Home-City Spaces of Care
Networks of solidarity and belonging for refugees and asylum seekers in London and beyond
This creative research project is a collaboration between Stories & Supper, Phosphoros Theatre and Olivia Sheringham (an academic researcher in cultural geography and social justice based at Birkbeck University of London). Working with refugees and people seeking asylum, the project seeks to explore different ways of understanding and practising ‘care’ in the context of hostile immigration policies and an ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
Through a series of creative workshops – including activities such storytelling, drama, mapping, zine-making and textiles – we will play, think, and explore what care, home and belonging mean for people who have lived experience of the UK’s asylum system and how we might imagine more caring and care-full futures shaped by solidarity and connection.
What does it involve?
A series of participatory, creative workshops in London and a weekend project ‘retreat’ outside London focused on the themes of care, home and belonging in the city. The sessions will provide space to explore the project themes in multiple ways – through discussions, storytelling, drama, mapping, zine-making, textiles - as well as time to build connections with others, learn new skills and have fun. They will be facilitated by practitioners from Stories & Supper, Phosphoros theatre and by Olivia Sheringham.
What will the outcomes be?
Learning from and with refugees and people seeking asylum, the project will develop new knowledge and resources to challenge dominant mainstream narratives around refugees and asylum seekers. The workshops will also involve the creation of resources/artworks/exhibits which we will share through events and workshops with schools in Waltham Forest, at the Stories & Supper allotment and the Migration Museum. We will also plan activities to contribute to Refugee Week and the Migration Matters festival in Sheffield in 2025.
What are the benefits of the project?
The project will provide welcoming spaces for participants to work creatively together and to share ideas and experiences on their own terms. Participants will have the opportunity to help shape the project and outcomes, and they will develop new skills in creative practices, including drama, mapping, zine-making, textiles and more. There will be opportunities for people with lived experience to take a leading role in activities and help facilitate workshops in schools and other public events. Participants will also have the chance to make new friends, expand their networks and have fun.
Ultimately the project aims to develop fuller understandings of the experiences, practices and knowledge of care for refugees and people seeking asylum in London. Through creating resources and new knowledge about care, home and belonging, it seeks to challenge negative narratives surrounding refugees and migrants in the UK and to foster solidarity and welcome
If you would like to get involved or want to find out more, contact Olivia Sheringham at: o.sheringham@bbk.ac.uk.