Hear Me Out takes music-making into UK immigration detention centres to release the words, music and life stories of people held inside.
Young or old, resident or refugee, 28,000 people every year are locked in UK immigration detention centres with no end date. Their lives are stopped while authorities decide their fate. People who have fled torture have described detention as the worst experience of their lives. Meanwhile the detention system, and the experiences of detainees, is little understood by the public. Narratives around immigration are often fraught with anxiety and distrust, ignoring real lives, real experiences, and real human feeling.
We help people inside immigration detention centres to express their humanity through music – to air their losses and fears, their hopes and their dreams. And we help everyone outside to hear the music and understand the lives of people trapped inside. We’re working for the day when all migrants are treated with dignity.
Previously known as Music In Detention, for 15 years we have supported people in detention to recover their sense of wellbeing and resilience, and make their voices heard, by:
