Migration Project

This project promotes social cohesion and peace in communities, creates climate changemakers at a time when hate is spreading across the world and empowers women through creative expression while improving mental health. The project consists of art installations and workshops.

The Migration Blanket™ - Climate Solidarity film

Trailer 2022

Exhibiting during the Venice Biennale 2022 and shown at The Commonwealth Games Festival in 2022.

ARTconnects

Workshops empower communities and are held globally, including in the UK, Greece, Paris, Dubai and at the Venice Biennale, Italy. These high impact creative workshops are led by Salma Zulfiqar and promote women and youth empowerment, cultural connections contributing towards preventing hate crimes and extremism and creating a greener planet

Please see more details on social media channels and on the ARTconnects™ website.

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The Migration Blanket© is an art installation created by Salma Zulfiqar with refugee and migrant women in Birmingham . It shows their struggles and hopes and dreams and helped them realise their ambitions in life as well as educate the public on issues affecting refugee and asylum seekers in the UK. This exhibition explores the struggles, hopes and dreams of refugee and migrant women through art.

The Migration Blanket has been exhibited in Birmingham and Manchester and exhibited during the Venice Biennale 58th International Art Exhibition 2019

As part of the project, debates are being held in communities to create better understanding of cultures and tackle racism.

The work is featured in this Guardian article on the rise of craftivism.

Salma's work with UNHCRs artists in residence during the Venice biennale, Italy 2019, is featured on this article in Vanity Fair.

Watch highlights - opening of the exhibition of The Migration Blanket at Palazzo Bembo during the Venice Biennale 2019

<b>Opening ceremony of Building Peace Through the Oceans on 28 July Library of Birmingham</b><br>Left to Right: Mahroof Hussain  from Tell MAMA, Mallory Carlson from IOM,  Jess Phillips, MP Bham Yardley, Salma Zulfiqar Artist, Tony Morris Lead on Hate Crimes for WM Police, Ziauddin Yousafzai, Malala Yousafzai's father<br /><i>Photo Credit: Ashley Carr</i>

Building Peace Through the Oceans© consists of 6 canvasses representing different regions of the world, Africa, Asia, Middle East, North America, Latin America and Europe and shows the positive contribution migrants have made in each region.

The art installation has already been exhibited in Greece where it was created, in Paris and in Birmingham with a creative workshop on 'Empowering Migrant Women'.

We are Searching for Life

A Spoken Word performance Performed by Salma Zulfiqar on the coast line of Greece and calling for safe migration- protection of women on the move & in support of humanitarian rescue. The poem is based on Salma's experiences of working with Refugees and migrants all over the world - while also being inspired by some of the stories in a Report by Warwick University called: Crossing the Mediterranean Sea by Boat.

We Are Searching for Life - REFUGEES is a sequel short film which calls for safe migration while highlighting the struggles of social inclusion and the lives of refugees and migrants in the UK. Written and performed by Award Winning Artist Salma Zulfiqar with Refugees.

Salma speaks to Skynews about the short film she created with refugees 'We Are Searching for Life' and about The Migration Project


Press release: Warwick research inspires new work by international artist and campaigner

Routes to Peace?

‘Routes to Peace?’ is an artwork created by International Artist and Activist, Salma Zulfiqar, which brings to life the stories of ten refugee women from Syria and Africa. The artwork highlights the dangerous journeys the women made when crossing the Mediterranean Sea to reach safety in Europe.

The women’s stories were collected as part of a research project led by Dr Vicki Squire from University of Warwick: Crossing the Mediterranean Sea by Boat.

The research emphasises the importance of recognising the voices and claims of people on the move in debates surrounding migration. The artwork is accompanied by audio recordings of excerpts of the women’s stories.

Learn more about the harrowing journeys made by African and Syrian Refugees Crossing the Mediterranean Sea by Boat to Europe (audio clip).

Statements of support

Mr Nazir Afzal O.B.E, former Chief Prosecutor for the North West CPS and former Chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners


Dipti Pardeshi, IOM UK Chief of Mission, UN Migration Agency

RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce): CELEBRATING MIGRATION

Salma Zulfiqar FRSA explains the importance of migration and shares her work at the Migration Project.