As part of Project Salam, our work with refugee families resettling in Birmingham, silk screen painting art sessions were a soothing success with parents and children alike!

---

Art initiative for refugee families in Birmingham

Calm, colour and creativity have been key ingredients in a recent collaborative art initiative here at Beacon Family Services. As part of Project Salam, our work with refugee families resettling in Birmingham, these art-based sessions promoted a calm, soothing activity linked to positive memories of refugee parents and children resulting in the collective creation of a large, beautiful, unique artwork.

GROWTH: Memories from our homeland

Over 50 refugee parents, children and professionals have been involved in the creation of an artwork consisting of 3 silk screen panels titled GROWTH: Memories from our homeland. The theme was initially generated by memories shared by refugee parents with BFS Therapists and developed into an arts initiative, facilitated by visual artist Alison Haynes, as part of Project Salam.

Based on memories of their favourite plants and flowers from their home countries, initial designs were drawn by a refugee family from Afghanistan. 5 children and their mother drew flowers they loved whilst lying and sitting on the floor of their family home. They excitedly described the smell, texture and colours of the flowers as they drew, recalling the familiar, everyday presence of these plants and flowers from their former lives in their village in Afghanistan.

Figs and flowers – the soothing sights and scents of home

The drawings were transferred onto silk panels during 4 participatory events attended by Ukrainian, Syrian and other Afghani refugee parents, children, volunteers and professionals, in partnership with Refugee Action, North Birmingham For Ukraine. A calm and colourful atmosphere full of care and concentration was evident during these sessions where adults and children drew further favourite flowers and painted alongside each other, sometimes standing back to admire the panels as they became filled with the shapes and colours of roses, fig trees, sunflowers and jasmine plant, to name just a few of the flowers featured.

A Syrian parent commented, “it’s the smell of jasmine I miss. You can smell it all the time during the warm days back home”.

A sense of safety and achievement for refugee children and parents

Ukrainian children pointed and guided Beacon Family Services staff to see their contributions to the panels.

“I did that, look there,” a child announced with a huge, proud smile. Several Afghani women commented on how relaxed they felt whilst sitting alongside others, working quietly together. One of the mothers reflected on the experience: “It makes me feel good, here with my friends.”

Professionals spoke about feeling the most relaxed they had for months and years, enjoying the time and space to work alongside the adults and children they usually support in their everyday work-life.

Collaboration in the refugee community

Finally, the panels returned to the original Afghani family who created the initial drawings, so they could paint the final flowers and plants designed by Ukrainian and Syrian parents and children.

“That’s mine, my rose, I drew that in my book!” exclaimed the 14-year-old daughter, laughing, recognising and pointing to the design she drawn on paper a few months earlier, now a painted feature of a silk screen artwork. “That is so beautiful, I can’t believe it.”

Artwork on display at Our Place Community Hub

The screens are housed at a valued community venue, Our Place Community Hub in North Birmingham. They are placed in the multi-function room, a space used by a range of Early Help staff, Community and Mental Health professionals and members of the community for key meetings and events. The legacy artwork is a unique, high-quality piece of work that creates a colourful presence in the community space for all to enjoy. It’s a physical and lasting representation of the positive collaborative contribution refugee families make to their new communities!

---

Project Salam

As part of our Project Salam work we provide therapeutic play and resources to refugee families from Syria, Afghanistan and Ukraine resettling in Birmingham and the West Midlands. Working with professionals and directly with families, we use play therapies like Theraplay® to focus on the parent-child relationship, which can have a transformative impact on families’ sense of safety and wellbeing.

---

Further support for parents

If you or someone you know is struggling with family relationships, Beacon Family Services can help. We provide a range of therapies and resources to support parents, children and families including our Connect For Kids Theraplay® group and parent workshops on a variety of topics, as well as access to peer support groups.

For further support, and to see our latest parent events and services, please visit the Families hub.

You can also explore our resources for instant support, including newsletters, online support groups, and much more. You can also read further insights and tips from qualified therapists and professionals on our blog.

---

We work with organisations, professionals, schools, and charities.

We provide training to use our resources with families and in schools. We partner with professionals, commissioners and organisations to provide in person and online support for families, professional development and training and support and supervision.

---