Nurturing voices through art
KRAN has collaborated with an artist from El Salvador on his debut solo exhibition at a prestigious Margate gallery.
Jose Campos (working name Studio Lenca), like many of the young people we work with, left his country of origin as a child. With his mother, he travelled illegally overland to the USA, growing up “without papers” in San Francisco. As a young adult, he moved to the UK, settling in Margate where he is now based.
Jose experienced the obstacles that came with being an asylum seeker in a new country; very similar obstacles to those our young people face, including adjusting to different weather, food and societal norms.
The name of his Margate exhibition is Leave to Remain, which refers to the official Home Office term for someone allowed to stay in the UK, but with restrictions and without permanent legal status.
KRAN young people are often victims of these restrictions and have to strive for many years to gain Indefinite Leave to Remain status (allowing them to stay in the UK with no time limit and with permanent legal status). Having shared similar experiences with the young people, Jose invited them to collaborate with him.
There were a series of workshops at KRAN’s Canterbury and Folkestone hubs, as well as at the Margate gallery. Starting by exploring “roots to routes”, the young refugees and asylum seekers went on to build large sculptural works based on the volcanoes of El Salvador.
Jose says: “I hope this artwork shines a light on these young people’s lives in Kent. I was also a refugee and I know that care, dialogue and the chance to be creative can really make a difference.”
Our Activities and Wellbeing Coordinator Osama Sharkia says that through collaborating with Studio Lenca, the young people were able to express complex emotions about their journeys to the UK in a way that words may not have been able to express, especially important with any language barriers.
He adds: “We recognise the profound significance of art in the lives of young people. Thanks to Studio Lenca, there were workshops that empowered our youths to explore their creativity, express themselves and build confidence. Through art, we nurtured their voices and inspired them to shape their futures with resilience and imagination.”
One participant says: “I really liked doing something new and it was fun. It was cool using paper and glue to build the volcanoes and then to paint them.”
Another adds: "I loved being a part of it and can’t wait to see the exhibition.”
Leave to Remain is at the Carl Freedman Gallery, Union Crescent, Margate, from Sunday 14 April to Sunday 16 June. Entry is free; no tickets required.