Between home and here

Between home and here was a series of creative workshops for refugees and asylum seekers exploring identity, culture and expression through writing, photography and crafting.

Developed in dialogue with Mounira Al Solh’s exhibition A land as big as her skin and in anticipation of the 2026 Bristol Refugee Festival, the workshops invited reflection on how we make, carry, adapt and express our culture, and how this can take shape through art.

Across 8 workshops, people used crafting, writing and photography to explore the things that shape us – tradition, language, history, community, ideas – and how these become expressions of culture.

Between home and here took place weekly from 22 April to 29 May 2026 at Arnolfini on Wednesdays and Fridays, and was facilitated by Bristol City Poet Sukina Noor, multidisciplinary artist and educator Amak Mahmoodian and material arts practitioner Sherien Elsheikh.

Between home and here was a collaboration between Bristol Refugee Festival and Arnolfini, and was made possible with funding from Bristol City Council.

Below is a digital exhibition of the Between home and here writing and photography.

Photos

Writings

Dear Bristol,

I like in the Bristol because I like be quiet
Also safe
I feelin so happy and also relax
I like watching sport
Play football
I don’t see big games or much
I like in the Bristol the work.
I don’t like in the homes because in rooms it’s very small.
I like support the people because we helping people
I like in the Hengrove because very clean and quiet.

I love in the Bristol

Turkish
Ev güven ve en sakin oldu yer evimde yemek ve parfüm kokusu genelikle yemek olarak baklava kebap ve içleme gibi şeyler evde anne yemegi olmasa da yinede güzel kokar.

English
Home means safety and is the place where I feel calmest. At home, there are the smells of food and perfume — foods such as baklava, kebab and içleme. Even when there is no food cooked by my mother, the house still smells nice.

Dear Bristol

I like your cricket grounds. But I don’t like your weather.
I like your colleges and schools.
I don’t like the buses.
I love to play in Bristol.
I am so happy to play in Bristol cricket.

Arabic
برسول مرحبا انا بحب برسكول انوفيها شعر كبر يحلو لكي م بدبى السامي لانو يعفى مرت يكون رحمة وبنى البحر لانو حلو ويقيني اشعر بالأمان واحس استوفى بيتي والمنطقة التي اسكن فيهاتير امانة الناس الفيها طريقي ويتعامل كويس مع المسلمين والودائع في مشكلة بساعدوا زي قائلا واحد منهم المياه هنا حلوه وفي مناصافي تشير سياسة وممكن مترفة فيها وفيها حرائق تيه وتيرة ممن بسعي كورت او العمل رياضية او السماريالى الاطفال. شكرا بريستول انابيك. ما ما الناسيمنع القران الأذان يصوت الأطفال ويحيى آل الصعيد مع الملاح قرارشمال سودان وصوت الصين لم تحتمي بي قصة واناصغيرة

English
Dear Bristol, I love Bristol. It feels like home — a place where I feel safe and secure. The people are kind and treat Muslims well; if there is ever a problem, they are quick to help. The water here is good, and there are facilities for sports and activities for children. Thank you, Bristol. It is a place where one hears the Quran, the Adhan, and the sounds of children playing — a place that feels like a true home.

I am fond of lovers but I cannot love
I am too far away, am banished

My heart misses its home

My home is nothing without my family

I like your summer. I don’t like your winter.
Love Bristol because I found different people from different cultures and that make me happy.
I love your city centre because is always crowded with people
don’t like your streets when it’s empty.
I love your trees, your parks because made me feel happy and relax.
I love you Bristol because it’s safe place all the time.

Home is the taste of asida and soup, food, falafel.
Home is the sound of quran, zikr, sound of children playing.
Home is the smell of food, bakhour.

Dear Bristol

How are you?

I like you Bristol because you are safe place and nice.
I like you Bristol because there are nice and lovely people.
I don’t like buses because is so many traffic.
So thank you Bristol.
I love you.

Home is the smell of unsi perfume
Home is the taste of whatever my mum cooks
Home is the sound of when my mum prays

Home is the smell of unse
Home is the taste of meat and rice with my grandmother
My home is the sound silence

Romanian
Îmi place Bristolul. Îmi plac locurile cu natură, dar și cu clădiri mari, dar pe stil vechi. Ce nu îmi place în Bristol sunt locurile foarte aglomerate și murdare.

Când trec pe lângă Easton, food-uri miroase a shawarma și mă simt ca acasă. Când sunt în parc se aud pasari și mă simt ca acasă. Sau când mai trec oameni din țara mea, mă simt ca acasă.

English
I like Bristol. I like places with nature, but also places with large, old-style buildings. What I do not like in Bristol are places that are very crowded and dirty.

When I walk past Easton, the food smells like shawarma and I feel at home. When I am in the park, I hear birds and I feel at home. And when people from my country walk by, I feel at home.

Dear Bristol,

I came to Bristol three years before.
You are very nice place.
When I come to Bristol I can’t speaking English. I feeling very bad, very sad.
Now I speak a lot English.
I feel happy, very happy.
I love Knowle, there are very nice place, safe place.
I played two years there cricket.

Photos

Writings

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