We are the theatre for hope
Bristol Sanctuary Theatre – Join Us in Making a Difference
At Bristol Sanctuary Theatre, we use the power of theatre to support refugees and migrants. Our community-led company creates a platform for joint artistic expression and co-creation, helping with integration and healing through the creation of original theatre works.
Our vision is a UK cultural landscape where in any discussion about migration the voices of refugees and migrants are essential, not sidelined. We bring diverse communities together through collaborative art, challenging harmful narratives and creating a culture of mutual respect and understanding.
Together, we reclaim narratives and celebrate new voices
Our Story
The Bristol Sanctuary Theatre is a theatre group that’s all about helping young refugees shine through their art and find their place in a new world. We create original theatre pieces to support their artistic journey and integration. The company is connected with UWE Bristol, local schools, arts groups, and refugee charities, making it a vibrant hub for creativity, community, and personal growth. Refugees get to explore artistic opportunities, learn new skills, and share their inspiring stories with everyone in Bristol.
Our mission is to tackle the stigma, marginalisation, and vulnerability that many young refugees face by empowering them and fostering solidarity and social connection. The recent far-right rallies in Britain really highlight how harmful it can be to misrepresent refugees in politics and the media for years. By challenging negative stereotypes and encouraging refugees to engage in open conversations with people from different cultures and artistic backgrounds, our projects aim to create a more inclusive society and build respect for everyone, no matter their cultural background. Through our art and theatre, we’re working hard to amplify the voices of refugees, showing their worth and celebrating everything they bring to the Bristol community.
Drama Club
This inspiring project began three years ago as a drama club led by UWE Drama staff and students, working closely with young refugees and migrant students from the City of Bristol College. The project seeks to address the challenges of stigmatisation, marginalisation, and vulnerability that many refugees face after fleeing their home countries and enduring traumatic journeys. In a climate of divisive political rhetoric and rising far-right hostility, this project offers young refugees a platform to reclaim their narratives, establish connections with local communities, and showcase their talents. Through the medium of drama, participants share their stories, challenge misconceptions, and promote solidarity and respect.
Since its inception, the project has delivered over 20 workshops, engaged more than 50 students from UWE and City of Bristol College, and culminated in a powerful theatre performance at Bristol Beacon this June. The performance, featuring young refugees alongside UWE students, left audiences deeply moved and marked a significant milestone in the initiative's journey. This impactful work was highlighted in UWE’s application to become a University of Sanctuary, with the award announcement expected in spring. The project’s lead, Fahrudin Salihbegovic, was recognised with the UWE Staff Award for his work on this project.
Noman's Land
Noman’s Land is a powerful, multidisciplinary theatre piece that explores war, displacement, survival, and identity through a dynamic fusion of drama, music, and visual storytelling. The play intertwines the lives of refugees, the homeless, and those who try to help them, set against the backdrop of a cold, Covid-emptied London, leading up to Christmas 2021.
The story follows Noman (Nu’maan), a young man from Mosul, now a failed asylum seeker living on the streets of London. Once a boy fleeing war, he is now a man with no home. As Christmas approaches, Noman struggles to find meaning in a city that refuses to see him. Haunted by his past and struggling with his present, Noman exists in a “no man’s land” between reality and dreams, where the ghosts of his journey – refugees, lost friends, and mythical figures – converge around him.
Blurring the boundaries between realism and fantasy, the play introduces a large and colourful cast of characters. Among them are Reverend Sue, a compassionate but exhausted vicar trying to help Noman; Maira, a Syrian bride who drowned in the English Channel; Shams, a poetic wanderer; Azeez, a school friend, and Paul, a former British soldier, now homeless and bitter, fighting his own phantoms from the past. Through their encounters, Noman’s personal story emerges as a reflection of the world that rendered Noman and millions of others like Noman – invisible and obsolete.
Noman’s Land
Illustrations: Soroush Abadi
Noman's Land Testimonials
Blaise
“It was moving, innovative powerful, and thought provoking with well-placed elements of humour to make the stories captivating and engaging. "
Judi Harper
"Very powerful and hard hitting – reminded you that migrants and refugees are individuals, each with their own back story."
Anonymous audience member
"I felt full of admiration. Very moving! "
Jacqueline Buttler, Dean of the School of Arts at UWE
"I was so moved by the beauty of your production – the words, the music, the company of actors. You totally captured a unique storytelling performance – it encompasses the core values of our School of Arts so perfectly. For me this is the heart and soul behind what we do placing what it means to be human – its beauty and abhorrent behaviours.I’d love to have the opportunity to read the script - exquisite words. I want to see more!"
Caroline Sarah Villiers
“NU'MAN really got under my skin in a positive way. The sound effect were ingenious and huge thank u to instrumentalists.”
Dr Emma Agusita, Senior Lecturer in Cultural Industries
“The performance was utterly moving, I think everyone was in tears! It was so compelling. The work you’ve done with the group is incredible and immensely important.”
Our Team
People who took part in our projects:
Olya Maslova, Ruweydo Abdalla, Muhab Elfidail, Ebrima Fofana, Wegahta Aregawi, Wajeeha Fatima, Najma Yusuf, Morgan Boyce, Lottie Hutton, Eva Spence, Immie Scott, Alice Pfeffer, Gia Hajilambi, Oliver Mitchell, Leilani Turner, Duncan Bennett, Renata Mendes, Rhys Polis-Smith, Clara Hoehlmueller, Bri Brady, Milo Cluett, Joe Ryan, Josh Hansell-Wright, Cele Allen, Isak Salihbegovic, Matthew Neligan, Neda Salamat Ravandi, Nazanin Mohammadi, Youssef Mahros, Amirali Ahsant, Dembo Jagana, Mohammad Saeed Al-Sabagh, Moqadas Zurmaty, Huda Hassan, Younis Ahmed, Abdullahi Hussain, Fahrudin Salihbegovic, Hannah Kew, Özcan Ateş, Laura Wilson, Mircea Mutulescu, Lu Bristow, Soroush Abadi, Tam Kent, Rachel Eames, Dillan Pusey, and many more.
Permanent Team Members
Renata Mendes
Co-Director and Producer
Renata Mendes is a Brazilian Bristol-based actor and writer whose distinctive voice is shaped by an international career in psychology, academia, and the arts. She holds a Master’s in Public Health and PhD in Sociology and Anthropology. Renata recently graduated with First Class Honours in Drama and Acting from UWE Bristol, where she was also awarded the Drama Prize for Outstanding Contribution to Drama. Her training spans classical, contemporary, and devised performance, and she brings depth, nuance, and intellectual rigour to her work. Passionate about socially engaged storytelling, physical theatre, and roles that explore identity, memory, and transformation, Renata draws on her multicultural background and multilingual fluency (English, Portuguese and French) to connect with diverse audiences. She thrives in collaborative, ensemble-led environments – on stage or on screen.
Soroush Abadi
Visual Artist
Soroush Abadi is an artist and graphic designer. He works with the Bristol Sanctuary Theatre on set and visual design for their performances. For Noman’s Land, Soroush created illustrations that were projected onto the screen. He is also working on the visual identity of the company. Soroush is skilled in child-focused visual storytelling and has illustrated several books for children in Iran.
Fahrudin Salihbegovic
Artistic Director
Fahrudin (Nuno) is a theatre-maker, digital scenographer, and academic whose work explores the intersection of performance and emerging technologies. He is currently a Wallscourt Fellow in Performance and Performance Technologies at UWE Bristol and co-founder of the Studio for Electronic Theatre. With a practice grounded in both research and creation, Nuno has directed theatre productions, designed digital scenographies, and developed multimedia installations for museums and galleries. His works were performed and exhibited in, amongst others: London (Royal Opera House, Roundhouse, Institute of Contemporary Arts, Tate Britain, Queen’s House, National Maritime Museum), Cambridge (Cambridge University Concert Hall), Birmingham (mac), Newcastle (Culture Lab), Amsterdam (STEIM), Berlin (La Giraffe), Sarajevo (SARTR), Belgrade (VUK), Novi Sad (Serbian National Theatre), Nicosia (Side Streets) and Bologna (ifsARTS).
Özcan Ateş
Composer
Özcan Ateş is a rare master of the bağlama, the long-necked lute central to Turkish and Kurdish folk traditions. Born in Turkey and now based in Bristol, Ateş has performed widely across the UK, including with the Dovetail Orchestra, and is known for his deeply expressive playing and teaching. His music blends traditional Anatolian melodies with his own compositions, shaped by years of listening, repetition, and emotional resonance. Drawn from an early age to the melancholy in folk songs, his intimate performances are rich with feeling—meditations on memory, longing, and identity. A unique voice in the UK’s folk landscape, Ateş invites audiences into a musical world both ancient and deeply personal.