Researcher: Kiril Sharapov
In June 2025 I organised and chaired a one-day workshop at the Grassmarket Community Project in Edinburgh, bringing together 21 participants from community groups, NGOs, creative backgrounds and universities. I wanted to create a space where people working on or affected by migration and displacement could meet, talk, and create together, away from formal meetings or academic settings. The Public Engagement funding made it possible to design something more open, reflective, and participatory.
The morning began with short talks from Heather Komenda (International Organization for Migration, UN), Suzanne Hoff (La Strada International), and my Edinburgh Napier colleague Frederik Køhlert, alongside my own reflections on human rights and displacement. We then watched Voices from Ipswich and Car Wash, two short films by refugee filmmakers Mikiyas Mehari and Brook Woldu. The screenings led to a conversation about everyday life, work, and belonging, and how creative storytelling can open up understanding.
After lunch, we moved into hands-on activities. Participants shared personal objects linked to movement or home, and then joined a comic-making workshop led by Frederik, using simple drawings to capture stories, feelings, or hopes in one or two frames. We ended with a Tree of Hope, a large paper tree where everyone added one or two words expressing their hopes for the future, such as peace, home, or belonging.
The day connected me with new community partners, artists with lived experience of displacement, and practitioners across Scotland. For participants, it offered time to pause, reflect, and connect in different ways, through conversation, drawing, and shared creativity.
The workshop has already led to a set of participant-made comics, the Tree of Hope, and a short highlights video. These will be shared on the Migration and Mobilities Research Network webpage as part of a Living Board of Voices, and individual comics will also be posted on LinkedIn to reach practitioners and community partners.
The event formed part of UK Refugee Week and Refugee Festival Scotland contributing to the national-level conversations and advocacy in the field of migration, human rights, and mobility.
More information about the Creative Engagement Workshop, including a short film.