.png)
Windows of Welcome
June 2025
Our project 'Windows of Welcome' is an art project supporting young refugees and strengthening communities in Gloucester. Thanks to the Big Give campaign in March 2025, Windows of Welcome will animate the Gloucester high street this summer. Along with our ambitious artworks, we'll be celebrating Refugee Week with the whole of Gloucester and enjoying the Moomin 80 celebrations!
Art provides an important space for people to meet and learn about others and their experiences. Recognising and understanding different perspectives removes barriers between communities and makes lasting changes to neighbourhoods.
Joke Amusan at Tate Modern : image by Sophie Shaw
We are creating three ambitious artworks for Gloucester.
We're engaging with young refugees to co-create the first artwork for the city with Joke Amusan. Genaro Martinez Medina has run some collaging workshops at Gloucester City Council on welcoming refugees to Gloucester, and is creating artwork based on the images and ideas that came out of it. Thirdly, Nadiyaa and Soozy have been working with Matson Makers to create drawings that Sherina is creating into a banner, exploring themes around home and welcome.
Though some brilliant support services are available for unaccompanied young people who’ve arrived in the city, resources are stretched. After the age of 18, this level of support drops even further. These young people struggle to find community and belonging. Windows of Welcome ensures that they have a safe space to connect within the community and develop a sense of belonging.
All three artworks are animating the Gloucester high street by making use of vacant shops around the city centre for the exhibition during Refugee Week 2025 - June 16th - June 22nd 2025.
Joke Amusan
Joke Amusan is a German-Nigerian artist based in London - and we’re so excited to work with her again, after exhibiting her work at GAWP 2024.
Her art practice illuminates the rich and multifaceted experiences of Black womanhood. Through her exploration of identity, heritage, and migration, she creates immersive installations and evocative sculptures that engage multiple senses.
Joke has been working with a group at Tuffley Library and young refugees on a unique window installation for Gloucester to animate the high street.
The work of Joke Amusan - at GAWP! 2024
Genaro Martinez Medina
Genaro Martinez Medina is an illustrator and designer originally from Mexico City, who works predominantly with traditional materials such as posca pens, watercolours, coloured pencils, gouache, combining the layers digitally to create a final image. Taking inspiration from surroundings and Mexican culture, with a love for editorial illustration.
Genaro started with a love of drawing and graphics, pursued a career as a Tattooist in Mexico City, then shifted towards editorial illustration and visual communication, creating distinctive and powerful images full of colour. We think Genaro’s addition to the Gloucester high street will look incredible.
Genaro has run some collaging workshops at Gloucester City Council on welcoming refugees to Gloucester, and is creating artwork based on the images and ideas that came out of it.
"At this point, I have really enjoyed the project, from organising the workshops and getting participants to create some really interesting imagery. Their ideas have helped me develop the final artwork which will be displayed in Kings Square.”
.jpg)
Sherina Steele & Matson Makers
Matson is such a green part of the city, at the foot of Robinswood Hill, and nature is really important to our Matson Makers members. So we thought it would be really nice to think about diversity in nature, how that connects with our community, and how it creates the feeling of home, welcome and belonging.
“Community is our superpower” - the #RefugeeWeek2025 theme - felt really apt because Matson is really proud of the strong community. Nadiyaa and Soozy have been working with Matson Makers to create drawings that Sherina is transforming into a banner.
Refugee Week 2025
Gloucester
Gloucester is bursting at the seams with everything going on for Refugee Week this June, and you'll see our Windows of Welcome in Kings Square on your way to the variety of events for #Moomin80.
Moomin 80 is a curated series of magical events, all about finding home and welcoming people in.
This series is inspired by Tove Jansson's beautiful Moomin stories and is coming to Gloucester for Refugee Week, 14-22 June. Make sure to find the full Moomin 80 programme at www.gloucesterguildhall.co.uk/moomins.
In particular, don't miss the Moomin Picnic on 21st June in Kings Square, to enjoy our project along with children’s games from around the world, The Music Works Bus, a Moomin puppet show and more. Bring your family, friends, a picnic, and maybe a small welcoming gift for a stranger, as Gloucester celebrates community as our superpower - this year’s Refugee Week theme.
We're also especially excited about "You Look as Though You Might Be a Relation" - a floating installation from Dana Olărescu, which will be touring around Gloucester 9 – 22 June... It invites us to reflect on how we welcome newcomers to our city, and explore belonging, family, and community - all of which are themes in our installation too.
All celebrating #RefugeeWeek2025
Refugee Week is the world’s largest arts & culture festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary.
Established in 1998 in the UK, Refugee Week takes place every year around World Refugee Day (20th June) and has since grown into a global movement.
Visit the Refugee Week Event Calendar to discover activities in the area, and find these beautiful inspirations such as Simple Acts - everyday actions we can all do to stand with refugees and make new connections in our communities.
Get behind it Gloucester!
Stay updated
We bring contemporary and socially-engaged arts opportunities to Gloucester, and we'd love for you to get involved, stay in touch and find out more about our projects. You can:
-
Sign up for our newsletter (scroll down to enter your details)
-
Contact us (scroll down for the contact form) or email admin@gasprojects.org.uk.
