BRUSSELS, 24th May 2017
A selection of paintings drawn by Syrian refugee girls participating in SB Overseas’ programmes in Lebanon were exhibited at the “Sounds of Longing” variety show organised by La Monnaie, the Belgian national opera, on 24th May 2017. The 26 paintings featured at the entry of the Palais de la Monnaie at Tour & Taxis in Brussels, and were created through our Storytelling through Art workshop, taught in our Bukra Ahla centre in Beirut, Lebanon, where the girls live in the Shatila refugee camp.
The selection of paintings perfectly matched the spirit of the Sounds of Longing event, which brought together various communities in Brussels to draw inspiration from the imaginary worlds and musical traditions behind Western and Middle-Eastern opera stories, and to celebrate the diversity of their city and cultures.
The colorful paintings set the tone for the evening’s proceedings, which featured a wide variety of live performances, films, sounds, displays and live art production, revolving around the theme of “longing”. The paintings gave the visitors an insight into the stories, dreams, hopes, and fears of young Syrian refugee girls living in Lebanese refugee camps. The art teacher in charge of the programme at our Bukra Ahla centre had challenged these young refugee girls to express themselves and their feelings through painting. Painting and art are a key part of the psychosocial support provided by SB OverSeas to help young refugees to overcome their fears and traumas.
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