This session explored how the practice of drawing in collaboration with others can open up reflections and insights into emotionally significant journeys, such as leaving home or arriving in a completely new environment. This was particularly significant as the most of participants were MA students from China, who have recently come to UK and Brighton.
We explored our experiences of migrations and journeys to UK with a few varied and dynamic drawing processes, such as; drawing with the left hand and eyes closed, following a memory of leaving home and arriving at the University for the first time, re-drawing those memories together on a sheet of paper and finally, moving to the courtyard, making invisible drawings by walking in the courtyard following an imagined pattern, and making a joint ‘ma drawing’ on a large sheet of paper by dipping one shoe into a charcoal pigment.
It was lovely to see drawings of Chinese mountains appear simultaneously as the the drawings of mountains from the Lake District.
‘I enjoyed closing of the eyes and using the left hand. Turning inwards and trying to imagine one’s journey was really interesting. It wasn’t about the skill or representation but the journey.’ ‘I loved doodling with the left hand and working with the partner. This way of drawing is amazing, like releasing my emotion and all of my pressures’ ‘It made me feel really relaxed and forget all drawing rules. Just thinking and drawing free’.
‘I enjoyed the last part a lot which gives us real experience as migrants walking towards unknown places. Migration map offers us step to somewhere we might feel safe but steps are hard to move on to, and the workshop gave us right experience to feel that pressure behind the steps we need to move’.
‘It is quite a strong experience, a bit like a kind of dancing.’
You can see videos here:
Reflecting on migration, people said: ‘I think I have the answer of where is home of migrants or any of us is. It’s just a kind of feeling.’ ‘I thought more about home and calm down when drawing. Sense of belonging and the route.’ ‘The beautiful things I meet are on the way.’
In terms of future improvements, a few commented on how they would enjoy more time to work on their drawings “because the feeling is really good”. Overall the experience was deeply positive, : ‘I think this workshop is fantastic. I hope it could be held once a week hopefully’ and ‘Its brilliant! We all had fun. Such interesting experience!’