‘Seeking creative approaches to sanctuary’, HEAL Inaugural Conference

We hosted a powerful one‑day conference during Nottingham Refugee Week that explored how creativity can be a form of resistance against the UK’s hostile environment towards refugees and asylum seekers. Through a combination of talks, networking sessions and roundtables at Bonington Gallery in Nottingham, we brought together cultural practitioners, academics and community leaders to spark collective dialogue.

The day was structured around three core themes - Narratives, Environments and Leading the Conversation - with speakers including filmmakers, writers, editors and leaders from refugee-focussed initiatives. We were honoured to welcome a keynote from Distinguished Professor Yến Lê Espiritu, whose work deeply informed our discussions. Artists with lived experience opened and closed the event, culminating in a comedy show from the refugee-led collective No Direction Home.

Throughout, we shared lunch courtesy of Syrian Vegan Kitchen, emphasising the importance of nourishing both the body and the spirit as we built bridges of solidarity.

Received headline coverage on local news: BBC conference coverage

2023

Socially engaged creative practice, Learning and engagement

Collective members: Allan Njanji, Anna Ball, Margaret Ravenscroft

A group of people attending a presentation or seminar in an auditorium or gallery. A man is speaking at the front, holding a microphone, with two women standing beside him. Multiple artworks are displayed on the wall behind them. A large screen proje
A woman standing at a podium speaking into a microphone during a presentation or lecture, with a projection screen behind her displaying text and an image.
A person dressed in a leafy costume, holding a painted drum, standing on a stage with dark curtains, with an audience member visible in the foreground.
A presentation in a dark room with a large screen displaying text and images. There are three speakers standing in front of the screen, addressing an audience seated at tables.
People attending a presentation in a dark room with a large screen displaying a collage of images.
A woman speaking at a panel in front of a large screen with text, with two other panelists standing beside her, an audience seated in the foreground.
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A person giving a presentation in an art gallery with a large projection of a woman marching in a crowd on the wall behind them. The audience is seated at tables and in chairs, listening to the speaker.