One of the most beautiful aspects of this collaboration has been the way in which we have come to realise just how interwoven our lives and ways of seeing the world are. Superficially we may appear very different – Black/White – Artist/Prof – Zimbabwean/British. Society often tries to box us in, forcing us to emphasise…
Author: Migration researcher - writer - policy analyst
Cracked
Dearest Laura Apologies for the brief pause in our conversation. I’ve been feeling completely drained and needed to take some time out. The last few days have been busy but replenishing…time spent in my garden and with my husband walking along the beautiful cliffs of Cinque Terra. Sunshine, crashing waves and winds to blow away…
Boxed
Perhaps one of the strongest themes to emerge from this collaboration is our individual and collective resistance to the social and political categories that ‘box us in’, that serve constantly to remind us of our place, how we should – and shouldn’t – behave and be. As women. As mothers. As migrants. As people from…
Our collaboration
Laura Nyahuye (Maokwo Arts) and Heaven Crawley (Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University) are, respectively, an artist and a research professor based in Coventry, UK. Whilst we might appear to have little in common, the COVID-19 lockdown has provided us with an opportunity to draw together our personal and professional experiences in…
Coming together
This piece was co-created over the course of three days (14th – 16th July 2020) as the formal part of the project came to a conclusion. The piece was intended as a reflection on the nature of our collaboration and the ways in which our lives and ways of thinking are interwoven. One person provided…
Whiteness
The privilege of whiteness Is never having to think aboutThe colour of my skinNever having to walk down the streetWith my sleeves pulled down over my handsTo stop the namesThe staresThe spit Of those that passThe privilege of whitenessIs never having to worryThat my son will be stoppedFor no reason Keep his mouth shutBut not…
Weaving words
Dear Heaven Thank you for Dappled Light. Timely Let me take you on a walk through my interaction with your email. I saw your email and l was yessssss. My plan was to open attachments last night, however yesterday turned out to be another venture into tokenistic meetings, the other, questioning what l was doing…
On the cusp
Between winter and spring Dark and light Despair and hope Fresh snow settles on the ground Small signs of life Of possibility The promise of the future Hidden from view Buried deep I close my eyes Go inside To the dark place Hunker down Wrap my arms around myself Shield from the cold And the…