Credit: Tom Platinum Morley
I’m Ganna Bielcheva, a graphic designer from Ukraine with a background that bridges technical precision and creative exploration. I started my career in the printing industry, where I developed a strong foundation in layout, production processes, discipline, and attention to detail. Over the years, I worked with advertising agencies, publishing houses, and IT companies, taking on diverse roles that expanded my skills across branding, editorial design, and digital media. I also shared my expertise as a university lecturer, helping students connect design theory with real-world practice.
Now, living in the UK, I’m continuing to develop my design practice by adapting to new audiences and influences. I see this transition as a creative opportunity — to merge cultures, evolve my voice, and contribute to meaningful projects with both heart and clarity.
Reflecting on my journey with the Voice Notes project, I am filled with gratitude for the opportunity to contribute to such a meaningful endeavour. As a graphic designer, my role encompassed creating a series of uniquely designed postcards, posters, the book cover, app cover pages, the design and implementation of the website; and an Instagram post for Refugee Week. Each piece aimed to encapsulate the project’s essence and the diverse voices it represents.
My involvement began when I came across the project information; the vacancy seemed tailor-made for me. I possessed the necessary experience and skills, had personal experience of relocating to another country, and my primary job as a youth coordinator in the refugee sector aligned perfectly. This convergence added a sense of responsibility, as I knew I couldn’t accept failure. Fortunately, everything fell into place, and I was entrusted with the role, given immense creative freedom for design decisions.
Participating in the workshops with numerous authors was an extraordinary experience. Leah from Compass Collective always started our sessions with a small game, immediately engaging everyone and dissolving any tension or shyness. I vividly recall running around the room searching for the smallest blue object—a moment filled with laughter and camaraderie. Despite my lack of prior writing experience, I found immense joy in listening to others. Certain phrases have stayed with me, such as Vincius’s poignant question: “Mom, do you still remember me?” These words stuck in my mind. I was inspired to preserve these feelings visually, to convey the atmosphere and highlight the diversity while uniting everything cohesively. A broad colour palette, typography accommodating various languages and scripts, and original art drawings became my tools.
Credit: Amal Thomas
Designing for this project presented unique challenges. There was the pressure of responsibility when working with creative individuals—writers. Since we didn’t discuss the visual aspects with the project participants, I only had a file with lines from various writers’ novels, each with a different mood. Additionally, I considered the scalability of the design; the visual composition needed to look excellent both in small formats and as large posters at exhibitions, social media posts, and postcards. This required fine-tuning, working with line thickness, and finding the right font. The colour palette also needed to transition perfectly from print to digital formats while remaining as consistent as possible.
The significance of the Voice Notes project lies in its celebration of diverse voices that have experienced forced displacement. By showcasing these unique narratives, the project fosters understanding and empathy, highlighting the resilience and creativity of individuals from various backgrounds. This emphasis on diversity and inclusion deeply resonated with me, reinforcing the importance of representing multiple perspectives through art and design.
On a personal level, this project contributed to my growth. Participating in the workshops marked my first experience in writing, especially in a foreign language. It gave me a boost and confidence. Now I am more assured in expressing my thoughts in words and use this for personal advancement. It was also my first experience applying for a grant, with tremendous support from the entire team. This opened up new development strategies for finding my unique voice in design and future growth.
After the exhibition in Nottingham, doors opened for new collaborations, including the Nottingham Contemporary project “A Word to Our City.” This city has now become a crossroads of my creative paths. Additionally, I gained experience not only in design but also in implementing a website on the WordPress platform.
Contributing to this project has been a profound experience, allowing me to merge my passion for design with a cause that resonates deeply. It reinforced the power of art and design in storytelling and advocacy, reminding me that creativity can bridge gaps and foster understanding across diverse communities.
Reflections on the Launch of Hold to Record: Voice Notes from Refugees (London)
Written by Hamida Khoder
The launch of Hold to Record on April 15 at South Kensington Library was an unforgettable moment in my journey as a writer. I still find it difficult to put into words what it meant to stand in a space where stories—often silenced or overlooked—were finally welcomed with open arms and listening hearts.
My involvement with the Voice Notes project began with a deep curiosity about storytelling as a form of healing. I was drawn to the idea that writing could be a bridge—not only between cultures but also between moments of personal trauma and collective understanding. What started as a tentative step into a new writing community quickly became a transformative experience. Each workshop, each conversation, helped uncover layers of my own story, and gave me the courage to write more truthfully and more openly than I ever had before.
One of the most meaningful parts of the writing process was the sense of solidarity it fostered. We were all refugees or migrants, each carrying different memories, languages, and landscapes within us. But through this project, we began to understand each other beyond those labels. We were no longer just individuals marked by displacement—we were storytellers, artists, and survivors reclaiming the narrative in our own words.
Of course, writing wasn’t always easy. There were moments when I felt stuck, when the memories were too heavy or the words refused to come. But being part of a supportive, compassionate writing group made all the difference.
The launch itself was more than just a celebration—it was a moment of arrival. Seeing the library transformed into a space for honest storytelling filled me with pride. For many of us, it was our first time reading in public. I could feel the nervous energy in the room slowly transform into quiet strength as each writer took the stage. These were not just stories on paper—they were lived experiences, shared with courage.
I’m deeply grateful to the organizers, the library staff, and everyone who came to listen. Thank you for treating our stories with care and dignity. This project reminded me how powerful it is to be seen and heard, especially when your voice has been ignored for so long.
Looking ahead, I hope Hold to Record Voices encourages more people to tell their stories. I hope it creates ripples—sparking conversations, challenging stereotypes, and opening hearts. And most of all, I hope readers walk away with the same feeling I had when I first joined this project: that our stories matter.
Thank you !
Voice Notes: Hold to Record is published by Palewell Press, featuring new writing from refugees, asylum seekers and migrants.
Hold to Record is part of the Voice Notes project, funded by the AHRC and led by Sarah Jackson (Northumbria University) in collaboration with Compass Collective, Counterpoints Arts and other international partners. Please visit https://crossedlines.co.
