On Sunday evening, we had the pleasure of hosting Stories of Belonging: Voices of Migration as part of SA Refugee Week 2026.
Created for Adelaide’s Russian-speaking community and warmly embraced by many others, the evening brought together nearly 30 guests from a remarkable range of cultural backgrounds, including Russian, Ukrainian, Kazakh, Uzbek, Tajik, Croatian, Italian, Spanish, British, Canadian, and many others.
Together, we reflected on one simple question:
🏠 What does home mean to you?
We were privileged to hear the migration story of Sonia Michailov’s family, enjoy traditional food, and share meaningful conversations.
As always, our evening was completely alcohol-free.
Instead, it was filled with stories, music, laughter, conversation, friendship, and genuine human connection. In a world that often feels rushed and disconnected, it was a pleasure to see people of all ages and backgrounds simply spending time together, getting to know one another, and enjoying each other’s company.
The evening also featured a performance by the Prima Nota Collective. What began less than a year ago as a small group of enthusiastic singers has grown into a vibrant mixed choir of men and women, and we look forward to sharing more of their music with the community in the months ahead.
A special highlight of the evening was our interactive community map, conceived and created especially for this event by Adelaide-based international artist Vlada KNK. Guests shared their stories and migration journeys, creating a living portrait of our community.
Our heartfelt thanks to Australian Migrant Resource Centre for the opportunity to be part of SA Refugee Week 2026, and to Multicultural Communities Council of SA , the Alcohol and Drug Foundation team, Olga T., Lucy Bodnar, and Terra Fiera Studio for helping make the evening possible.
Most importantly, thank you to everyone who joined us. Despite the cold winter evening, you filled the room with warmth, friendship, laughter, and connection. ❤️
