Family Reunified
A project by Studio Treble & MOAS
June Refugee Week 2022
THE PROJECT
A group of 12 artists and creatives created beautiful and unique pieces dedicated to the theme of Family Reunification, in support of MOAS’ Safe and Legal Routes campaign.
This Refugee Week 2022, MOAS worked with the Manchester-based Studio Treble and a network of talented artists and creatives to generate a suite of artworks in the theme of ’Family Reunification’ – a key part of MOAS’ work in the promotion and support of ‘Safe & Legal Routes’ for migrants and refugees worldwide. The artworks created by the artists who have kindly given their time to raising awareness around MOAS’ work, were released during the week.
The Campaign
The aim of the campaign was to generate awareness for MOAS’ global work through a collection of different artworks under the general Refugee Week theme of ‘Healing’.
“Through creativity and conversations, Refugee Week 2022 was a celebration of community, mutual care, and the human ability to start again.”
Studio Treble reached out to their creative network of different local and national artists, to create a collection of artworks that were inspired by ‘Family Reunified.’ Their creative interpretations of this idea cast a unique lens and perspective on ‘Safe and Legal Routes,’ shining a new light on the topic.
ENSEMBLE
weareensemble.co.uk
We liked the connotations around the key, after discovering keys are the most common possession taken by refugees when fleeing their home. The key within the piece belongs to the Nikolayuk family who are currently living with a family in Bradford.
Laura Boast
consciousmade.co.uk
This creative piece ‘To-gether’ visually represents the incredible work of family-founded #MOAS through the metaphor of a piece of paper. Taking the audience on a journey; from a single A4 sheet that was trimmed and separated, to being bound back together and reunited in a whole new format.
Flow Creative
weareflow.uk
It was difficult not to feel inspired by the brief and the work MOAS do to help people at their most vulnerable time. We wanted to create in one visual a snippet of the multiple emotions felt by people forced to leave their home, from the cold, exposure, uncertainty, fear, hope, resilience and ultimately love.
Duncan Rudd
3drstudio.co.uk
This artwork has been taken from an upcoming animation by Duncan Rudd. The film explores the theme of vulnerability; using the sea and its unknown predators as a metaphor for the dangers faced by refugees when searching for sanctuary.
Dani Molyneux
dotto.studio/work
The Way Is Family uses a graphic typographic style alluding to paths and journeys. The words express the idea of following family. The colours were chosen to feel like sea and sun—juxtaposing the ideas of long difficult journeys with hopeful horizons.
Alexandra Francis
alexandrafrancis.com/work/
Meal times are when families come together, telling stories of their day, gossiping and laughing around plates of food. Being able to do this should be a given, not a rare luxury.
Danielle Rhoda
daniellerhoda.co.uk/contact
Given the theme of Family Reunified for this year’s Refugee Week it was important for me to highlight the exact moment a family finally gets to embrace each other knowing they can look towards more hopeful days.
Valentina Santolini
studiotreble.com
Traditional lullaby, sung by Giulia Cosentino, Valentina Santolini and Blanche Lacoste. A lullaby to convey a soothing feeling of calm and peace, to rock children to sleep even in the most difficult circumstances.
Sarah Brewster
studiotreble.com
Deliver Us scored by Hans Zimmer for the film The Prince of Egypt, played by Sarah Brewster. This piece depicts a mother trying to get her child to a place of safety, knowing she may never see him again, and trusting that he will be welcomed into the arms of another family.
Mat Lucas
studiotreble.com
Exploring the materials and objects that are prevalent for families moving across countries and borders. Hastily written notes, emergency blankets, carabiners all quickly tied together before leaving homes.
Alastair Stewart
studiotreble.com
Through the tears and the smiles, the sleepless nights,
Battling through days with no respite, no signs of change,
But driven by the happiness, love and innocent eyes.
Safe and Legal Routes
In recent years, thousands of refugees – including large numbers of children – have drowned at sea while trying to move from one country to another, by boat. Others have lost their lives while crossing deserts in overcrowded trucks or trekking on foot through impenetrable forests and mountain ranges. Those who have been fortunate enough to survive their journey have often endured terrible and traumatic experiences, including rape, torture, slavery, detention, extortion and exploitation. With the #SafeAndLegalRoutes campaign, MOAS is advocating for governments and international institutions to fight exploitative and dangerous migration routes and human trafficking by increasing safe and legal pathways of migration. These routes exist but are not sufficiently operationalized to support the most vulnerable people in safely reaching their countries of destination.
One of these pathways was the focus of our campaign:
Family Reunification
Family reunification represents one of the most common ways for refugees to enter a host country safely and legally. It offers the possibility for refugees to reunite with their family members in their countries of resettlement, highlighting the fundamental importance of family unity. MOAS are looking to build awareness of this type of pathway, expanding these to allow refugees – especially children who find themselves without an appropriate adult guardian – to join close relatives who have already made their way to another country.
We are so grateful to all the artists and creatives who made this project possible!
Any artworks created for this campaign are supporting the MOAS team and our global projects, by raising awareness for safe migration pathways. Studio Treble and the creatives involved did not take any fee in the curation of this project and created all pieces pro-bono in support of MOAS and their work with Refugees.
Thank you from everyone at MOAS & Studio Treble!