Refugee Art Project

Since its inception in late 2010, more than 500 artworks created by refugees and people seeking asylum have been exhibited to the Australian public through Refugee Art Project. Refugee Art Project, an initiative under the Refugee Council of Australia, seeks to support people seeking asylum and refugees through the facilitation of art workshops and to convey their voices and artistic productions to the Australian public. The collective’s intention is “simply to enable people seeking asylum to communicate to the public in their own voice, through art, which creates a bridge between them and the community.” Due to the government’s heavy restrictions on access to detention centers, the Australian public is rarely exposed to the opinions, stories and self-expression of refugees. Refugee Art Project seeks to redress that through the art, comics and poetry refugees produce.

Refugee Art Project is passionate about showcasing the enormous talent, locked away, beyond the razor wire. Refugee Art Project supports the creativity and self-expression of people seeking asylum and refugees in the Villawood detention centre and in the Western Sydney community through art workshops and artistic collaborations. By organizing public exhibitions and producing zines and other publications, Refugee Art Project hopes to convey the diverse voices, opinions, self-expression and artistic productions of refugees to the Australian public. This initiative serves an educational role and helps to challenge the misconceptions that are harbored towards refugees.

Refugee Art Project works with any asylum seeker or refugee in detention or in the public community in Australia (regardless of visa status, gender, language group, culture etc.), or anyone who is of refugee background. Refugee Art Project also supplies interactive arts activities to refugees held in the Villawood detention center, given the extremely low access to art materials and tuition provided to individuals within the center. Some of these activities include hands-on workshops that offer a chance to socialize and form new connections and friendships in and beyond the gates of the detention center, providing needed hope to those behind bars.