Music, dancing and clothing as belonging and freedom among people seeking asylum in the UK

Abstract

This article explores how dancing, music and clothing provide vital modes of identification and freedom in the lives of people seeking asylum in the UK which are otherwise ostensibly marked by lack of choice. People who make a claim for asylum are accommodated in towns and cities around the UK under a compulsory dispersal system. The rapid emergence of new music leisure spaces demonstrates the importance of music and dancing for processes of settlement and negotiation of belonging. Music and ‘community’ events provide a safe space for clothing, music and dancing that visibly announce national, ethnic and cultural identities. Music events provide moments to engage as insiders in a world new refugees mostly experience as outsiders. Dancing may be an especially important way for refugees, who typically migrate without objects of material culture, to negotiate identity and to enjoy moments of freedom and individuality in the context of live that otherwise frequently feature powerlessness. The momentary nature of parties and the spontaneity of dancing allow for an ephemeral community manifestation within precarious, insecure lives.

Keywords:

• integration
• dance
• clothing
• immigration
• music
• refugees

Notes

1. People seeking asylum claim for protection under the 1951 Geneva Convention owing to a ‘well-founded fear of persecution’.

2. Before dispersal began, countries with high numbers of asylum applicants were not previously represented in significant numbers in Leeds. The exception to this is the 400 or more people born in Iran, Zimbabwe, Iraq and Former Yugoslavia (Census 2001). The census cannot reveal when people came or why, so it should not be assumed that all of these people are ‘refugees’. For example, Zimbabweans have entered the UK since 2001 as students or skilled migrants as well as through the asylum route.

3. This was doctoral research undertaken under a University of Hull Social Justice Ph.D. scholarship. The author is a native of Leeds and continues to attend ‘refugee community’ events. Insights drawn from these continuing experiences inform the analysis.