The Mental Health Foundation is seeking volunteers from refugee backgrounds to support our new two-year arts, oral history and heritage project: the Art of Family Life. 

The Art of Family Life 

This project will document the intangible cultural heritage of family practices within refugee communities in Scotland and explore how the connection to that heritage benefits personal and family wellbeing set against a background of displacement, intergenerational trauma, the hostile environment and finding hope and belonging.    

Working with the Scottish Oral History Centre at the University of Strathclyde and Common Ground at the Centre for Contemporary Arts, this programme of oral history collection and arts-based workshops will enable creative expressions of refugee family life to be documented, shared and celebrated publicly.   

The project will run over two phases – phase 1 (June to August ‘25) will focus upon oral history research and collection, and phase 2 (August ‘25 – June ‘26) will focus upon the delivery of arts-based workshops with refugee communities.  

Application Information 

We are seeking Glasgow based volunteers from refugee backgrounds who are interested in – 

• Developing learning and skills in oral history and community research 

• Different ways of researching and recording history 

• Human experience, relationships and stories 

• Developing learning and skills in arts and heritage  

• The connection between family, chosen community and mental health 

We are interested in hearing from people with lived and/ or intergenerational experience of forced displacement/ seeking refugee protection.  

We understand the barriers to committing time as a volunteer, especially for parents/ carers and people seeking asylum. Please note that we will work flexibly with volunteers to meet their access needs and interests. We will provide travel expenses, childcare support and e-voucher remuneration.  

How to Apply

Please download and read the volunteer role description and apply using our online submission form no later than end of Sunday 8th June. 

When you apply we will ask you to provide the following: 

• Your contact details 

• Confirmation that you can attend the necessary induction and training 

• What appeals to you about the project 

• What skills and experience you will bring to the project 

• Whether you would like to volunteer for some or all of the project (phase 1 and 2) 

• What support you may need to make volunteering accessible in this project 

• Contact details for a reference (this can be from previous work or voluntary experience)

Please also complete our Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form when you submit your proposal.

All eligible applicants will be contacted within 3 working days for an informal interview. If you have any questions about your application, require any language support or prefer to send an audio / video application, please contact Soizig Carey, Art of Family Life Project Officer on 01414 060 635 or scarey@mentalhealth.org.uk.

Cover Image
Artwork: Saffa Khan
Photography: ‘Aidilfitri 2014’ by Phalinn Ooi