About us
We believe every person has inherent worth and dignity. That does not change when someone flees their home in search of safety. Behind every headline about refugees is a person with a story worth hearing. Too often those stories are lost in a debate about numbers, but the way we talk about refugees can change. Most people in Britain want a system that is fair and humane, and they are the people we exist to reach.
Odyssey Ensemble is a professional musical collective that carries the real-life stories of refugees, told in their own words, to audiences across the UK. With refugee poets, filmmakers and musicians, we create concerts, films and experiences that stay with people long after the music ends, inspiring empathy and respect for the dignity of every refugee.
Facts rarely change minds on a subject this charged. Encounters do. Music creates space to listen, so our audiences meet a person rather than a statistic. Whether in a concert hall, on a screen, or in a classroom, that encounter stays with people, and they carry the conversation on with family, friends and colleagues. Over time, the wider story begins to shift.
Our concerts reach audiences who might never attend a refugee event. Online, our work reaches people who would never choose a concert, and in state schools, young people hear these stories and make up their own minds. We also bring refugee artists together with those who shape policy. The music is the means. The change is the point.
OUR VISION
A Britain that recognises the humanity in every refugee.
OUR MISSION