Transitions Catalogue Digital Edition

Applecart Arts,
London,
April 2019
Printed by Solopress

Transitions
Seen Unseen

Foreword
Over the last two years, The Methodist Church in London has engaged with
the theme of Moving Stories where local churches and circuits have been
able to celebrate the contribution of migrants in the life of the Methodist
Church, historically and today. For, the opportunities and challenges
and ultimately to change the story so that migration in all its forms, for
all ages, might be seen as a positive part of our faith and social action
engagement.
London is a diverse, vibrant and energetic city, its excitement, complexity
and challenges are exceptional. The mission of the Methodist Church in
London is shaped by this exciting and challenging context. As disciples of
Jesus Christ we work together to respond creatively to the opportunities
and needs of this unique city.
Within this context, migration is a key part of the story in London. Over the
last two years churches, circuits and District have actively engaged in many
ways so that we might ‘change the story’ so that migration is celebrated
rather than feared, and engage with the challenges of issues linked to
migration. It has been important to see the Moving Stories project as a
pivotal vehicle towards enabling the London Methodist District to discover
our collective voice as we act to fulfil God’s will for us into the future.
As District Chairs, we are delighted that Applecart Arts have worked with
us to create a unique touring exhibition, which will tour the London District
from April – September. We hope it will open up conversations about
migration in the context that you are in, and will help us all to develop a
vision that takes seriously our ‘story’ to enable and equip God’s people for
works of service.
If you wish to host the exhibition at your venue for a service or special
event, please contact info@applecartsarts.com
Revd Nigel Cowgill, Revd Jongi Zihle, Revd Micky Youngson
The London District Chairs of the Methodist Church

Introduction
We have all experienced movement, some of us through choice, others through
necessity and in that process of physical movement we undergo an internal change
that shapes who we are as we move forward.
Transitions: Seen Unseen is an exhibition of movement. It questions our preconceived
ideas around migration; who a migrant is, and what happens when migration
occurs. What is it we perceive and how do others perceive us? This collection of
multi-disciplined works has been carefully selected to open this conversation up,
whilst simultaneously giving a voice to migrants and in the process acknowledging
the benefits migration can bring.
Applecart commissioned three new pieces of work for the exhibition, Ric Stott’s
Jide/Sebastian, Marie-Louise Jones’ Odyssey and Guler Ates’ Poems (Journey) #
3. As the works developed the title for the exhibition began to emerge. Stories
can be rich and complicated, part of the stories are deemed acceptable, some of
the stories are judged not to be, these parts are kept hidden, regardless of their
importance. Some parts of the story we leave behind. These artworks challenge our
views on acceptability, what is allowed to be seen and what isn’t, what we take and
what we leave. How much do we sanitise our stories to adapt to our circumstances,
to survive our journey? These stories can be celebrated for the perseverance and
resilience we have all experienced as we transit through life.
As one travels around the exhibition, the works are situated in dialogue with each
other. There are works that speak of everyday journeys; short journeys, commutes
through London, journeys of choice as well as longer journeys, perilous journeys,
journeys that are the only option. The viewer is invited into the space, to journey
through, encounter what is explicit, to leave changed and to contemplate on the
implicit.
Transitions: Seen Unseen will itself move as the exhibition tours from venue to
venue, like-wise needing to adapt in each new situation, making new perceptions
in each new incarnation. It too will transition.
Grace Acton Roberts
Curator

Odyssey
Carbonised tree, resin, gold leaf
322cm x 25cm
2019
“Odyssey began from a thought scribbled in my sketchbook: ‘Movement from
one part of something to another, and the space between’.” Marie-Louise Jones
describes how she was thinking about the personal and collective journey, time,
space, and transformation. Taking an object of nature, the tree, symbolic of
being rooted and static, transforming it through a process of yakisagi (an ancient
Japanese wood finishing technique of burning, brushing and oiling) to make a
carbonised sculpture, with added resin and gold leaf. The sculpture then embarks
on a physical journey that moves beyond geography. Representing the divided
self, in parts, its arrangement remains fluid and in a constant state of change,
never fixed but able to adapt to its circumstance and re-order itself throughout
its journey.
Marie-Louise Jones
Marie-Louise Jones (b.1980) is a British artist whose practice spans across
sculpture, sound, film, and installation. She embarks on long journeys into
unknown landscapes; either physical, emotional or cultural, gathering inspiration
by observation, constructing and deconstructing objects, relationships, belief
systems, while searching for truths and seeking a balance of forces. Often working
intuitively and in response to the landscape, her site-specific installations present
humble, seductive objects that attempt to draw in the viewer, encouraging the
audience to see and contemplate nature (both human and environmental) in a way
they are not accustomed to. Asking existential questions about the issues of our
time whilst examining both the personal and the universal journey.
Since receiving her Bachelor of Fine Art in 2009, Marie-Louise has been awarded
DYCP bursary from the Arts Council England (2018), invited as Resident Artist
for Dia Projects, Ho Chi Minh City (2018), exhibited at 57th Venice Biennale (Italy
2017), and Brussels Art Week (Belgium 2017), selected as finalist for Camaradas in
association with the Embassy of Mexico (London 2017), and previously undertaken
residencies and exhibitions in London, New York, Barcelona, Venice, Vietnam,
Indonesia and Norway.
www.marielouisejones.com

Labyrinth
Limited Edition Book, Plaistow
26cm x 52cm
2014
In 2013 Mark Wallinger, was commissioned to make a major new artwork for
London Underground to celebrate its 150th anniversary. Wallinger created 270
individual artworks, one for each station on the network, each one bearing its own
unique circular labyrinth, but with the design echoing the Tubes existing and very
familiar Roundel logo. Each Labyrinth is rendered in bold black, white and red
graphics, the artworks are produced in vitreous enamel, a material used for signs
throughout the London Underground network. At the entrance of each Labyrinth a
red X is marked inviting the viewer to start their journey tracing their finger within
the raised walls of the labyrinth through a single path, to the centre and back out
again mirroring the tube traveller’s own journey.
Labyrinth - A Journey Through London’s Underground is a record of Mark Wallinger’s
commission, documenting each labyrinth created in situ. The book also serves as a
celebration of the London Underground and of London itself, recording the diverse
face and fabric of the network and its users, in photographs while informing the
reader of the individual histories of each station.
Mark Wallinger
Mark Wallinger is a British artist widely known for his design for the Fourth Plinth of
Trafalgar Square in London, Ecce Homo (1999), a statue of a bound Christ. Wallinger
trained at the Chelsea School of Art and went on to study at Goldsmith’s College
in London, where her became involve with the Young British Artists movement. In
2007, he was won the Turner Prize for “State Britain”, a pile of banners and toys
placed outside the Houses of Parliament in protest against the war in Iraq. His work
is currently held in the collections of the Tate Gallery in London, the Denver Art
Museum, and the De Pont Museum of Contemporary in Tilburg, the Netherlands,
among others. His work is seen as a social commentary and often focuses on class,
royalty, nationalism and religion.

Concourse
Oil on Canvas
85cm x 105cm
2017
Concourse is a painting of Paddington Station and is one in a series of paintings of
travel hubs and stations by the artist, Imogen Perkin. The series is concerned with
the theme of moving on and uncertainty.
Imogen Perkin starts by photographing a scene, this one was taken from an
upper level at the station, and working the painting up from that photograph. The
resulting image is a snapshot of a particular instance in time with many different
types of people passing through. Perkins uses the de-humanising structures of
the huge new concourse to give a sense of unease, as dwarfed figures negotiate or
lose their way amidst a confusing plethora of directions and constructs.
With the recognisable look of a station terminal, “Concourse” cannot fail to address
ideas around migration, not least from its most famous fictional migrant Paddington
Bear, but Perkins depicts this man-made landscape, with figures making up the
scenery. People waiting to move on, transiting through, encouraging the viewer to
question their stories, “Where are they going?”. Perkins comments, “I often return
to the theme of ’stations’. For me, they are places of transition, alluding to the lifelong
journey and the destination that is always just out of sight.”
Imogen Perkin
Imogen Perkins gained an honours degree in Fine Art from Newcastle University
and now lives in Hertfordshire. She has exhibited her work in many different types
of venue, for the most part either locally or in London. At present she is taking
part in the “Hanbury Manor Project” - a local initiative to display contemporary
art in up-market hotels. Most recently Imogen has shown paintings at the “Art
of Caring” exhibition at St Pancras Hospital and at “Construction, Destruction,
Reconstruction” at Tower Bridge Engine Rooms, as well as with the United Society
of Artists at the Bankside Gallery.
www.aubreyartgallery.com/pages/perkin/imogenperkin.html

ADVENT
Video, 3 monitors, colour and sound (stereo)
Duration: 00:19:00
2019
Taken from interviews of individuals, church and charity groups over a twelvemonth
period, Advent explores the nature of arrival. The film tells the stories of
people compelled to move as they reflect on where they’ve come from, and the
compulsion that made them journey. The film is called ‘Advent’ after the waiting
period in the Christian calendar, which prepares for the welcome of God into the
world, evoking strong emotions of childhood excitement.
In making the film, Peter Moreton remarked “I was struck by the courage of the
travellers. Some crossed seas, some borders and some only moved a short distance,
but the real journey is from community to isolation. For both the ‘welcomer’ and for
the stranger there is a preparedness to embrace the unknown.”
Applecart Arts
Applecart is an arts organisation based in East London, currently developing an
old community centre into a multidisciplinary arts venue, with a theatre, rehearsal
space; exhibiting space; studio and office space; and a cafe with a community
garden.
Applecart launched in 2008, when founders Peter Moreton and Phil Summers
began telling stories to a regular monthly audience in a pub in Whitechapel,
London. Since then Applecart has toured to various venues, pubs, theatres and
universities around the country. Applecart believe that stories are potent and have
the power to change, challenge and strengthen communities, and the organisation
aims to reach across cultural divides and tell stories which engage, inspire and
entertain audiences.
Applecart works with a wide range of artistic disciplines – creating original music,
film, visual art and drama and has also extended its storytelling into film, making
numerous short films and documentaries. Applecart have recently produced a
series of documentaries, Broke in Britain – Faces of Britain which were broadcast
nationally. The new centre, Applecart Arts, has recently co-hosted various London
festivals including Voila! a festival of European theatre and Newham Word a
festival of theatre and literature.
www.applecartarts.com

MANWAR
Video, 3 monitors, colour and sound (stereo)
Duration 00:06:00
2018
Manwar Ali is one of the few scholars in the UK who has been directly involved in
conflict zones alongside extremist organisations. He now uses this experience in
his work with the UK’s Home Office and Crown Prosecution Service. He founded
the charity JIMAS and has helped make British Islam relevant and important to
life now.
In this interview for Applecart Arts, as part of an ongoing programme called
InCourage, Manwar, talks about his journey towards radicalisation and the
harrowing experience that led him back again. Many of the stories in this Exhibition
are of people fleeing from violence. Manwar’s story is different in that he initially
felt compleed to fight for a perception of freedom. It is only by understanding the
personal cost of violence that he chose to journey in a different direction.
InCourage
InCourage is an ongoing programme developed by Applecart Arts in an attempt
to find a creative approach to social concerns prevalent in the East End of London
and beyond. The initiative aims to celebrate diversity, champion local partnerships
and highlight personal stories that touch upon the dangers of extremism and the
manipulation of young people.
InCourage continues to work with school children, youth groups, local authorities
and the Greater London Authority to provide creative ways of understanding the
causes of radicalization and extremism whilst exploring more positive and less
harmful narratives.
Current projects include an up-coming schools theatre and workshop tour of ‘Iz
Dis a Dagga’ charting the aftermath of a teenage stabbing; the development of
a dance and physical theatre piece addressing the grooming of young girls and
sex trafficking; and a puppetry performance for children exploring gender and
sexual identity. In the next few months the Applecart Arts will begin shooting a
film script, devised and written by young men convicted and serving sentences
in a youth offenders’ prison. The film and crew will be made up of young people
in Newham, London, all of whom have been identified as being targeted by gang
culture. The participants will be mentored by a professional team of professional
film-makers and actors.
www.applecartarts.com

Wilderness
Video, 3 monitors, colour and sound (stereo)
Duration 00:01:30
2019
Revd Michaela shares this spoken word to encourage those who encounter the
wilderness, which for many people in our world is a daily reality. Much of the
inspiration for this spoken word was found in her trip to Jordan where she saw
some of Methodist charity All We Can’s work through its local partners. This video
was created as a part of All We Can’s Lent 2019 campaign ‘travel lightly’ which
drew upon the themes of the Moving stories movement.
Michaela Youngson
Michaela has been Chair of the London District since 2012. With a passion for social
justice and for developing strong ecumenical relationships, Michaela is committed
to working within the diverse and rich context of the Methodist Connexion. She is
a regular contributor to the BBC Radio 2 Early Breakfast Show’s Pause for Thought
and is currently serving as President of the Methodist Conference.
All We Can
All We Can is an international development and emergency relief organisation.
Focusing on those in greatest need, it is inspired by Christian principles, with its
roots in the British Methodist Church.
All We Can’s purpose is to help find solutions to poverty by engaging with local
people and organisations in some of the world’s poorest communities to end the
suffering caused by inequality and injustice.
Over the years, All We Can and the London District have sought ways to work
together. Since the beginning of Moving Stories, All We Can and the London
District have been finding ways to unite in their shared mission, giving voice to the
stories of Migrants.
www.allwecan.org.uk

Mobile Homes
Aluminium, PVC, Nylon, Paper
120cm x 200cm
2018
Resulting from a conversation with a church community in Bethnal Green, Mobile
Homes is an acknowledgement that our homes our never static. Each home has
a window through which its inhabitant can look at the moving world outside.
Participants were asked to share words and feelings about their homes, where
they’d moved from, and the process of movement.
The mobile is an expression of the fragile nature of home and the interdependency
we have if we are to keep the whole thing from tumbling down.
On display is a corner of much larger work incorporating three more balanced
sections hanging from a cross bar measuring 140 centimetres.
Peter Moreton
Peter Moreton was born in Hertfordshire in the UK. He studied as an actor at
the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and has since worked as an actor and
musician, performing in television, film and live theatre including West End and
International work with companies such as the Royal Shakespeare Company,
Cheek by Jowl and the National Theatre.
As a writer and composer his work has been performed at Shakespeare’s Globe
Theatre and as far afield as the Kallang Theatre in Singapore. He has also worked
as a musical associate and director for theatre productions at the Barbican Theatre
and in the West End.
Peter co-founded Applecart storytelling company and continues to work as its
artistic director. The company currently runs Applecart Arts, an arts centre in the
East End of London.
www.petermoreton.com

Jide/Sebastian
Oil on canvas
150cm x 100cm
2019
This painting features Revd Jide Macaulay. Jide is a gay British-Nigerian priest who
started an inclusive church for LGBT+ in Nigeria and now works in London as the
founding pastor of “House of Rainbow” – a charity that works with and supports
gay BAME Christians and other faiths across the world.
The painting echoes an image of St Sebastian in local Anglican church where Jide
currently serves as the Assistant Curate: a beautiful Saint who was martyred by
being pierced with arrows and who is often seen as an iconic gay figure. In the
background, a street scene from Nigeria references Jide’s past life experience
and historic roots. He is wrapped in a rainbow Union Jack – a symbol of LGBT+
pride and British identity. Pierced by an arrow, wounded by pernicious and hateful
homophobia he has encountered in Nigeria and in the British Church, he remains
strong: standing beautiful and proud.
As a person living with HIV, the flowing blood also has special significance. As well
as a symbol of wounding, body fluids from HIV+ people are often seen as unclean
and infectious, but this is unwarranted prejudice not least because modern drug
regimes reduce the viral load in a person so that there is no risk of passing the
virus on to others.
Ric Stott comments, ”Jide is a true LGBT+ hero who has faced much opposition
in his ministry, much of it from fellow Christians, this painting highlights the holy
beauty of this remarkable Black gay man.”
Ric Stott
Ric Stott is an artist and Methodist Minister based in Sheffield. His practice is
primarily oil painting and drawing. Finding inspiration from diverse experiences
studying medical science, theology and art psychotherapy he explores ideas
focussed on sexuality and spirituality and the impact of place on our sense of self.
For Ric painting is an exercise in fully embodied spirituality.
As his work progresses, he is seeking to further investigate this interplay of body,
spirit and place as well as the relationship between painting and drawing with an
emphasis on the boundary blurring aspects of queer experience.
Ric completed his MFA in Fine Art at Sheffeild Hallam University in May 2018.
www.ricstott.com

Poems (Journey) # 3
UV printed on wooden panel (ply wood) and piano hinges
80cm x 100cm
2019
One of the core elements in Güler Ates’s work is cultural displacement. She is
interested in the interaction of Eastern and Western cultures. The images that are
in the centre of Poems #3 were taken in Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk (Church of Our
Lady) in Amsterdam. This house of prayer is used by both Roman Catholic and
Syriac Orthodox communities. The latter call it the Mother of God Church. The
layered poems are written in Turkish by Güler Ates, Senay Ates and Fero Fırat. The
poems reflect the emotional encounters of immigration from Eastern Turkey to
London. However, their first mother tongue is Zazaca, which was forbidden to be
taught in the Schools.
Güler Ates works with Video, Photography, Printmaking and Performance, merging
Eastern and Western sensibilities. In the performances Ates provides a commentary
on the Western notion of Orientalism and the effects of the cross-pollination of
cultures on female identity and architecture.
The architectural sites that Ates works within retain specific links to the colonial
era and to the ‘East’.and the history of these inform the source of the fabric that
becomes a costume or veil for her performing model to wear. The subject tells a
story drawn from the history of the site, exploring her feeling of cultural duality.
The viewer is presented with the image of a veiled woman, yet the veil prevents
classification or knowledge of the figure. It is not necessarily a hijab, nor a niqab,
but it could be part of a sari or a wedding veil. Likewise the European interior
in some of her works, further complicates interpretation by referencing veiled
women, such as those found in the work of Vermeer and Rembrandt. This openness
of possible readings illustrates the multi-faceted nature of the garment. Ates uses
historical comparison to highlight social and political issues, especially those
surrounding gender politics and the veil.
Guler Ates
Born in 1977 in Eastern Turkey, Güler Ates lives and works in the UK. She graduated
in 2008 from the Royal College of Art with an MA in Fine Art. She is the current
Digital Print Tutor at the Royal Academy Schools and her work can be found in the
print collections of the Victoria & Albert Museum, Oude Kerk, Museum Van Loon
in Amsterdam, the Royal Academy of Art and the Museu de Arte do Rio (MAR)
in Rio de Janeiro. Ates’ work has been exhibited at the Summer Exhibition at the
Royal Academy for the last several years, as well as in numerous international solo
exhibitions (The Netherlands; London, Italy; Brazil; Portugal; India; Japan, Japan).
Her work has been featured in numerous groups shows and she has completed
residencies at ArtSite Fest, Turin (2018), Eton College, Windsor (2015), Instituto
Inclusartiz, Rio de Janeiro (2013-2014), Art Suites, Bodrum (2014), Space 118 & The
Loft at the Lower Parel, Mumbai & Rajasthan (2012 & 2009) and Cite Internationale
Des Arts, Paris (2007).
www.gulerates.co.uk

Distant Hope
Acrylic on Canvas
80cm x 30cm, 80cm x 60cm, 80cm x 60cm, 80cm x 60cm
2018
Distant Hope is a collection of works that were created by artist Sara-Louis Dobson
as a response to her experience of the changing nature of the working-class
communities in the areas she lived and worked in. This alongside her research in
social sciences brought about an interest in capturing the portraits of individuals
who were in some way having difficulties in integrating within their communities.
Sangeeta (crying baby) was the first portrait which Dobson was inspired to make
following an article she read in the National Geographic regarding poverty and
migration among African children. ‘Luther’ (sunglasses) was an African migrant
she met at a carnival in her home town who told her about his experiences in
the Notting Hill carnival. Both ‘Amina’ (landscape profile) and ‘Sophia’ (wearing
the veil) are Syrian refugees – who travelled from Syria to reach the UK sharing
the common vision of ‘hope’ in their journey to a better place. Using a fusion of
photography and acrylic painting Dobson created this set of images inspired by
the current political climate and cross culturalism, which looked to represent the
changing nature and variation of culture globally. Her portraiture is reflective
of this, focussing on migration, poverty and diversity whilst using experimental
techniques which test the reception of monochromatic effects against that of
colour in abstract.
Sara-Louise Dobson
Sara-Louise Dobson has been practicing art for over twenty years, inspired by her
personal experiences and close environment. Sara graduated with a 1st Class Degree
from Lancaster University, before pursuing her art and research development full
time. She now works from her studio on Wyresdale Park near Lancaster and runs
the project; Butterfly Portraits which provides portraits to bereaved families. Sara
was awarded Fellowship of the Royal Society of Arts in response to her work with
the community and continues to exhibit nationally, a body of work which seeks
to address the changing and somewhat challenging nature of societal thought
processes and social construction
www.poetryandprose.co.uk

Rootless 1988
Suitcase, acrylic, paper, and pumice stone
29cm x 34cm x 27cm
2019
A metaphor for mobility, escape, and transition, “Rootless, 1988” expresses the
emotions of a migrant embracing the journey as liberating and empowering. Rather
than telling a tale of gloom and suffering, “Rootless 1988” is the love story of the
migrant who is ready to embrace the new. The pumice stones collected from the
Greek island of Santorini are used to convey a feeling of lightness, rootlessness
and freedom - a lighthearted movement towards new experiences.
Lito Apostolakou is interested in spaces and objects not as fixed entities but as
sites transformed by our imagination, and open to interpretation. The River Thames
has long been a source of inspiration, and the materials and stones found on its
foreshore often appear in her work. Shaping and being shaped by the metropolis the
river is a liquid, ever changing archive where grand narratives mingle with personal
tales. The starting point of her work is the analysis of spaces and structures as
sites of memories and embodiments of dreams.
Lito Apostolakou
Lito Apostolakou works from her studio in Deptford Foreshore, London. Between
2015 and 2018 she has exhibited her work in Bristol (Creative Histories conference,
University of Bristol), London (Menier Gallery, Old Biscuit Factory, Talented Art
Fair, Ply Gallery, Crouch End Festival), East Sussex (Pure Arts Autumn Fair 2017),
Bath (44AD artspace), Amsterdam (Toon Gallery). She is currently taking a twoyear
Fine Art course at City Literary Institute. Apostolakou holds a PhD in history
from King’s College London and has previously worked as a historian and freelance
writer. She’s been a Londoner since 1988.
www.litoapostolakou.com

‘That the entire world is full of hearts searching
for a place to call home. But refugees are
different, because they don’t just look for a
home. They look for peace too. And because
of that, they possess the most special hearts
anyone could ever have.’

The Boy at the Back
of the Class
Illustration /Text
2018
The Boy At The Back Of The Class is a children’s novel written from the perspective
of nine year old Alexa about Ahmet, a Syrian refugee boy, who joins her class. The
Illustrations on display are the pictures Ahmet presents to his class to explain
his story. On first sight the pictures are sweet and childlike in design but what
they depict is jarring, as we start to understand Ahmet’s dangerous flight from
Syria. Illustrator Pippa Curnick has carefully captured the essence of childhood
understanding in his drawings whilst simultaneously given Ahmet the opportunity
to tell his truth. As the viewer, with our knowledge and experience we can
contextualise his story.
Onjali Q Rauf’s novel is a heartwarming tale about children trying to make sense of
the refugee crisis and holding up friendship and kindness as a response above all
else. Rauf cites 11 am on the 2nd September 2015 as the point in which she started
considering the refugee crisis. This was the morning the story broke globally of
3-year-old Aylan Kurdi, a refugee boy who died trying to cross the Aegean Sea with
his family and a beginning to her response to the crisis.
Onjali Q Rauf
Onjali Q Rauf is the founder of Making Herstory, an organisation which encourages
men, women and children to work together to create a fairer and more equal world
for women and girls everywhere. In her spare time, she delivers emergency aid
packages to refugee families living in Calais and Dunkirk, and can often be found
with her head buried in a book at the local bookshop. “The Boy at the Back of the
Class is her first novel and was winner of the 2019 Blue Peter Book Award, and
overall winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2019. She has written for
The Guardian, and is also a contributor to the BBC Radio 2 programme Pause For
Thought.
www.makingherstory.org.uk
Pippa Curnick
Pippa Curnick graduated with a first-class degree in illustration from the
University of Derby and has several years’ experience in picture book design for
major children’s publisher Alison Green Books. She lives in Leicestershire with her
partner, Ben, her two children and Sprinkles the bunny.
www.pippacurnick.com

What They Took
With Them
Video, monitors, colour and sound (stereo)
Duration: 00:05:00
2016
What They Took With Them: A List is a poem written by Jenifer Toksvig for Moving
Stories, a fundraising concert of writing and poetry which was staged at the
National Theatre in the Lyttelton, in 2016. The concert was produced by Emma
Manton, who was moved to support the United Nations’ refugee charity UNHCR
after seeing the now infamous image of 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi and other children’s
bodies washed up on the beaches of Greece.
The poem was inspired by stories and first-hand testimonies from refugees
forced to flee their homes and items they took with them. The poem was based
on verbatim and historic reports of what refugees chose to take with them when
they fled. Much of the inspiration for it came from photographer Brian Sokol’s
extraordinary photo series The Most Important Thing made in collaboration with
UNHCR. Many of Brian’s photos, along with first-hand accounts from the refugees
he photographed, are featured in the film.
From that show, the poem was made into a short film featuring UNHCR Ambassador
Cate Blanchett. Blanchett performs the rhythmic poem ‘What They Took With
Them’ alongside fellow actors Keira Knightley, Juliet Stevenson, Peter Capaldi,
Stanley Tucci, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kit Harington, Douglas Booth, Jesse Eisenberg and
Neil Gaiman.
Jenifer Toksvig
Jenifer Toksvig is a writer, lyricist and musical theatre maker. She has written and
collaborated on many shows including: The Stones Are Hatching (adapted from the
novel by Geraldine McCaughrean), The Queen of Snow (inspired by Hans Christian
Andersen’s The Snow Queen), and Hitler’s Canary (adapted from the novel by Sandi
Toksvig) with Alexander Rudd. Toksvig and Rudd are also prolific song writers whose
work has been recorded in Britain by musical theatre performers such as Julie
Atherton, Michael Xavier, Claire Moore and Niamh Perry, and in L.A. by jazz singers
such as Richard Shelton at Columbia Records. With her theatre company, The
Copenhagen Interpretation, Jenifer also directs and produces, developing devised,
immersive, transmedia musical theatre which directly engages the audience.
www.acompletelossforwords.com

Nomad
Distressed Canvas
44cm x 50cm
2008
‘Nomad’ was made within the context of ‘having to flee one’s home’, in circumstances
of exile and displacement. What to carry with you? How to protect yourself. These
are the issues that Jo Scorah wishes to address.
Hung by a rusted butcher hook, giving a sculptural 3-dimensional presence, the
garment opens out into a ‘tent-like’ shape for refuge, and has three armholes,
enabling it to be wrapped around the body for protection. Constructed from
painted canvas that has been distressed, it reveals marks reflecting the journeys
that migrants have taken.The lining is silk, screen printed with drawings depicting
bodies in conflict.
Nomad has been successfully used as the subject matter for workshops in an
inner-city school enabling students were from diverse backgrounds, to bridge
cultural differences through collage and stitch.
Jo Scorah
Jo Scorah is a visual artist based in Manchester, UK. Since completing an MA
in Textiles in 2008 she has been working within a studio practice and exhibiting
throughout the UK. Her work has focused on issues that highlight exile and
displacement. Coming from a textile background, Scorah works predominantly
with cloth, although drawing and painting constitute a great deal and she often
uses a collaboration of techniques to achieve an emotional response to the subject
matter.
www.joscorah.com

Gates to a New World
Altered book pages
18cm x 260cm
2019
“Gates to a New World” is a book sculpture with scenes of travel and displacement
by sea, an actual phenomenon that is sadly present in the daily news and that
is shaping our way of conceiving the world. It is inspired by the visual language
of traditional votive pieces, and also by artworks that are iconic for their way
of representing universal feelings. Every page presents stories of suffering,
desperation, hope, and sweetness; the people depicted are made of maps, that
represent the places they are escaping from, as well as the promised lands they
are trying to reach. They are connected and related by the same waves that engulf
their bodies; the movement of the water is recreated by the reader every time the
pages of the book are opened and closed.
Linda Toigo’s material of choice is paper, a fragile yet extremely durable material.
With this media, she explores the field of book alteration using traditional, slow
paced and laborious techniques. She creates both small works and large scale
interventions with multiple layers of carved paper. In her paper cut illustrations,
she takes the inspiration from childhood memories, traditional storytelling, and
observation of the reality; Toigo creates three-dimensional scenes from sheets of
paper assembled together, that draw the viewer into a world full of hidden details
that is often fun, surreal and ironic.
Linda Toigo
Born in Italy, Linda Toigo graduated with a Master Degree in Architecture from
Politecnico di Milano in 2006; after working for three years as an urban planner,
she decided to change her scale of intervention and moved to London to study
Graphic Design at London College of Communication, UAL. There, she fed her
curiosity for book design and book structures, discovering and experimenting with
the physical qualities of paper. Toigo’s work has been shown in solo exhibitions
and touring group shows in Italy, UK, Spain, Taiwan, and the USA; Her paper cut
illustrations have recently been published in best-selling children’s novels.
www.lindatoigo.com

Acknowledgements
With many thanks to all the artists, contributors and the London District
of the Methodist Church and all those who helped to put Transitions:
Seen Unseen together and its accompanying cataogue.
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