Art Battle x UNHCR – World Refugee Day

Doors @ 6:00pm / Painting @ 7:00pm
OCAD U Waterfront Commons Room – 130 Queens Quay E Tower, Floor 4R, Toronto, ON

As an artist, you hold the power to tell stories that words alone cannot capture. 

On June 19th, Art Battle and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, invite you to contribute your talent to a live collaborative painting that brings visibility, empathy, and hope to the experiences of refugees and people forced to flee their homes worldwide.

Theme Focus: Hope Away From Home

“No one chooses to leave their home. No one chooses to become a refugee. What would give you hope if you were forced to leave your home one day? Or what has given you hope if you are forcibly displaced?”

Today, more people than ever have been forced to flee their homes due to war, violence, and persecution. As of May 2024, over 120 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide. In the face of rising hostility and xenophobia, we must challenge negative narratives and promote compassion towards refugees and people seeking safety.

Ahead of World Refugee Day, we want to push back against this negatively and find Hope Away From Home. This theme celebrates and explores what hope looks and feels like for refugees, not just surviving, but finding meaning, connection, and dignity in a new place.

Hope Away From Home aims to reflect on the strength and resilience of refugees and the power of inclusion. Hope is found in the moments when people feel part of a new community — being welcomed, making new friends, reuniting with loved ones, finding work, and having a place to learn and grow.

Plus, thanks to our generous partner UNIQLO, all attendees will receive a UNIQLO Peace For All T-shirt at the event!

You can find our campaign here: https://www.unhcr.ca/hope/

This is an All Ages event.

REGISTER NOW TO VOTE

Confirmed Competitors