Check out these powerful self-portraits and audio stories by local multicultural women, reflecting on their own sense of self within the context of Knowle West and the homes they have left behind…
The following works were created through a series of workshops facilitated by our Spring 2024 artist in residence, Myah Asha Jeffers: a portrait and documentary photographer, writer and filmmaker.
Myah connected with local multicultural women using photography, printmaking, sound, and textiles to explore the complexity of the diasporic experience (the experience of leaving your original homeland). These art pieces offer blueprints of possible futures; exploring and reimagining notions of ‘home’ and ‘belonging’ through the lens of migration.
Myah’s residency was supported by Arts Council England and Diverse Artists Network (DAN), with workshops as part of the DAN DIASPORA! Festival. All creative outputs below were combined to create a sonic tapestry which was displayed at Knowle West Fest and Knowle West Media Centre.
Through workshops, local multicultural women learned how to make their own self-portrait using a medium format film camera; offering them a sense of agency and self-determination through how they wished to present themselves through the lens.
This work serves as a celebration of an ever-evolving community comprised of multiple cultures, faiths and races.
Rendering each portrait blue using a cyanotype printing method, originally used for architectural blueprints, these self-portraits act as a blueprint for the future of Knowle West.
Drawing inspiration from the various forms of traditional cloth in African, Arab and Caribbean cultures, this tapestry is a re-imagining of a community cloth, within the context of Knowle West. Some of the women featured also worked on constructing the tapestry – weaving their past and future into each fabric square.
The laborious and tactile process of cutting, pressing and sewing the tapestry, using pieces of material from a vast range of countries, created a space for quiet reflections on personal histories, as well as a communal sharing of traditions.
Each of the women shared their reflections on the realities of migration, what it means to make a new home miles away from your own, and hopes for the future.
Edited and sound designed by Rowan Bishop.
Myah began her residency with a pop-up photo booth on Filwood Broadway in Knowle West which was open to everyone in the community. Lots of local people (and dogs!) of all ages came to say hi and take a self-portrait using Myah’s old medium format camera. This workshop was part of the Diverse Artists Network DIASPORA! Festival programme, celebrating cultural diversity through the arts.
This led on to Myah working with One Love Hub, a group of local multicultural women who work together to connect, share skills and stories, and access local cultural food. During these workshops, they captured self-portraits which they exposed as cyanotypes, co-created the tapestry above, and gathered audio recordings of their experiences.
While reflecting on her residency, Myah commented that she had lots of freedom alongside hands-on support. The residency opened up new ways of working for her, especially around sound and connecting with a local sound artist. Myah particularly appreciated the support from technicians at our makerspace KWMC The Factory and freedom from budget constraints, allowing for more meaningful, valuable work that embedded care and adaptability into each session.
We are excited to share that since Myah’s residency, One Love Hub are going to be running a textile project with us! The project is inspired by the moment when Myah asked the group if they remembered the first photograph that was taken of them. One woman remembered that her first photograph was taken on her wedding day and she would love to remake her wedding dress then be photographed again, feeling more empowered this time around.
Special thanks to Arts Council England, Diverse Artists Network and One Love Hub for all your support.
This project was a particularly timely celebration of diversity in Knowle West, given the appalling racist and islamophobic riots that took place in Bristol and across the UK in August 2024. Knowle West Media Centre stand against all forms of discrimination and racism. We believe the diversity of communities should be celebrated. Bristol is officially signed up as a City of Sanctuary, and we proudly stand by this. Refugees are warmly welcomed here.
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