Camp, which brought 4,000 Jewish refugees to Kent
The banner will accompany these journeys, travelling from Morley College to Kent Mining Museum and Folkestone.