Following their workshops at May’s Sheppey event, we’re thrilled to be working further with artists Rosa Amora and Riley Summer on their project ‘ROOTED’, celebrating migration in the UK through storytelling, printmaking and community. Over the coming months, we’re going to be following along on the site as ‘ROOTED’ progresses, eventually culminating in a zine. Today, Rosa and Riley contextualise their work for CBTR readers.
ROOTED is our collaborative project built to celebrate migration in the UK. At a time when fear-mongering narratives dominate the conversation and the “othering” of migrants feels louder than ever, we are using our art to push back. We believe the UK would be nothing without immigration and we cannot pick and choose when it is convenient for us. These are people with stories and rich histories that we owe so much to. Through storytelling, printmaking and community, ROOTED seeks to uplift the narratives that are unheard, to show just how natural movement and migration truly is, and to celebrate the UK for what it really is: a rich collage of culture, stories and people without which we would be nothing as a nation. Movement is survival. Migration is life.
What brought you to this project specifically, did you always know this is what you wanted to do with your art practice(s)?
ROOTED was imagined while working at the Terminal 1 printshop at Glastonbury. We found ourselves in a space curated and brought to life through immigration — a place carefully designed to celebrate culture, yet one that could also hold the hardships and heartbreaking realities that come with crossing borders. We had many conversations about borders and their metaphorical nature, and we became increasingly hung up on how far we have removed ourselves from the natural rhythms of our planet. Life here has a pulse, and when it’s allowed to move, grow and develop freely, it’s a truly amazing thing. That is what we want to demonstrate throughout this project: a reminder to people that movement is the most natural thing on this planet. Borders are not.
We both believe art is one of the most powerful ways to connect people; it can convey messages that are accessible and create spaces in which people can feel genuinely welcome. Our practices brought us to each other, and it has been such a meaningful journey. The people we have met along the way, the stories that have already been shared with us, make it all feel incredibly special.
Can you tell our readers a little about the workshops you ran at Elmley Nature Reserve?
We ran collage and gel plate printing workshops at Elmley. We both hold printmaking very close to our hearts, so we wanted to share that joy with people and open up the space for conversations about migration of birds, animals and people alike. We really appreciate these analog printmaking methods, and with the impending and increasing rise of technology, we felt it would be nice to host something so hands-on, a process you really need to get messy for.
We felt collage was an important metaphor for the UK: a mix of cultures, languages, textures and patterns all coming together to create something unique. It was really lovely to see people who swore they weren’t creative really get stuck in and make something they could be proud of. Art is for everyone!
The workshops at Elmley felt special for so many reasons. It was beautiful to create an environment where people felt they could speak openly about their own backgrounds and share their stories free from judgment. An especially important task in the British countryside, a place so often inaccessible to many people as a result of private land ownership, racism, and a general fear of or trepidation at nature and its uncertainty. We left with many friends and many stories and for that are forever grateful.
Why now for this project — is there anything you’d like to share particularly about the timing or your intentions?
We want to make it clear that the timing of this project is no coincidence. This is a project to directly combat the hate we see in the media and in politics. The rise of the far-right, and the terrifying racist actions becoming more widespread across the UK are becoming more widely accepted as the media sets an agenda which thrives on divide and rule. We are being taught to hate our neighbour, to see immigrants not for what they have done for this country, not as the people they are individually but as an organised threat that the UK is facing. We see the lies, and the repetitions of the past, and are absolutely certain that you have more in common with an immigrant than any of the politicians who demand the public spin frustration into hatred. We need to collectively step back and assess what the people who are spreading these hateful agendas are gaining, whether it’s money or political power or both. None of these things help us as a people or a planet. They threaten the resilience of both.
