WATER DROPS ON A PETAL

Calais 15.04.2026

On the 3rd anniversary of the start of the civil war that is raging in Sudan, more reports are emerging about the horrifying scale of the war and dislocation. In the midst of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, millions of Sudanese citizens are displaced, some outside the country, forced from their homes.

Today we travelled once again to Calais. Arriving at @calais.exilessc we found it carefully organised in anticipation of the large community of young people who soon filled it for the afternoon, the vast majority from Sudan, and also South Sudan. Several told us that they come from war torn areas of Darfur and El-Fashir, some speaking of travelling hundreds of the miles of their journey by foot. Several of the 60 or so young people who joined The Community Table were as young as 14 or 15.

We set up the table in the main space, the clouds and green cloth providing the ground. As the day centre filled, so did the table. Multiple narratives were played out, some articulated to us and some between the young men themselves. There was a sense that the table, materials and curation were very well used. Above all, what struck us was just how willing the young men were to play, while we also noticed the care and friendship shown for eachother.

Today the table was rich with activity: knitting - ‘my sister taught me’; building houses & gardens; trying out the typewriter, mostly names & today’s date; attempting to build the tallest tower; playing with scale; working something through with postcards & miniature figures; requesting Charles Dickens be read aloud; wondering about what seasons feel like.

One slightly older young man wanted to talk about the table: this table is amazing, thank you for being here. Looking across at 3 teenage boys carefully building roofs & environments for their houses he commented: They need to de-stress, even when they have to go back to their difficulties, they will take this time away with him.

Bringing things down to something very small perhaps offers a moment or two of respite, like one young man’s wonder at the water drops on a flower’s petals as seen through the slide viewer.