Join us for a free artist talk by Arpita Shah, in connection with her current exhibition ‘From one dream to another’, which presents collaborative work produced by Shah and a group of young men from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds in Eastbourne.

Shah’s talk will give an insight into her methods, approaches and ethical considerations to community collaboration, discussing 'From one dream to another’ alongside a selection of her previous work. 

This talk is organised in collaboration with Blue Monkey Network and Towner Eastbourne, in connection with Refugee Week 2023.

'From one dream to another' is a partnership commission by Devonshire Collective and Photoworks, supported by Arts Council England.

Arpita Shah is a visual artist and community arts facilitator based inEastbourne. Her work explores where culture, heritage and identity meet, addressing issues of cultural displacement, representation and shifting cultural identities.  For the past 16 years, she has worked extensively with diverse communities across the UK. Her projects include Copan Chai, which involved travelling with a fully functioning tea stall throughout the Outer Hebrides inviting Asian communities to share stories and memories. In Purdah – the Scared Cloth, she collaborated with Sikh, Hindu and Muslim women to create portraits exploring the tradition and meaning of veiling. For Portrait of Home, commissioned for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Shah worked with Scottish families who have roots in other Commonwealth Countries to make a series of family portraits. Shah’s most recent series ‘Modern Muse’ explores young British Asian female identity across the Midlands, where she combines photographic portraits with the words of each of the women she photographed.

Accessibility:

We have a budget available to make this event as accessible as possible – this can include interpretation services or other access needs we can meet to enable you to participate.

If you require access arrangements, please email programme@townereastbourne.org.uk two weeks before the event date so that we can book a service if needed.

Image credit: Passenger, Abbas Mohammadi, digital photograph, 2022.

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