In partnership with the American International Church (AIC), we delivered a series of printmaking workshops for refugees who have recently arrived in central London. A shared meal followed each session, creating a welcoming community space.
We connected with the AIC this year through a mentorship programme at Google’s St. Pancras Square campus. The programme was organised by Camden Giving, and through it, we received a grant to address ‘crisis’ in the borough. AIC was already running a vital soup kitchen programme that provided food to refugees, and we wanted to expand on their excellent work, to make the engagement more sustained. We therefore organised an activity before the meal, to give people a chance to explore their skills and connect with one another.
We transformed the church’s ‘Sanctuary’ into a creative hub, offering workshops that delved into diverse artistic processes: orizomegami, paper marbling, stencilling, screen printing, cyanotyping and gyotaku. Later, as part of the Fitzrovia Fete, we extended the creative fun with Gelli plate printing. The format meant that at 4pm, participants and a group of enthusiastic volunteers joined us for a 90-minute session. We provided all the materials needed for them to learn and experiment with each technique before gathering for a communal meal. The food was a feast of flavours – Greek specialities from the local market, home-cooked delights from the church’s own culinary talents, and Indian food from the nearby YMCA. This shared experience of creating and eating together was a powerful way to foster both stimulation and connection.
“
We need much more of this. I am an artist with so many ideas, and learning these new processes allows me to explore that”
Jessie, participant
Every creative process explored a different theme and presented unique opportunities. For example, Orizomegami is a very mathematical and structured process. This makes it a great icebreaker for a new group because the initial steps involve simply following instructions. The opportunity for experimentation comes at the very end of the process, once the group has had time to build up their confidence.
While the stencil-making and screen-printing workshops gave participants a chance to express themselves in a language that felt comfortable to them, using symbols, some examples included the Om sign or church spires from the city they were originally from. The result was a keepsake T-shirt, a visible and poignant piece of self-expression for refugees trying to put down roots in a new community.
Our program, which was originally funded by Camden Giving, has been a success. We’re pleased to announce that the project will continue with a new grant directly from the council. This new funding will allow us to expand our reach beyond the immediate area and provide a travel budget to help refugees from other parts of Camden attend and benefit from our workshops. We plan to exhibit the work from these workshops at the church at some point in the future.
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