More in Common: WAST exhibition
Women in our network will be exhibiting new work in an exhibition at HOME gallery as part of Horizon’s Festival.
Taking place during Refugee Week Horizon’s 2025 responds to the theme ‘More in Common, Uniting Communities Through Art, Music and Culture.
More in Common acknowledges the brave people who advocate for unity in times of division, celebrating those who strive for justice, equity and reconciliation across the nations, whose work is deeply rooted in a belief in our collective humanity. More in Common pays tribute to the people, artists, and groups building bridges, creating connections, nurturing and growing communities, and challenging hate and despair. We have more in common than that which divides us.
Across a series of five visual arts workshops linked to the festival theme, women from our sewing group have created pieces, including mixed-media collages using textiles and repurposed found material, which were presented in the Inspire Gallery.
Zimbabwean visual artist Ashleigh Beattie worked alongside women from our sewing club, which met on Thursdays during April and May at Central Methodist Buildings. We worked with various scraps of fabric as well as found material that reminded the women of past and present homes to explore the theme of More in Common from our perspective.
Women on the project said:
“I couldn’t believe that I could make this beautiful material.”
“I can’t wait to see it displayed at the event”
“I feel happy, I want to do more”
Speaking about the inspiration for this co-created exhibition, Ashleigh Beattie says:
“… For this series of work we were considering the similarities of the place we now live in with the places from our past. We wanted to weave these two worlds together to reflect and consider the things we have in common. We found similarities in the types of national flowers that are represented by Botswana, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia, to name a few, and we set these against the backdrop of us all residing within greater Manchester...”
The exhibition is open from 9 June to 31 August with a special launch event on Saturday 14 June at 1pm to 2pm
Find out more: https://homemcr.org/whats-on/296//more-in-common-exhibition-launch-by-wast-women-asylum-seekers-together
