The Glazed Foyer
St Peters Church

SABIR was a special exhibition created for Refugee Week 2022, showcasing artwork made by recently arrived refugees and local residents in Harrogate.

SABIR was initially devised as an artistic project for the Platforma Festival which took place across Yorkshire in October 2021. The themes are Patience, Endurance, Tolerance.
The participants (refugees, asylum seekers and local Harrogate residents) who share the same “neighbourhood,” are the contributing artists. Their textile work and personal stories have been curated into hanging tapestries, and combined with work from Harrogate District of Sanctuary workshop pieces.

Matilda Velevitch says: Sabir – patience, endurance & tolerance. These are all human qualities we share which can be reinforced when we come together to support and encourage one another, often over a cup of tea.

“Life on hold for an indefinite period” is reality in the journey of refugees and asylum seekers here in the UK. More recently, during the pandemic it is something we have all learned to live with. But, with this pause and uncertainty comes reflection and joy in rediscovering the simple and comforting rituals in all of our lives.

Together we created memory maps on fabric, using: tea dyed linen, stained tea paper, various threads, tracing paper, coloured ink, ink pen &watercolour pastels whilst drinking
teas and tisanes from around the world and, of course, a “good Yorkshire brew.”