Fun and sun – building community as part of the research process

On a beautiful summer day in May, participants and researchers met in the park to enjoy each other’s company in a local park.

Bergen is a rainy city, located between seven mountains on the western coast of Norway. The warmth and sun of summer is therefore always highly appreciated. We set up a barbeque in a local park and ambassador Hamid had prepared chicken kebabs, grilled vegetables, and Arabic bread for all. Researchers Masego, Milfrid and Marte brought salads, rice, and sweets. Soon the delicious smell of spices and grilled chicken spread in the park – and we spotted envious looks from people sharing the park with us this day.

Due to corona restrictions participants had only met in smaller groups for art workshops. Many met for the first time, knowing that they will meet again at future workshops and activities. For most, it was also the first time to meet such a large group since lockdown on the 12th of march in 2020. Ambassadors Hamid and Ajantha had planned activities to make sure that everyone had fun, felt welcome and included in the group. We played ball games, team building and challenging games of all kinds. We rolled on the grass, giggled and laughed all the way! We felt ‘drawn together’ like a community.