The project achieved the following:

• Organised 10 art sessions at 16 Nicholson Street gallery

• 20 diverse women - the majority of whom were asylum seekers and refugees - were actively taking part in art and mindfulness sessions

• Women were encouraged to co-produce and collaborate through creating their own unique, high-quality visual art pieces, preparing for their own exhibition production with the teaching and guidance of artist Beth Shapeero and the support of mindfulness practitioner Lorna.

• The women learned and developed new transferable skills, grew in confidence, took charge and took responsibility to lead in preparing, organising and delivering the final art exhibition which opened to the public in July 2022 at 16 Nicholson Street Gallery.

• The women became familiar with the gallery and began to see the gallery as a space for them and their families, breaking down cultural and social barriers in accessing galleries and art spaces.

• The women gained confidence in accessing the gallery as a community resource and developed employability skills and opportunities.

‘To Stand in the Full Sun’ was an exhibition which presented a vibrant and large-scale installation exploring collaboration and play through abstract colour and form, and which celebrated the end of the project ‘Power in Creativity, Freedom in Abstraction’.

The exhibition and artwork were produced by EWfC participants and volunteers in collaboration with EWfC staff, artist Beth Shapeero and 16 Nicholson Gallery. The bold works on display reflected the dynamic EWfC Volunteers and participants, who created them throughout a series of workshops that utilised 16 Nicholson Street as a studio-space. Expansive screen prints celebrated confidence-building, risk-taking, friendship, intercultural exchange, and co-production across long-term processes through the lens of abstraction, colour and form. 

The result was an exciting, bright and immersive visitor experience.