Press

The Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/gallery/2009/jan/13/sense-of-belonging-exhibition?picture=341562670

Derby Evening Post
http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/news/Experience-life-fleeing-refugee/article-604583-detail/article.html

HAT news:

http://www.hatnews.org/2009/01/03/a-sense-of-belonging-exhibition/

Nottingham Evening Post
http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/news/Art-Sense-Belonging-Nottingham-Trent-University-s/article-618914-detail/article.html

Private view

A great turnout last night and a lively opening with lots of nice conversations, music, a drama performance and all the artists on hand to talk about their stunning works. Some low-res pictures here to give some flavour. Remember, show runs for another two weeks!

Sense of Belonging Exhibition Images

There are now some of Aria Ahmed's photos of the exhibit at the Bonington Gallery online at: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/ss/global_refugees/Photo_exhibition/index.htm#5

Please visit the exhibit!

A sense of belonging regional exhibition

Press Launch: Friday 9th January between 2pm - 3pm.
Private View: Friday 16th January between 5pm - 9pm
January 2009

Exhibition to explore refugees sense of belonging

An exciting new collaborative arts exhibition is to open at the Bonington Gallery in Nottingham in the new year.
Sense of Belonging will showcase the work of emerging exiled artists as well as work created out of participatory arts initiatives, and will explore the concept of belonging for refugees and asylum seekers in the East Midlands.
Using film, sculpture, mixed media textiles, painting, photography, music and performance the artists, both individually and collectively, synthesize issues of cultural identity, displacement, relationships to surroundings, personal reflections on the process of exile and belonging with a celebration of the rich cultural contributions refugees and asylum seekers bring to cities and communities.
The exhibition represents the perilous journeys people make to reach freedom both physically and emotionally, the places left behind and what makes people feel a sense of belonging a sense of being home away from home
The viewer is presented with a rare opportunity to witness the double consciousness of transnational belonging, where art may be used as a tool for social and political activism.
The exhibition includes contributions from visual artists Aria Ahmed, Jasim Ghafur and Thaer Ali; sculptors Obediar Madziva and Emmanuel Changunda; filmmaker and musician Gaylan Nazhad; and several community arts organisations Charnwood Arts in Loughborough; City Arts in Nottingham; Long Journey Home; and Soft-Touch Arts in Leicester.
The exhibition will be open from 9 to 30 January 2009, Mon- Friday from 10am to 5pm and Saturday 10th, 17th and 24th, 10am to 4pm.

For media enquiries contact:
Hannah Baldwin, Head of PR, T: 01509 222239, E: H.E.Baldwin@lboro.ac.uk

Beyond Borders website

Diversity Pool also luanched the new website http://www.beyondbordersuk.com/ Please have a look and register if you are (a) a new arrival in the East Midlands who works with the arts, however defined (b) someone who works with new arrivals and asylum seekers using participatory or community arts techniques (c) are interested in the relationship between arts, research and participation. The website has been designed by Charnwood Arts/Cuttlefish and is administered by Kevin and Anthony, who will oversee its use. We hope it becomes a valuable hub for connecting people in the East Midlands

Diversity Pool

A few brief comments on today's event: well attended by programmers, some really nice art on display, some super performances and films, great venue, good food. An all round success! Well, at least we hope people go away with positive experiences, new contacts and ideas for future events and collaborations. Well done to all, especial thanks to City Arts for organising so effectively (Alma and Gaylan ran affairs really nicely, so a special thanks to them).

Arts of cities (may be of interest!)

LONDON GROUP OF HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHERS

Seminar Programme, Spring Term 2009

“Arts of Cities” (co-convened by David Pinder, QMUL)

20th January – Luke Dickens (Royal Holloway, University of London), ‘These are a few of my favourite fiends: post-graffiti, art worlds and the city’

3rd February – Ian Walker (Newport School of Art, Media and Design), ‘City gorged with dreams: surrealism and urban photography in Paris, London and Prague’

17th February – Rachel Lichtenstein (Artist, writer and oral historian), ‘Memory embedded in place: exploration of city streets’

3rd March – Esther Leslie (Birkbeck, University of London), ‘On cold climates’

24th March – Jane Rendell (Bartlett, University College London), ‘Critical spatial practice: site-writing’

These seminars are held on Tuesdays at 5pm in the Wolfson Room at the Institute of Historical Research, Senate House, University of London. For further details, contact David Lambert, Royal Holloway (01784 443640) or Miles Ogborn, Queen Mary (020 7882 5407). We are grateful to Queen Mary, Royal Holloway, Kings, UCL, Birkbeck, the Open University, Sussex University the Historical Geography Research Group of the RGS/IBG and the IHR for supporting this series.