Croydon Young Roots 19/11/24
It was the coldest day of the year so far, and we were delighted to hear that the heating had been turned on for our weekly session with @weareyoungroots in Croydon supporting young people living in nearby asylum hotels. We were warmly welcomed in by some of the young men and the volunteers and our tables had already been set up for us, with the addition of the large extra table that we added last week.
We set The Community Table up with printed images of cinemas from various countries, plasticine and the thermal camera. People quickly gathered around the table, reaching for the colourful plasticine and expertise in sculpting rapidly emerged around the table. Bulls, horses, camels and a car appeared and we photographed these against photographic backdrops.
A group of 3 men from Sudan sat at the corner of the table, working together to build a car. One man made the wheels, another the base of the car, the other made the body. There was a calm sense of collaboration and the men were smiling as they spoke with one another.
One young man from Sudan made a person pushing a wheelbarrow. He talked about how he used to transport heavy loads of water in this wheelbarrow for his family.
The Eritrean volunteer picked up one of the printed images of a cinema, saying; ‘This cinema is in Asmara, it’s literally a ten minute drive from my grandparents house.’ We talked about how the stories and connections made with the images bring them to life. The volunteer from Sierra Leone said, ‘this is the best table here, you can just come here and you don’t have to say anything.’
We thought about how the tactile property of the plasticine gives people a way of connecting through touch. It feels valuable to continue bringing a 3D element, perhaps with elements which lend themselves to storytelling and place.
Words by Thomas Etheridge & Katie Miller.
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