Ahead of Refugee Week, running from 20th June – 26th June, Welcome Merchant has announced a string of engaging events, which will be hosted by refugees throughout the event. This year’s Refugee Week theme is ‘Unity’, and Welcome Merchant’s range of events have been purposely curated to bring communities together, learn from each other and showcase incredible refugee talent and entrepreneurialism.
To kick off the exciting event, migrant-owned Racha’s Syrian Kitchen will be taking over Cafe Freda’s in Darlinghurst, from 12pm to 9pm on 20th June. Chef Racha, who came here as a migrant, and Chef Nidal, a former refugee are both originally from Syria and met at a cooking interest group on Facebook and bonded over their passion for bringing Syrian cuisine to a wider audience.
On 26th June, Welcome Merchant will host an extravagant 6-course degustation dinner at Erskineville Town Hall, with cuisines from Ethiopia, Syria and Sri Lanka. The chefs are from migrant and refugee backgrounds and will be preparing dishes inspired by their home countries and upbringings. Tickets are $130 per person, including a glass of wine presented on arrival. Also, on 26th June at Erskineville Town Hall, before the 6-course feast, Welcome Merchant will run two refugee artist-led workshops. A charcoal and drawing workshop will be run by Raneen Shamon, award-winning young artist originally from Iraq. He will teach charcoal and pencil drawing and a jewellery bead-making workshop will be run by Bilikis Gbadamosi, from Billiano Designs.
“We have such an incredible range of talent in our refugee and migrant community this year and Refugee Week is a wonderful time to explore, support, and recognise how our refugee-powered businesses are enriching our communities. The pandemic has highlighted what our communities can achieve if we truly stand united, as well as the damage that can be done to marginalised communities if they aren’t treated equally. I encourage all Australians this year to unite at Refugee Week and partake in celebrating this wonderful part of our multicultural society,” said Marjorie Tenchavez, Founder of Welcome Merchant.
WELCOME MERCHANT CHEF POP-UP (Syrian) at Cafe Fredas
Time: 12pm to 9pm. Date: 20th June. Location: Café Fredas, 191-195 Oxford St, Darlinghurst. More information on tickets will be available soon on https://www.cafefredas.com/, Walk-ins are welcome
UNITE WITH WELCOME MERCHANTS – ART WORKSHOPS
Time: 10am to 12pm (Bead Jewellery Making) & 1pm to 3pm (Charcoal and Drawing). Date: 26th June. Location: Erskineville Town Hall, 104 Erskineville Road, Erskineville. Tickets: $55 per person plus booking fee, per workshop or $100 for both. Book tickets here https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/unite-with-welcome-merchants-bead-jewellery-charcoal-art-workshops-tickets-153429308191
UNITE WITH WELCOME MERCHANTS – REFUGEE WEEK FEAST WITH MUSIC & DANCING
Time: 6pm to 10pm. Date: 26th June. Location: Erskineville Town Hall, 104 Erskineville Road, Erskineville. Tickets: $130 per person plus booking fee. Book tickets here https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/unite-with-welcome-merchant-a-night-of-world-music-and-food-tickets-153758009345
