COUNTRIES AND CULTURES MOVING BETWEEN PEOPLE

Bristol update - 06.10.26

Since 2013 Art Refuge has been running groups in Bristol for people who have been displaced, and during that time we have had the honour to work, collaborate with and be hosted by many organisations based in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire including BHN, Bristol University’s The Little Library, Home Office hotels, Trigger, Caravan Arts, Mitoshka Alcova, Shanika Yeomans, RWNS, Bristol City Council, CYN, Bristol Churches welcoming the people of Ukraine.

Dispersals from Home Office accommodation have gathered momentum over the last year, with many people being resettled outside of the local authority that they had built a life within, many being sent away from cities known for their diversity and capacity to meet the various needs of people escaping war, political and cultural oppression. In parallel, Art Refuge has responded to calls for collaboration in the North of England, namely Sheffield where longstanding members of the Art Refuge team and community are based.

In preparation for our pause, the map was carefully cleaned and hung out to dry in in the sun before being rolled up and handed over to our colleagues at Médecins du Monde Hauts-de-France in Dunkirk. Through the process of moving the map, we know that more people will be able to gather around it, imagine themselves inside it, and track theirs and others journeys through collective remembering and conversation.

Any Bristol related enquiries will be received through our general email address info@artrefuge.org.uk

Words by Sarah Robinson & Amy Wilson.

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