Musical bright spots in a difficult period of time

In October, JM Norway invited young asylum seekers to our headquarters for a weekend of drumming, rapping and lots of fun.

 Music activities for young asylum seekers is an ongoing project at JM Norway, and was first organised in 2012. Professional musicians and music therapists gather young refugees for a weekend filled with playing and singing. A recent gathering in Oslo was the projects first time in the capital city, after mainly being located in the rural districts of Norway.

The participants had made their way from nearby asylum centres, and seemed to really enjoy the two days of music. They were between the ages of 7 and 16, and came from Syria, Afghanistan and Yemen. Four musicians and music therapists led the activities, which amongst other things consisted of rap and beatbox workshops, band rehearsals and drum circles.

Music activities for young asylum seekers was created to give young refugees a musical bright spot in an otherwise difficult period of time. According to Sofie Mortvedt, one of the music therapists present, they managed precisely that:

– Everyone was very engaged in the activities, and at the end of the day they all asked if they could have arrangements like these every weekend! It shows that there’s so much need for projects like this, Mortvedt says.

Another important aspect of the project is to hire professional musicians and therapists. Many of the children have experienced traumatic events in their past, and the professionals are there to assure that their needs are taken care of.

 With todays refugee situation, Music activities for young asylum seekers appear more important than ever, and JM Norway hopes to continue the project for as long as its necessary.

Curious about what happens at Music activities for young asylum seekers?Take a look at this video from Hemsedal in 2014: