To mark International Refugee Week 2020, which this year has “Imagine” as its theme, we are partnering with artist-led initiative Distanced Assemblage to run a project inviting women of all ages to create a paper lantern house to share their solidarity with refugees and asylum seekers during these difficult times generated by the current Covid-19 pandemic.
Many refugees and asylum seekers have been displaced from their accommodations in Glasgow due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Moreover, financial support has been stopped and replaced with communal meals, eaten alongside others despite the risk this represents to their health both physical and mental.
Sadly, such measures have become commonplace across the world amid the Coronavirus outbreak. Moreover, due to restrictions imposed across Europe, support groups and officials are struggling to provide food and shelter for migrants and asylum seekers sleeping outdoors. Many refugees are now more vulnerable than ever, living without proper sanitation and food shortages.
We believe that connected communities are more resilient against political and global adversities and small creative actions can have an enormous positive impact in the awareness, visibility and tackling of social problems in order to bring change. Please join this small, creative act of solidarity and be part of this project during the International Refugee Week 2020.
Workshop and resources are available to download from this the Distanced Assemblage website. You can download and print the template or draw the template out yourself with the measurements provided.
Once you’ve created it, display your lantern house in your home – ideally the window sill – during the Refugee Festival Week from Mon 15th June to Friday 21st June. If you’re on social media, you can share a photograph of your lantern house with the hashtags #ImageLamp and #RefugeeWeek2020 and tag @womenslibrary. You can also send a copy to Distanced Assemblage distancedassemblage@gmail.com, and the creatives will share your photo in the online gallery.
This activity is open to all and there is no need to book. If you have any questions about the project, please contact syma.ahmed@womenslibrary.org.uk
You can download workshops and resources from the website link above. A number of art packs have also been put together to be sent to those who can’t access the resources online. Please get in touch with syma.ahmed@womenslibrary.org.uk if you or your group would like a pack.