Refugee Week: Communities, Creativity and Home

11:00–11:30 Dance performance: Pujllay and Salay
14:00-16:00 Drop-in workshops: Carolina Rieckhof and Lizette Nin

Experience a special performance of two dances by London-group, Salay UK. Pujllay is a celebration of life renewal. Salay UK is a coming-together of 10 migrant groups based in London and from Central and South America, led by Wilma Zapata, member of the Participation Advisory Board. Since 2017 they have honoured the rich heritage of indigenous peoples across the Americas with dances and songs that pay homage to Pachamama [Mother Earth], Inti [Sun] and Killa [Moon].

14:00-16:00 Drop-in workshops: Carolina Rieckhof and Lizette Nin

Artists Carolina Rieckhof and Lizette Nin will be running drop-in making workshops exploring the theme of “our home” in connection to culture, creativity and community.

My Pollera, my story

Join in to make your own Pollera, a traditional Andean decorated skirt. Led by Carolina Rieckhof, artist and costume designer from Peru, you can decorate your own paper pollera, incorporating Andean traditional symbols, images from the V&A collection, alongside your own imagination. Each pollera, will trace part of your story and the story of our diasporic homes.

Pellizas among friends

Take part in a collaborative rug-making workshop with Lizette Nin, a Black queer artist from the Dominican Republic. Pellizas are traditional community crafted rugs made by women in the North of the Dominican Republic using scraps of recycled fabric. No special knowledge or skills required, just the desire to be together. Through its collaborative construction, participants will be invited to remember how life together becomes lighter.

If you have any questions please get in touch with us via communities@vam.ac.uk