Sold-out screening for My Story, Our Future film

Participants from the My Story, Our Future project recently showcased a film about their experiences of moving to Scotland to a sold-out crowd as part of Refugee Festival Scotland 2026.  

The My Story, Our Future project was launched in September 2025 as part of a collaboration between ESOL Scotland, the University of Glasgow and Keep Scotland Beautiful's Our Heritage, Our Future programme. Participants at the fortnightly workshops explored Glasgow’s history through visits to heritage sites and skills training in heritage research.  

Months of hard work culminated with the production of a short film, entitled Different Backgrounds and Memories, supported by Glasgow Film School. Participants were presented with certificates of participation during the celebration that followed the film screening at Glasgow Women's Library. 

The film was produced as part of the Sharing Heritage Stories unit of the Certificate in Cultural Heritage, Keep Scotland Beautiful's accredited training programme.

The event celebrated the heritage of Scotland’s migrant community with attendees sharing food, ceilidh dancing and trying their hands at Arabic calligraphy. Attendees described the event as ‘inspiring’, ‘uplifting’ and ‘heartwarming’ and stated that it provided a great insight into the diverse experiences of refugees. 

Helena Fox, Our Heritage, Our Future Project Officer, said: "It's been an absolute pleasure supporting the creation of this wonderful film over the past few months and I'm delighted to see it get the recognition it deserves.

"Our Heritage, Our Future seeks to celebrate the many facets of our country's heritage and it's crucial we keep ensuring that everyone feels able to access, record and share stories and ideas.

"I'm so happy that our collaborators have enjoyed this project and that it is resonating with the wider public. Our participants moving onto similar projects demonstrates the success of the project and they have truly been at the heart of it."

Bria Trosclair, University of Glasgow PhD researcher, said: “This film premiere showcased the connections and joys that are possible when we tell stories that are meaningful to us and listen when others share theirs. As a researcher, it’s been an honour to work alongside everyone in the My Story, Our Future project for the past ten months, to see this hard work come together, and to dream of further possibilities for sharing heritage narratives that push beyond borders, languages, and nationalities.” 

John Weeks, Development Worker at ESOL Scotland, said: “We’ve enjoyed the collaboration between everyone involved: the participants, the workshop leaders, and the venues we’ve visited throughout the year. The project fostered a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for the participants to explore ideas around storytelling and gave them an opportunity to learn the skills they wanted. Many of them are now joining another film-making project! A big thank you to Keep Scotland Beautiful, and University of Glasgow for funding projects like these.” 

Click here to find out more about our Cultural Heritage Award and how the Our Heritage, Our Future project can support your community to develop new skills.  

Our Heritage, Our Future is made possible with funding from Historic Environment Scotland and The National Lottery Heritage Fund, with thanks to National Lottery players.