ABOUT ME

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Dear Refugee Supporter

As you may know, I am one of the volunteers at Villawood Detention Centre who organises music jams and music lessons for the interned detainees to help them deal with their stress. I also supply free donated music instruments to refugees throughout Australia wherever possible. I am in my 12th year of doing all this.

If you have ever been a refugee visitor, either in Villawood or another refugee establishment, you would have experienced various interactions with those refugees and/or other detainees. Some of those exchanges would have been positive and very enlightening, while others may have been sad, negative or even challenging.
Personally I found most of my interactions of trying to help refugees quite rewarding, as I hope you did as well.
I have decided to create a musical based on different interactions between visitors, volunteers, refugees and asylum seekers, both in and out of detention. The plan is to stage the musical on a stage that becomes a mock detention centre.

Any experiences and dialogue that you have encountered with refugees, in or out of detention, would be very useful.
Please note that the musical will not divulge any confidential information about detention centres, nor will any real names be used. Confidentiality in all aspects will be observed.
Please also note that the musical will not be anti-government or anti-Villawood.

As advised by experts in the field of musicals, the process I will need to follow is . . . .
  (a) Create a story as a play (in this case many little stories, like they had in West Side Story).
  (b) Put music to it (I am a music composer). Some refugees will hopefully also add music from their countries as well.
  (c) Find many amateur actors.
  (d) Produce a rough musical on a stage with initial audience members being professionals, who hopefully will take the whole thing on board.

FINANCIAL
Although I shall be spending my own money in the creation and initial production of the rough musical, ALL net income, should it progress to a professional musical, will go to refugees. It is my intention to give half of the income to refugees in Australia, with the other half going to refugees from the country of Burundi  -  I have been spending time and energy for the past 3 years helping Burundian people who have escaped the genocide in their own country and are now living in squalor situations in neighbouring countries in Africa.

RESOURCES and STORIES
While I have some stories from meetings and interactions I had had with refugees, both in and out of detention, I am asking if you would like to share any of your stories.
You need not give me any names of people, as confidentially is paramount. Even your name becomes confidential.

Here is a summary that might jog your memory of your experiences of being in contact with refugees and asylum seekers both in and out of custody.  . . . .
  * Played any games (example UNO, scrabble) with refugees or asylum seekers
  * Had conversations with refugees about being held for long periods, having excess stress, being denied things, standard of food, etc
  * Witnessed or heard of any acts of cruelty
  * Witnessed or heard of any acts of kindness
  * Seen or experienced any interactions when refugees receive legal advice from a solicitor (or anyone else)
  * Witnessed any demonstrations inside or outside a detention centre 
  * Had any difficulties gaining access to the refugees you came to visit
  * Experienced difficulties coming in to a detention centre, like gaining entry, body-searches, etc
  * Heard of experiences of refugees receiving food, phonecards, or other presents from visitors
  * Experienced or heard of refugee music jams/lessons, art classes, gym sessions, etc. at Villawood and beyond
  * Know of any love stories that happened in a detention centre, or beyond
  * Been witness to any gatherings of refugees celebrating their freedom
  * Witnessed refugees sharing their success or failed story of finally getting freedom and what materialised
  * Had any interactions with the media regarding refugees

PARTICIPANTS
As I have been running music groups and amateur Theatre Sports groups for 20+ years, I have the names and details of some young people who have already indicated their willingness to get involved in this project. But there is room for more . . . .
*  I am looking for people who visit Villawood or other refugee centres from time to time  -  are you interested? You do not have to be a professional actor or a singer. Plus you will not have to learn any lines off-by-heart. It will be reading from a script.
*  I am looking for refugees from various countries to participate as well.
*  I am also looking for refugees that can play any music from their own country. Do you know any?
*  Plus I am looking for about 10 kids aged 8-12  -  they will have lots of fun with this!
A bonus: Should there be any participants in this musical who are looking for an acting break, this could be a bonus for them, because of the professional people who will be in the audience at the first showing.

THE GOAL
So to summarise, I hope you will be able to assist in this musical by sharing your stories.
I emphasise again that I will NOT be making any money from this and all net income will be going to help refugees.
Feel free to pass this email on to anyone you feel may be interested.
And please call me with any questions about any of the above.
I am available on 0415-221-000 any day or night until 10pm.

My Website and Facebook page below will give you more information about me.

Thanks for your time.
I look forward to hearing back from you.
Best regards
Philip
 

Philip Feinstein

MUSIC FOR REFUGEES  

M: 0415-221-000 

+61-415-221-000

P O Box 1000 

Bondi Junction  NSW  1355  

Email: philip@musicforrefugees.org 

Website: https://musicforrefugees.org

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Music-for-Refugees/1500789130197574

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