Musicians and artists from Iran, Somalia, Syria and Afghanistan met members of the Arts Council at the their April Board meeting, which took place at the Duncairn Arts Centre in North Belfast. The artists are part of the Musicians Artists at Risk Resettlement Scheme (MARRS), a programme established in 2021 by Beyond Skin with support from the Arts Council and the wider arts, business, and community sectors, in response to the crisis in Afghanistan.
MARRS has since been extended to offer help to people from many other countries. To date it has supported over 200 adults and children wishing to engage in creative activities to assist with mental health, language skills and opportunities to meet other communities.