UMOJA
UMOJA was set up in September 2001 as a self-help community development group for African women refugees and asylum seekers who had been housed in Glasgow on their own with their children. Weekly meetings are held for up to 30 families from 14 different countries throughout the year, including holidays.
The adults participate in workshops on themes such as coping with winter weather, jewellery making and parenting. Children and young people join in either the nursery, arts and crafts group, cooking class, homework or computing club depending on their age. UMOJA runs an informal befriending scheme linking Scottish and African families, and university students act as mentors to UMOJA youth.
Over 200refugees and asylum seekers in lone parent families have been part of UMOJA during their stay in Glasgow.
For further information contact Vicky Grandon at One Plus, 0141 333-1450
The project
The group of women worked with various textile media to create a series of pieces. Some of these are self-images, others of places important to the maker,
while others are expressive explorations of texture and colour. The women who were participating in the workshop approached the sessions with a natural
understanding for image making. They were unhindered, relaxed and didn’t worry about expectations or what their resulting piece would turn out like –
which often meant they were much freer and creative making the work. They continued to socialise with each other while making the work, taking ideas from
each other and sharing images and techniques. For the exhibition the resulting textile pieces were scanned and digitally reproduced on a long length of
material and hung from the wall.
The comments
- ‘Personally I found the energy generated by the women and their very natural willingness to draw and make visual images stimulating and made the experience a real pleasure.’
- ‘I enjoyed it and liked the sewing….not boring and involved a lot of activites’
- ‘I liked the sewing. In my country I sewed with other people, helping them mend their clothes. This reminded me of my past.’
- 'It was very good way for people to socialise and speak to each other’
- ‘It helped to open my mind and understand that I could do other things’
- ‘I like d the tutor’s work – they did it with a lot of imagination’
What can we do to make this project better
- More time and introduce more things
Artists
Heather Lynch and Charlie Hackett
