The “Feel at Home” project was conceived and led by Damayanthi Muthukumaranage, Founder and Director of Humanity Media CIC, who secured Arts Council England funding to bring together local communities across Wolverhampton and the wider West Midlands. Over a six month period, the project delivered a series of creative workshops designed to foster belonging, inclusion, and cross cultural understanding.

The programme included workshops in poetry, painting, crafts, drama, music, and digital illustration, offering participants multiple creative ways to explore the meaning of “home.” People from diverse backgrounds including migrants, refugees, long standing residents, and individuals newly arrived to the area were invited to take part in collective artistic activity.

Throughout the workshops, participants were supported with materials, artistic guidance, and most importantly a safe and welcoming space for expression, community connection, and cultural exchange. By the end of the programme, each participant had the opportunity to create their own artwork reflecting their personal experience, identity, and sense of belonging.

The project culminated in a public exhibition held at the Mander Centre in Wolverhampton. The exhibition ran for five days and attracted nearly one thousand visitors, demonstrating the strong resonance of the work within the community. Feedback from visitors, local organisations, and Wolverhampton City Council was overwhelmingly positive, recognising how Feel at Home created a shared cultural space where art, identity, and community came together.

The project also received attention from local media, helping the message of inclusion and belonging reach audiences beyond the immediate community.

“Feel at Home” demonstrated the power of collective creativity not only as artistic practice, but as a tool for community building and social connection. The project helped transform Wolverhampton and the wider West Midlands into a shared space where people from diverse ethnic, cultural, and migratory backgrounds could come together, express their stories, and feel a sense of belonging.

The success of the project reaffirmed our belief in the transformative potential of art and storytelling to heal, unite communities, and amplify voices that are often unheard.

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