Recent successes
Living Here Young Refugees Art Project
A ground-breaking arts project for young refugees and asylum seekers in South London.
Living Here (2006-2009) was an Ovalhouse project using participatory arts with young refugees and asylum seekers. Through Living Here, Ovalhouse worked in schools with high numbers of young refugees and asylum seekers and with young people out of school offering a range of artistic and social opportunities.
Its aims were
- To provide a safe, secure and non-threatening space for young people to be creative, build confidence, self-esteem and develop their fluency in English
- To allow young people a voice through the arts to express themselves to their peers and the wider community
- To offer artistic approaches that did not rely on a common language
- To find creative ways of building new social networks
- To offer young people valuable opportunities to take on leadership roles and influence the development of the project
- To build close relationships with existing and new project partners such as schools and social services to establish a joined up approach that can provide young people with an increased network of opportunities
"It was the best time ever!! Do it again! I really enjoy it. I feel happy… in another world happy, free and EQUAL."
A Young people participating on Living Here
"Our students have loved going to Ovalhouse and value the huge efforts made by workshop providers to create magical spaces in the most unpromising of classrooms in school. I have seen art work/dramatic pieces of real quality and skill emerge from these sessions. The social networking that has taken place has been a major strength of the projects. Opportunities to meet students from other schools have been very valuable."
Deputy Head of Charles Edward Brooke School
Supported by The Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund and The Baring Foundation.