All the Southside Refugee Festival Scotland happenings
Local Refugee Festival Scotland events, digital activism, council delays to Queen's Park covid memorial, our wins at the Refugee Festival Scotland Media Awards 2025 and much more!
The Refugee Festival Scotland (13-22 June) is well underway, with events taking place across Scotland, from exhibitions on floral art, performances from local musicians, walking trails, ceilidhs, to picnics, there’s certainly something for everyone. Including two exhibitions from the Greater Govanhill photography group at CCA and the GOMA – more details on these and others below! Interested in writing about an event? Get in touch by email at newsroom@greatergovanhill.com.
In between mag prep and sending out briefs for the web, we’ve been celebrating! Greater Govanhill writers Sadia Sikander, Tabassum Niamat and Pinar Aksu, who took home both Winner and Runner Up at the Refugee Festival Scotland Media Awards 2025 — a celebration of independent journalism and those “who make the change at the grassroots level”.
We’ve also had our first writer meet-up. It was great to see some new faces and chat with existing contributors, sharing the stories they’ve worked on. We also shared some details on upcoming story briefs as well as guides on what kind of stories we’re looking for. Interested in becoming a writer or checking out a writing guide for inspiration? Join our writers’ WhatsApp group or email us to get a copy of it!
Have a good weekend!
-Samar
The latest from the website…
‘Voices like mine deserve to be heard’: Greater Govanhill celebrates double win for refugee reporting
Greater Govanhill writers Sadia Sikander, Tabassum Niamat and Pinar Aksu took home both Winner and Runner Up at the Refugee Festival Scotland Media Awards 2025 — a celebration of independent journalism and those “who make the change at the grassroots level”.
Indie News Week in Govanhill: Local voices on Palestine
How can we respond to rolling coverage of injustice without turning away? In Govanhill, campaigners and independent publications explored this question, offering insight into grassroots activism, the BDS movement and the vital role of community-led media.
‘Frustrating and disheartening’: Govanhill Baths Community Trust blames council for delays to Covid memorial
Glasgow City Council has been accused of “moral” and “bureaucratic” failure over delays to a memorial for victims of the Covid-19 pandemic, which is sitting in storage at taxpayers’ expense, The Ferret reveals.
The power of digital activism: How I use social media to fight for inclusion
For Jill, a disability rights campaigner from Glasgow, the internet isn’t just a tool – it’s a lifeline. Through social media, she’s built a movement for accessible toilets across the UK, showing how digital platforms can break down barriers and amplify the voices too often left unheard.
Check our website for regular updates and stories from our writers’ group and staff journalists: greatergovanhill.com
Refugee Festival Scotland Southside Events
Unwritten Milestones: The Silent Talent Trapped in Limbo – GOMA, 13 – 14 June 2025. Open on Friday 11am-5pm and Saturday 10am-5pm Gallery of Modern Art
LIVE IN ART 10 – 14 June 2025. Open daily 10am – 5pm CCA – Creative Lab
Publication Launch: Refugee Histories – Community Walking Tours of Glasgow, Sat, 14 June 2025, 11:00am – 12:00pm
Tastes of Govanhill – Sound Walk, Sat, 14 June 2025, 12:00pm – 1:00pm
All United for Football - Sat, 14 June 2025, 3:00pm – 6:00pm
Fashion Parade in Diversity / عرض أزياء في التنوع, Sat, 14 June – Mon, 14 July 2025
Building Solidarity & Kinship: Movement Performances + Wellbeing Walk, Sun, 15 June 2025, 2:00pm – 5:30pm
Ride Together: Led Cycle Ride Followed by Lunch at MILK Cafe, Tue, 17 June 2025, 10:00am – 1:00pm
Milestones: Art Exhibition on Symbolising Our Past, and Imagining Our Future, Thu, 19 June 2025, 10:00am – 4:00pm
Walk, Talk and Cake: Explore Glasgow Together with the Ramblers, Thu, 19 June 2025, 11:00am – 1:00pm
Seeds of New Beginnings – Seasonal Calendar of Hope, Sat, 21 June 2025, 12:30pm – 4:00pm
Pollock Country Park Walk (Meet at Pollokshaws West Station), Thur, 19 June 2025, 11am – 1pm
✍️ Writing Opportunity
Women in Journalism Scotland and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation have launched the third year of their WiJS x JRF bursary programme.
Five women journalists will each be awarded £1,500 to develop a project shining a light on economic and/or social inequalities around Scotland. The project should be solutions-driven. More information on the types of projects considered can be found below. The funding will be spent on working up a project from the idea stage to a developed pitch ready to be taken to a publication (newspaper/broadcaster / online resource, etc) or launched independently.
Join our WhatsApp Community 📱
Greater Govanhill’s new WhatsApp community keeps you up to date with the latest happenings in the neighbourhood. Avoid the morning doom scroll and get the most important news in one place. If you’re worried about a drone of notifications, fear not! The group is more of a space to read than to chat. If you’re looking for a bit more interaction, head over to our writers’ group to see our latest pitches and suggest stories of your own. To join the group, scan the QR code or follow this link.
