Helping refugees and other displaced people establish new lives, regain hope, and contribute to the vitality of Connecticut’s communities.
Affiliated with Church World Service
& Episcopal Migration Ministries
Special Events
IRIS Events and Social Functions
World Refugee Day Celebration
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
5:00 – 9:00pm
Luce Hall
34 Hillhouse Avenue
New Haven, CT
Thank you to all our supporters and sponsors who made this year's World Refugee Day a success. The event recognizes the international day of awareness designated by the United Nations to honor refugees — persecuted people from around the world. Since 2006 IRIS has marked this great day by celebrating the arts and cultures of refugees.
This year, the centerpiece of IRIS's celebration was the premiere of Stories of a New America, an original play created and performed by Collective Consciousness Theatre with refugees resettling in New Haven, based on real-life resettlement experiences of refugees who came from Iraq, Afghanistan, the Congo, Chad, and other countries and now live in Greater New Haven.
In addition, World Refugee Day featured African drumming and dance, live music, visual art and photography, and an incredible spread of international food.
The event was presented with generous support from PIER (Programs in International Educational Resources) of the MacMillan Center at Yale University.
IRIS and Collective Consciousness Theatre thank the following sponsors of the event:
William Graustein
The Annie E. Casey Foundation/Casey Family Services
International Association of New Haven
Clothes without Borders is closing; or, as we would like to think, going into hibernation for the next two or three months. If the shop does reopen, it will reopen at another location; so stay tuned. Meanwhile, all of us at IRIS thank all of our customers and the amazing volunteers who helped set up the shop and run it for more than a year — thank you all for your support."
The Bill of Rights
Set to Music by Neely Bruce
Peformed October 7, 2010 at
Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School, New Haven
Thanks to all our friends who made this a special night!
Featuring Photo Montage by Andrew Hogan
To Do Right, video by Laki Vazakis
IRIS was proud to present The Bill of Rights, a choral singing of the first ten amendments of the Constitution of the United States of America. Connecticut composer Neely Bruce set The Bill of Rights to music in 2005, drawing from the “Shape Note” singing tradition (featured in the movie “Cold Mountain”). This dramatic and unusual piece is 30 minutes long and featured special guest readers of each amendment.
Following the benefit performance, “Desserts from Around the World” reception offered international coffees, teas, and sweets from many countries including Iraq, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Cuba—the homelands of many refugees at IRIS.
Proceeds from the performance benefited IRIS in its work to help refugees start new lives, regain hope, and contribute to the vitality of their community. For more information about IRIS programs and services, please call us at (203) 562-2095.
Special thanks to the Bill of Rights in Concert sponsors:
PRESENTER
Stratton Faxon
LEADERS
Anonymous
The Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut
ADVOCATES
The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Church World Service
Overseas Ministries Study Center
The Urology Center
FRIENDS
Arts on the Edge Wolfeboro, NH
Linda S. Barone
The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven
Anthony DiSalvo
Attorney Steven Mednick
South Congregational Church Middletown
United Way of Greater New Haven
Yale-New Haven Hospital
