Case study 2 - workshop 3 , 4 and 5

These workshops took place with an organization separate from the refugee council. The organization is called' Getaway Girls'. The charity supports young women and girls who are from a range of backgrounds and need help in a verity of difficulties for example from living in poverty, mental health and refugees asylum seekers. The next set of workshops where working with a group of young Syrian refugee girls from this charity. They took place at the charity building, which is only small, is made up of two terrace houses knocked through. The room did not have much inside, two sofas, a whiteboard, and 3 small tables. The charity did have funding in the past form Red Nose Day appeal and Children In Need but they are currently undergoing a massive crowdfunding campaign in order to raise money to keep the organization going. The final aim of the workshops was to create cards which could be used to send off to the donators, but in the first and last workshop, was a chance for the girls to experiment and play with new skills and work. The first workshop was well attended. For watching the girls greet each other by shaking hands and kissing each other on each cheek, it was clear that they have formed a really close friendship because of the group. The atmosphere was lively and joyful. The languages were mixed, some spoke English and others Arabic but this was a great mix. Through conversations with the girls, new words, and phrases were learned by all involved and they were a very talkative group. Conservation soon when into school subjects, moving from Syria to the UK and to more lighter subjects such as films, tv programs, and food. In this session, the girls cut stencils and screen printed onto tote bags. The was a technique that not many of them had tried before and so it was an opportunity to try something new, but also create something that will last. The final session would include stitching and decorating the bags. The second session was using the same process of stencil screen printing, making the cards to send out to donators. They each made 2 or 3 cards each and using a set colour of inks which were mixed beforehand but they had a free choice of the idea they wanted for their stencils.

 In conversation with one of the girls and her mother said that they had only recently moved from Damascus. They loved their city and held great pride in it. but commented how the UK is very different. A comment the mother made was about the UK's drinking culture, how there are no safe alcohol-free places for families or people to go and enjoy a conversation. She described a fountain in the city centre of Damascus where people use to go on an evening and sit and talk. Enjoy conversation whilst music was played.  She has been trying to work with Leeds City Council and proposed this idea of getting more places where people can socialize in a relaxed, alcohol- free, family-friendly environment. This comment stuck as on that same day getting the train home with a large group of drunken men coming back from a game of football at 1:30 in the afternoon, finding it an unpleasant experience,  realizing she is right. In the friendship groups within the workshop were divided. The girls who spoke English sat on one table while the girls who struggled and spoke Arabic sat on the other. this divide was most prominent in the first session. Not sure as to why unintentional divide occurred, could be to do with language barriers or that they felt more comfortable sitting with others who can understand them automatically. But particually when speaking to the girls who spoke their first language some of them do attend school together. The group like the others offers familiarity, to meet people who may have had similar experiences, speak the same language and develop friendships that the individuals heavily rely on. In the last session, this was clear that the girls worked as a unit as none of them turned up. It was the week after half term and reminders were sent out but the girls often message each other the see who is going.

Examples of work :

Screen print stencils.