UNHCR exhibition A Great British Welcome arrives in Manchester

The acclaimed exhibition A Great British Welcome, created by the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and featuring CAN , will be on Manchester’s Market Street between Tuesday 11 June and Friday 28 June.

A Great British Welcome shares the stories of how communities across the UK have welcomed people who have been forced to flee their homes and come to the UK.

The exhibition reveals how British communities and the refugees and asylum-seekers they host can thrive together. The stories include the community of Rothesay on the Isle of Bute, where Syrian refugee Wafa and her two sons have become part of the community and a climbing club in Liverpool that welcomed Amir, who came to the UK from Iran in 2022.

As part of the series, in June 2023, the acclaimed photographer Andrew Testa photographed some of the CAN team and Iranian-born artist Mahboobeh Rajabi during the preparations for the June 2023’s Horizons festival which has been developed through a partnership with the city’s art venue HOME. 

CAN welcomed the multi-disciplinary artist Mahboobeh Rajabi after she sought sanctuary in the UK.  She was beginning to establish herself as an artist in her home country of Iran, and when, after leaving Iran, Mahboobeh feared her creative career was finished.

Mahboobeh established a highly successful creative career with us, beginning as a volunteer, going on to take part in various training programmes, expanding her creative work, freelancing with the organisation and going on to work as one of CAN’s team of Creative Producers.  She has gone to work with The Whitworth, Manchester Art Gallery, MIF (as a Jerwood Fellow), HOME and the University of Manchester. She has spoken and presented at events, including one with the World Health Organisation.

Andrew Testa is a regular contributor to the New York Times. His work has been featured in the Guardian, Observer, The Sunday Times, and Independent magazines, as well as in international publications such as Newsweek, Time, Der Spiegel, and Paris Match. Andrew’s work has a focus on conflict, human rights, and the environment, and he has photographed events in Kosovo, Central Asia, and the Middle East.

Mahboobeh says of her work with CAN and her life in Manchester:

“Artists are often the first to be forced to leave countries as our work is seen as challenging to oppressive regimes. I discovered CAN in 2010, and they welcomed me with open arms. Despite the difficulties I faced, I felt immediately at home.”

“Manchester, and the warm welcome from its people from diverse communities makes me proud to call the city my second ‘hometown’ now.”

“Many artists who have been forcibly displaced, like me, reflect on how their work as artists and communities watching performances and films and seeing exhibitions and participating in projects has helped them find a place in this country.”

Cilla Baynes, CAN’s co-founder and interim Creative Lead pictured with Mahboobeh, adds:

“We’re proud that CAN has been a pioneering arts organisation through our Exodus programme.”

“Over the years, CAN has worked with many artists and communities across Greater Manchester to ensure artists can launch successful creatives and that communities are represented, celebrated, and connected with the region’s host communities.”

“Creating cross-cultural experiences and forging human connections have been key to the organisation’s success for decades. Many groups and individuals say art has helped them find a place in this country.”

First shown in London during October 2023, A Great British Welcome arrives in Market Street, one of the Manchester’s key retail locations. The street has a weekly footfall of over 300,000.

A Great British Welcome will be exhibited in the middle of Market Street, with Footlocker and the Sky Store on one side and H&M on the other.

Vicky Tennant, UNCHR Representative to the UK, adds:

“The role of cities like Manchester in welcoming and supporting people who have been forcibly displaced from their homes is a unique one. Whether through adapting national and global policies and practices to their local situation or through their networks of diverse and caring communities and organisations, their work is invaluable.”

The city’s Deputy Leader, Councillor Joanna Midgley, said the inclusion of CAN in A Great British Welcome reflects the warmth of Manchester and the city’s collective vision that every person seeking sanctuary feels part of a supportive community that understands and welcomes them.

#GreatBritishWelcome

Main image (left to right): Michelle Udogu, Mahboobeh Rajabi, Katherine Rogers, Stella Barnes, Cilla Baynes, Sara Domville and Sue Fletcher.

Second image (left to right) Cilla Baynes and Mahboobeh Rajabi.

Photographs: Andrew Testa.