Interactive exhibition offers into plight of refugees in Chichester and across the world
Sanctuary in Chichester and Children on the Edge joined forces for Refugee Week to put on a special ‘immersive experience’ last weekend.
The We Cannot Walk Alone exhibition at One-ofour the Hornet, the home of Revelation Family Church, attracted people of all ages from across the area.
Visitors viewed art created by refugees, wrote messages of welcome on a huge blackboard display and recorded messages of support to be shared with refugee children in Bangladesh.
They were also encouraged to add their fingerprints to a jasmine flower mural, the idea of a Syrian refugee in Chichester who explained how refugees have to give their fingerprints to cross borders or enter places like the UK.
Ben Wilkes, from Children on the Edge, said: “Many visitors told us that they often hear about refugee situations abroad on the news, and also the plight of refugees closer to home, but don’t link the two.
“They described how the exhibition helped them understand the journey as a whole.
“We’re glad our event was able to give some insight into what life is like for refugees both in Chichester and abroad in the many refugee camps that we work in.”
A full-sized, furnished tent was constructed in the entrance, to show the type of homes built by Syrian refugees in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon.
Visitors were able to learn about how Children on the Edge supports two refugee programmes in Lebanon and Uganda, and how it supports displaced people from Myanmar in both Kachin State and Bangladesh.
The exhibition highlighted the journey that many refugees take to find safety in the UK and wanted to show what life is like for them here in Chichester, while celebrating the richness they are bringing to the community.
Many refugee families came down to contribute refreshments and see their artwork on display.
Gemma Driver, from Sanctuary in Chichester, said: “The refugee and asylum seekers we support in Chichester often arrive in great need, having lost everything and suffered extreme trauma.
“Sanctuary in Chichester are committed to welcoming them and helping them to survive before supporting them to integrate and thrive in this area.
“Our refugee friends were incredibly generous in their support for the ‘We Cannot Walk Alone’ exhibition; sharing their artwork with us to display, cooking hundreds of delicious pastries and other treats to offer visitors and volunteering their time to help host the event and explain exhibits to visitors.
“The exhibition felt like a real community effort and it was wonderful for everyone to be a part of that.”