AN EDINBURGH printing studio is set to offer support to refugee artists.
The Edinburgh Printmakers will offer places of residence to 30 artists who are refugees, seeking asylum, or have otherwise been affected by migration.
Titled In from the Margins, artists will be provided with a place to stay for one month whilst working in a print medium of their choice to continue developing their art.
Photo by Jules Lister.
With €178,000 funding provided by Creative Europe, the project is set to last for three years.
As well as the artists they are supporting, the Edinburgh Printmakers will also be welcoming refugee and migrant communities to come and engage with resident artists in the studio, creating their own art.
To mark the culmination of the project, a group exhibition is planned for spring 2023 and will be held at the studio.
Building on the response to artist Mohammad Barrangi’s work in Yorkshire, the pan-European initiative will develop the Studios of Sanctuary model.
Originally from Iran, Barrangi is an artist and former Paralympian who migrated to the UK.
Speaking on his experiences, he said: “I arrived in Wakefield in 2018 and my time at the studio in The Art House was a very hopeful and motivating moment for me.
“Arriving in the UK as a newcomer and being able to continue my artistic work made a huge difference. The circumstances of the residency that were given to me made continuing my artistic career so much easier.
“Projects like In from the Margins are very promising and fruitful for people arriving in a new country as immigrants.”
Connecting the Edinburgh Printmakers with other printmaking studios in Ireland, the Netherlands, Denmark and Slovenia, the businesses are united by the aim of bringing these displaced artists into mainstream programming.
Janet Archer, Edinburgh Printmakers CEO, said: “In from the Margins seeks to break down barriers and create opportunities for refugee artists and local communities to share and to learn from each other while being supported by the resources and expertise of print studios.
“Following delays as a result of the coronavirus pandemic we are delighted to finally be able to welcome refugee artists to our home at Castle Mills.”
She added: “The emphasis of the project is to platform artists, bringing them from the margins to the heart of mainstream cultural programming.
“It is about supporting them to develop their practice and make high quality work, and platforming this work to wider audiences.
“We’re also delighted to be able to confirm Mohammad Barrangi’s exhibition Wonderland will be the first solo show at Edinburgh Printmakers in 2022.”
A parallel programme will also be engaging with refugees, schools and wider communities.
