This exhibition was created by members of Migrants Organise.
Migrants Organise was established in 1993 by migrant and refugee leaders in North Kensington to provide a platform for refugees and migrants to organise for power, dignity and justice to enable meaningful inclusion and integration. We combine advice and support for individuals affected by the hostile environment immigration policies with community organising, advocacy, research and campaigning to help dismantle structural racism.
Our big vision is an inclusive and welcoming society with a fair immigration system based on principles of dignity, justice, welcome and action. Our mission is to create a platform with migrants and refugees and our allies to act together for justice and dignity. We will build a movement that delivers change.
Hope 2024 highlights the work produced by our members during their regular weekly classes in Art and Creative Writing (facilitated by Mishael Downer), Gardening (facilitated by Sara El Sheekh) and Storytelling (facilitated by CJ). These classes have been supported by the RBKC Arts Grants Scheme and Turning Point and the exhibition is funded by the K+C Foundation.
Our members have worked hard over the past few months coming together to share their creativity and to find purpose in their day, in Hope for a brighter future and in an environment of respect, community and love for all. Our members are very proud to share these creative works that express what ‘Hope’ means to them. We hope that you will join us in remembering that all voices are valuable and that we all need a little Hope in our lives.
Storytelling
Art and chat
Women´s
Gardening group
“Our garden, recently named ‘Resilience Garden’ is a nurturing space which we created together, we look after the plants and after each other too. We support each other through hardship and celebrate good news when they happen, such as someone’s son being granted a visit visa, someone receiving their refugee status, or a new baby!”
Over the past 6 months, a group of Migrants Organise members has been working with a professional storyteller, CJ, to create stories on the theme of hope.
In this safe and welcoming space, members have had the opportunity to develop their creativity and practice public speaking. The group has been exploring how we can use characters from the natural world, such as the sun, moon, fire and water, to comment on human life and experience.
In terms of the theme of Hope, they have explored it in the following way:
Moses: Hope as the birth of new opportunities
Wilson: Hope as the desire to belong (but broken hope at the rejection of not being included)
Pham: Hope as Freedom
Fen: Hope as Community and Bringing People Together
Our art and chat group has been active for almost a year now! Most members did not have any art and craft experience before joining the group. With his interesting themes, insightful conversations and good music, Mish (activity facilitator) has encouraged everyone to use their imagination without the fear of being judged. Over the weeks, members have experimented with ink, paint, pens, and pencils (among other things) to creatively express what hope means to them. Over time, this group has also become a warm and friendly peer-support group, where members can share their worries with each other and find the strength and energy to move forward all together.
The women’s gardening group at Migrants Organise is a space to connect, grow, eat and cultivate resilience and hope. The garden is located outside the Migrants Organise office. The space used to be full of concrete and overgrown plants. Passerbys used to throw rubbish there and now they stop and admire what we grow.
In under a year, the group has completely transformed the space. They brought in containers and filled them with soil. They took out the weeds, turned over the earth and planted herbs, vegetables and flowers.
In full bloom last summer we had oregano, chilis, green beans, lavender, sunflowers, corn, potatoes, tomatoes, rosemary, mint, aubergines, basil, thyme, and more!
The women did many other things such as cooking, painting, making creams and sawing wood to make a compost bin and signs for our vegetables. They also went on little adventures in the neighbourhood and visited community gardens for tea and inspiration.
The gardening sessions are so important because they also give women the agency to have their own space and reclaim land to grow their own food, which is especially meaningful as migrants.
The garden is still in its early stages, and we are learning as we grow but we have already seen the healing and empowering benefits of having this little green space for Migrants Organise members, many of whom live in hotels or NASS accommodation with no garden or access to green space.
Migrants Organise was established in 1993 by migrant and refugee leaders in North Kensington, London to provide capacity building and assistance to new arrivals. We have since evolved into a national organisation combining community organising and movement building with advocacy, mentoring and services.
Migration is a fact of life. Instead of resisting it, let’s organise it.