Community Project: Courage in Community

"This project helped me think more deeply about what refugees bring to the world. It showed me that even though we come from different backgrounds, we still share things like courage, kindness and hope. I am thankful to Hasenat and the University of Sanctuary for creating a project where everyone could come together and share something meaningful.” Project member

Courage in Community is a photography project led by Hasenat Zafari, with support from the UEA University of Sanctuary team. Created as part of Refugee Week 2026, the project invited members of the University of Sanctuary community to explore and express what courage means to them through photography and optional captions.

The exhibition brought together a range of experiences and perspectives. Each contribution showed that courage can take many forms, including leaving behind a familiar home, beginning again in a New country, supporting others, sharing experiences and continuing to hope during difficult times. It was wonderful to see participants of all ages, from children as young as four to older adults.

The exhibition was displayed for two weeks at both the Enterprise Centre at the University of East Anglia and Norwich Theatre. At the Enterprise Centre, it was viewed by students, staff, visitors and members of the wider University community, while Norwich Theatre allowed the project to reach the wider public. It is estimated that around 15000 people visited Norwich Theatre during this period, giving Courage in Community significant public visibility. As part of our future work, we hope to display this exhibition at universities within the Eastern Arc and at other universities.