Ambassador programmes
IMIX runs two lived experience ambassador programmes each year for people with lived experience of being a migrant or refugee who feel ready to tell their story and want to grow in confidence speaking to the media. For many, this is the first step in growing into leadership positions and becoming significant sector spokespeople. IMIX has a growing network with over 70 media spokespeople from the sector which has grown out of the ambassador programmes.
Refugee Week
Refugee Week is the world’s largest arts and culture festival celebrating the creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary. Every year thousands of events take place nationally and internationally including local events, participatory activities and media campaigns to explore why people seek refuge and the experiences they have on this journey.
Refugee Week UK is facilitated by Counterpoints Arts who support the arts by and about refugees and migrants.
IMIX has worked closely with Counterpoints Arts for the last six years to run the Refugee Week Ambassador programme to provide training, mentoring and coaching to people from refugee backgrounds to be the festival’s representatives in digital spaces and in the media. Ambassadors attend online training sessions, in-person days, and receive mentoring and guidance from IMIX’s team of communications specialists. They also build up relationships with each other and are able to network with other organisations within the sector. We work with the ambassadors to film and photograph them in a way in which they feel comfortable and confident. Liaising closely with the group we produce content which can be used on social media in the run up to Refugee Week and ensure their voices are central to the festival.
Each ambassador is pitched to the media and coached through the process of preparing for an interview with a journalist, as well as receiving follow-up support. The ambassadors have received excellent media coverage including in the Evening Standard, Metro, BBC, Sky News, The Guardian and local news outlets. This programme enables lived experience spokespeople to grow in confidence, and authority in their messaging and campaigning.
International Migrants Day
International Migrants Day is a unique opportunity to celebrate the millions of people who migrate worldwide and consider the challenges they face as well as the experience, knowledge and skills which they can bring to their new communities.
Over the last three years IMIX has been partnering with International Organisation of Migration UK (IOM UK) to train and mentor ambassadors from migrant backgrounds to share their stories and speak to the media about their experiences. The programme is facilitated in a similar way to the Refugee Week Ambassador Programme with a combination of online training, one-to-one mentoring and in-person days. The face-to-face sessions provide the opportunity for networking, further input from the IMIX team and the collection of photos and video footage. Press coverage is then secured for each ambassador. IOM UK and IMIX also work with a range of partners in the sector to promote International Migrants Day, ensuring messaging remains consistent and that the campaign has a wide audience reach. Interest and engagement has increased in recent years due to this partnership, the role of the ambassadors and the media work which has drawn in new audiences to this significant, annual celebration.
Interested in becoming an ambassador?
Get in touch if you are interested in becoming an ambassador on one of our future programmes.