We recently attended the opening of the “We Are Here” exhibition, a collection of artwork and photography curated by Anahita and the team at Community Arts Box in Brixton, showcasing the voices and journeys of people with lived experience of forced displacement and seeking asylum. Our London Risers Programme Manager Josie worked on a photography project with several of our young people - check it out below!

“We Are Here”

“"We are here” is an intimate exploration into the journey and experience of refugees, showcasing art, poetry, installations and music by the global refugee community. This exhibition visually unfolds to express who these people are, who they were in their home country and the arduous journey to where they are now. Drawing on stories that chronicle the past and the pains of the present, the works illuminate the strength and resilience of these communities to stand steadfast in the face of adversity.

Words from Community Arts Box Founder Anahita on Instagram (@communityartsbox).

In front of Josie and our young people’s “In Their Words” exhibit.

“In Their Words” Photography Exhibit

“Handing back the narrative. It is time they tell their own stories. For political & safety reasons not all subjects can freely show their identity.” - Josie

Our London Risers Programme Manager Josie worked on a beautiful photography project (pictured to the left) featuring seven graduates of the programme. The exhibit featured portraits of the young people accompanied by important words and messages that they chose to display alongside their photograph (see below).

We asked Josie to tell us more about the “We are Here” exhibition in her own words:

“We wanted to create a space where people could come in and experience those personal stories and see refugees and asylum seekers in a different way from how we're used to seeing them in the media. For me, doing things like this and telling stories in this way, is a way to fight right wing media and give a different option for narrative and one which they control themselves.

The messages that our young people wrote to accompany their photographs.

The point of the exhibition was to show asylum seekers and refugees as an equal part of our society, people with talent, people with stories, people who we should be listening to. It's not how you often see asylum seekers or refugees portrayed. And I think that's the main thing, this exhibition is way more creative, it's way more joyful. And it's just showing them as equals, which they are.

It's like what Goitum said: "People only pay attention to who the spotlight is on". And by participating in artwork, we are shining the spotlight on stories of people who have gone through the asylum seeking process in the UK. And I truly believe that's the only way to change the narrative around the predominantly right wing media that we're used to seeing. So I think spaces like this are incredibly important. And there's not enough of them.”

An opportunity to shine a light on forgotten conflicts

Our recent Risers Graduate Goitom was not only involved in Josie’s photography project, but also here as a spokesperson for the Tigray Youth Network (TYN), a collective whose goal is to raise awareness about the forgotten, but still ongoing Tigray Genocide.

Goitum gave a powerful speech about the spotlight effect of mainstream media, urging the crowd to demonstrate the same level of empathy that they have to refugees from Syria and Ukraine, for example, to populations from Afghanistan, Eritrea, and Sudan, to name but a few.

“We are here - that's pretty much it. […] Through art we can tell the story, through art we can tell that we are poets, we are humans with a story, we are here.”

Please check out @tigrayyouthnetwork on Instagram and their website for more information.

Don’t miss Community Arts Box’s important exhibition downstairs at The Department Store - only open until March 28th, from 10-5pm!! For more info see here.