Being so far removed from the conflict zones, it’s sometimes hard to really understand the struggles asylum seekers and refugees face, Miranda Brockman says.
But Ms Brockman, a cellist and Ballan resident, is on a mission to change that. She recently co-founded the Refugee Realities Project, which aims to raise awareness about the plights of refugees and asylum seekers.
“A group of us were concerned about the way our government is treating refugees coming to Australia,” Ms Brockman says.
“We wanted to be clear that we welcome refugees, and we want to work towards making our community a place that would ultimately welcome some refugees.”
Ms Brockman will host a cello concert in Ballan this weekend. She says it will be an opportunity for people to light a candle, “enter into their own internal space, and feel uplifted”.
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra cellist says she wanted to share the effective sounds of the cello with the Ballan community.
Ms Brockman will be playing a range of music from classical composers, including Johann Sebastian Bach.
“Every human being has an inherent dignity, and one of the basic human rights is to be able to live safely,” Ms Brockman says.
“I can’t imagine the horrors that people are running away from.”
The concert will start at 7.30pm on Saturday, November 12, at St Paul’s Uniting Church, corner of Inglis and Windle streets. Tickets cost $25 and can be bought at trybooking.com/MSSC.
Details: 5368 2325
