Renata Mendes is the founder of Bristol Sanctuary Theatre, a community-led company that supports refugees and migrants by creating a platform for joint artistic expression and co-creation. Bristol Sanctuary Theatre helps its community with integration and healing through the creation of original theatre works.
About the project
Bristol Sanctuary Theatre began when Renata, a UWE Bristol Drama and Acting student with a background in psychology and anthropology, connected her own experiences as an immigrant with the challenges faced by refugees and migrants in Bristol. Working with Dr Fahrudin Salihbegovic, who had been supporting refugees and migrants through drama, Renata witnessed people flourish through the art.
“I met a bunch of lovely people who are refugees and migrants, so for them it’s even harder… I say, what can we do here? What can we create?”
From there, Bristol Sanctuary Theatre was born, a Community Interest Company (CIC) with support from UWE Bristol’s Student Ventures programme.
Partnership in action
As Bristol proudly holds Sanctuary City status and UWE Bristol is a University of Sanctuary, Bristol Sanctuary Theatre builds on this foundation of welcome and support. The project brings together UWE Bristol, which provides academic support and student involvement through the Drama and Acting programme, alongside City of Bristol College, which engages refugee and migrant students in creative work. Bristol Beacon hosts performances and provides a platform for voices to be heard, while Bristol Refugee Festival helps connect the work with wider community initiatives.
In June, the company delivered a powerful performance at Bristol Beacon featuring refugee students from City of Bristol College alongside UWE students.
“We performed a play at Bristol Beacon about refugees with refugees, they are students at Bristol College … (it was a) really beautiful achievement for us, with very, very positive feedback… the audience cried and laughed so it was really yeah fulfilling our heart I would say.”
Aims and impact
Bristol Sanctuary Theatre creates a safe, inclusive space where cultural differences are celebrated rather than sidelined. Through storytelling and creative expression, the project challenges harmful narratives about refugees and migrants whilst providing opportunities for skill development and artistic growth. At its core, the work builds connections between diverse communities across Bristol, fostering understanding and respect. “The most important value we want to create,” Renata emphasises, “is a community that can accept the difference.”
Building confidence and capability
UWE’s Student Ventures programme has been instrumental in developing the enterprise. “Of course, there’s the budget,” Renata notes. “But also, and I think it’s the most important, were the mentors.”
The support helped Renata develop a clear mission, vision, values, and business plan. “They never told me, do that. You should do that. They said, there’s all those ways and you can choose. So it was really a freedom of choices but educated choices.”
For Renata personally, studying Drama and Acting at UWE was “really a revelation.” She found her voice and creativity while being embraced by staff and students. “I was thinking, am I going to a university in England? It must be so hard. It was the opposite. It was super lovely. It’s an explosion of creativity.”
Next steps
Bristol Sanctuary Theatre is now expanding to work with adults who have creative arts backgrounds, creating what Renata calls “a point of trust for them to come.”
“Bristol Sanctuary Theatre that’s not theatre, it’s arts,” she says with excitement. “And I’m very excited, I think it’s going to be brilliant.”
Bristol Sanctuary Theatre’s vision is a UK cultural landscape where the voices of refugees and migrants are essential, not sidelined—reclaiming narratives and celebrating new voices through collaborative art.