Participation: Oxford project welcomes Palestinian refugees

The group of four young men and four young women aged 13 to 16 from Ramallah will be involved in a project at the Pegasus Theatre, focusing on the history of Oxford.

The project will involve local school pupils and will culminate in a performance at the venue for relatives and friends.

The visit - organised by the Oxford-Ramallah Friendship Association - will give the Palestinians an opportunity to escape their troubled lives and mix with young people from another culture.

The group will also take part in a separate show involving local community groups and bands with ticket sales raising money for future visits. A spokeswoman for the Pegasus Theatre said: "It's a chance for them to get away from very hard circumstances within a refugee camp - it's a new experience mixing with other young people and they can learn from each other."