Tapestry of Voices
Art Voyage Biennial CIC is proud to present Tapestry of Voices, a large-scale community arts programme, workshops and exhibition that amplifies disadvantaged women’s voices, youth-based narratives and intergenerational histories. Through textiles, the project brings to light unheard stories of memory, care, and resilience shared across generations.
Tapestry of Voices is a multi-site workshop and mentorship programme that harnesses the power of textile-making to transform personal memory into collective cultural expression. Delivered both in person and online, the programme is rooted in long-term creative development through partnerships with underrepresented women and young people, working closely with women’s centres and youth organisations.
Running from April to July 2026, the workshop programme will engage 150 participants across Lewisham, Notting Hill and Wood Green, culminating in a major public exhibition and event series at The Film Shed, Dalston. The final exhibition will showcase newly created community artworks alongside works by international artists, placing local voices within a global contemporary context.
To ensure access and sustained progression, participants will receive online mentoring from professional artists, alongside intensive skills development. Beyond creative practice, they will build confidence, professional networks and real pathways into the creative industries. Through the Workplace Experience Programme, participants will take part in the full production of a contemporary textile exhibition, gaining hands-on, industry-level experience that directly supports employability and long-term sustainability.
Photo Credit Kevin Percival
Photo Credit Kevin Percival
Disadvantaged and migrant women
We focus on women who have experienced social, economic, or cultural marginalisation, including migrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking women. Many face systemic barriers to creative opportunities, feelings of displacement, and limited access to safe cultural spaces.
Through textile-based storytelling and mentorship, the programme provides creative expression, confidence-building, and pathways into the arts—centering their voices in a sector where they are often unheard.
Youth (ages 16–25) experiencing hardship
This includes young people facing challenges such as instability at home, mental health struggles, limited educational access, or belonging to communities under pressure. For many, creative opportunities are scarce.
The programme offers a supportive, skills-focused environment where young people can learn, create, and build community. By engaging them in hands-on making, collaborative storytelling, and professional experience, we support their wellbeing, identity formation, and access to future career pathways.
Photo Credit Kevin Percival
Workshop
The programme selected three lead artists whose practices centre on textiles, identity and community engagement: Zethu Maseko, Sarah Waters and Paloma Tendero. Each artist developed a workshop proposal inspired by the themes that guide their work and by approaches that encourage community storytelling. These proposals shaped the structure of the sessions and support the programme’s two overarching themes: Women’s Voices and Intergenerational Histories and Imagining Tomorrow’s World.
Workshops combine practical textile processes with reflective discussions and wellbeing-centred activities, creating inclusive, supportive and trauma-informed environments. Participants will explore storytelling through making, sharing personal and collective narratives
Mentorship
Following the community workshops, participants will have access to free mentorship pathways designed to extend their artistic development and create long-term opportunities. These programmes recognise the diverse needs, capacities, and ambitions of participants, offering both open-access support and an intensive, selective track.
Each mentee will receive:
- Support through Q&A’s sessions with a lead mentor (professional artist or curator).
- Peer learning sessions once a week to share progress and feedback.
- Technical and creative guidance to help them develop new textile works for exhibition.
- Practical training in project management, budgeting, and exhibition preparation.
- Networking sessions with curators, galleries, and art professionals to support future opportunities.
- Visibility and promotion through Art Voyage’s digital channels and the final exhibition at The Film Shed.
Join us!
Your donation to Echoes of Migration, is not just supporting a project – you’re joining a movement that celebrates migrant communities, empowers artists, and transforms public spaces into living places of memory, creativity, and pride.
Together, we can make sure every story is seen, heard, and valued!