The “Feel at Home” project was conceived and led by Damayanthi Muthukumaranage, who secured Arts Council funding to bring together local communities across Woolhampton and the wider West Midlands. Over a six-month period, we organized a series of creative workshops, including poetry, painting, crafts, drama/play, music and digital illustration, designed to foster belonging, inclusion, and cross-cultural understanding.

Participants from diverse backgrounds, whether migrant, long-standing resident, or newly arrived to the area, were invited to engage in collective creative work under the shared theme of “home.” Through these workshops we provided not only materials and artistic guidance, but also a safe space for expression, community connection, and cultural exchange. By the end of the programme, each participant had the opportunity to produce their own art piece, reflecting their experience, identity, and sense of belonging.

The project culminated in a public exhibition held at the Mander Centre in Woolhampton. The exhibition ran for five days and attracted nearly one thousand visitors, a clear testament to the resonance and impact of the work. The feedback from attendees, local community groups, and Woolhampton Council was overwhelmingly positive, highlighting how “Feel at Home” succeeded in creating a communal space where art, identity, and shared humanity met. The local press also paid attention, helping the project’s message reach even further across the region.

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“Feel at Home” demonstrated the power of collective creativity not just as art, but as community building; it turned Woolhampton and the wider West Midlands, into a shared home for people from diverse ethnic, cultural and migratory backgrounds. The success of this project affirmed our belief in the transformative potential of art and media to heal, unite, and give voice to everyone.