HOME from HOME was a free art programme for refugees and asylum seekers at Tate Liverpool 

 

Summer 2021

 

Curator and Project Leader - Adi Lerer

 

The programme was developed to connect local migrant communities to each other and the city-wide cultural offer, using Tate’s art collection as a learning resource. It was a skills development programme for refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants, that aimed to help them establish themselves in the city region.

 

During the Home from Home programme, participants explored Tate’s international collection and exhibitions, focusing on two new displays: ‘Democracies’ and ‘Whose Tradition?’. They identified artworks from the online gallery display that resonated with them. They then researched an artwork from their country of origin that they felt had some connection to the artwork they had chosen from Tate’s collection.

 

Through creative activities such as drawing, collage, stop motion animation, and integral ESOL exercises, (English for Speakers of Other Languages), the group acquired the tools to interpret the artworks; gaining confidence to speak fluently about their selected piece, and offering personal insights which often connect to their experiences. Field trips, including Tate Liverpool and Liverpool Biennial exhibitions, introduced them to the cultural life of the city.

 

At the end of the Home from Home programme a celebratory event took place, with participants acting as guides and delivering a public talk on their chosen artwork; one from the Tate collection and another from their country of origin.

 

The Home from Home programme also included a mentoring scheme, to support the professional development of five participants who are practising artists and were part of last year’s pilot project, Talking Pictures. The mentoring scheme connected mentees with local artist groups and has shown early success in equipping participants with transferrable skills and letting them grow into Liverpool’s creative community.