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People supported by Brighton charity Voices in Exile marked Refugee Week (15-21 June) by creating an artwork exploring the theme of courage. 2026 marks the 75th anniversary of the UN Refugee Convention, making it a fitting moment to celebrate the creativity, contributions and strength of refugees and people seeking asylum both locally and around the world.

In collaboration with ceramic artist and volunteer Jane King, members of VIE’s community reflected on what courage means to them using conversations, collage, and colourful origami papers to explore the theme “the courage to dream”, and the bravery it takes to imagine a different future and work towards it.

Participants shared dreams of learning English, passing exams, finding independence, building careers and creating opportunities for their children, with these ideas later brought together visually through vines, butterflies, birds and flowers – symbols of hope, adaptation, rebirth and resilience. The finished artwork was displayed at Brighton’s Jubilee Library.

Source: Voices in Exile