Compassion Goes Large

An enormous piece of temporary land art has been painted in a Halifax park to celebrate Refugee Week and to show that Calderdale welcomes people fleeing war and persecution. The work was created by Sand In Your Eye with St Augustine’s Centre in partnership with Counterpoints Arts as part of our Across Borders programme funded by Comic Relief.

The image, depicting Sobeda who fled Bangladesh, and Lucy, whom she met through a local befriending programme,  illustrate the Refugee Week theme of Compassion.

The launch of the work was covered live on BBC North, with an audience of more than 2 million.

“Myself and my husband Monir were referred to the Befriending Programme run by St Augustine’s Centre, because when we arrived here we were struggling and isolated. We were introduced to Lucy who has helped us through difficult times and reduced our sadness. This is what compassion means to us,” Sobeda said.

Sobeda and Monir fled Bangladesh two years ago after Monir was tortured and his life endangered because of his political allegiances. From arriving in the UK with nothing, they are now rebuilding their lives. They are learning English, catering skills and they volunteer at St Augustine’s Centre which they describe as their ‘second home’.

“Being part of the community here has helped us with everything from providing clothes and food to helping us with education and even our mental health. Here we feel safe,” said Sobeda and her husband Monir.

Lucy, a volunteer who lives locally and is a Befriender to Sobeda said: “Watching Sodeba and Monir grow in confidence to where they are now has been fantastic and I have gained so much too. When I first met them I wasn’t able to work, but being part of something worthwhile means I’ve grown too and now have a job. It’s a two-way street.

“Together, we like going shopping, playing scrabble, taking walks in the countryside – even just having a cup of tea. Spending time together doing things that might seem simple can bring happiness and relief from all of the difficulties they have had to face and being a practical person, this is how I show compassion.”

The enormous artwork of the two friends, measuring 50 x 40 metres, will be created by local organisation Sand In Your Eye on Savile Park Moor. The organisation is renowned for creating eye-catching work that makes a big impact, which is exactly what St Augustine’s Centre Director Sara Robinson had in mind.

“This Refugee Week we want to celebrate the compassion of the people of Halifax and Calderdale and the many ways we welcome refugees. The large artwork at Savile Park reflects the rich connection between Sobeda and Lucy and the thousands of people across this valley who practise compassion for one another every day,” Sara commented.

“The number of people living in the UK who have fled war and persecution is less than 1% of our total population. If any one of us had to flee our homes and loved ones as Monir and Sobeda had to, we’d need to know there would be somewhere in the world we could go to rebuild our lives. We are proud here in Calderdale to be a Valley of Sanctuary.”

St Augustine’s Centre, formally a church, is now a hub for refugees and asylum seekers, offering them advice, practical support to help rebuild their lives with dignity.

The artwork will include birds in flight, representing freedom and migration, that will be stencilled onto the grass by local people from community groups, schools and St Augustine’s.

The centre has also run a series of workshops across Calderdale in which artists have worked with children to create hundreds of ‘birds of compassion’ that will be installed at Artworks Halifax in a dedicated exhibition for Refugee Week from 19th – 24th June.

The project has been developed in collaboration with Counterpoints Arts and with support from Arts Council England.

Photo credit: Charlotte Graham / Sand In Your Eye