Celebrating Refugee Week at the Victoria & Albert museum

On Monday 17th June 2024, Savannah our new coordinator led a trip to The Victoria and Albert Museum to coincide with the celebration of Refugee Week and the theme of “Our Home” - from the places we gather to share meals to our collective home, Planet Earth: everyone is invited to celebrate what “Our Home” means to them. 

Savannah reported back:  

"The V&A Museum is currently showcasing an exhibition about Naomi Campbell called ‘Naomi in Fashion’. While waiting for all students to join us at our meeting point we were discussing this exhibition, only to turn around and see Naomi Campbell in the flesh! 

Students were encouraged to go and say hello to her and managed to speak with her which for one student was a dream come true, as she was a former model in her country of origin. 

The V&A had organised a clay making session for us, where we could mould and make an item to then add to a garden scene to symbolise a collective home. 

Students were amazingly creative and began to create very innovative designs. 

One student specifically enjoyed this and when asked about their thoughts on the clay making session they said: ‘It caused me to get away from that stress for a while and I remembered my childhood’. 

This reminds us how essential it is to help our students to find escapism and to feel excited about the new city they are now living in. 

Before the trip ended, we took time to explore the museum. We took a participant led approach and many students were proudly sharing stories of their country after finding plates and rugs from their cities. It was amazing to see their faces light with excitement when they found something they recognised. 

Overall, it was a very happy and successful trip, helping students to discover something new in London. 

A big thank you to our volunteers that helped, you were essential in making this day a success! We are also so grateful for the V&A who covered travel costs and provided refreshments for everyone"