The artist and scholar Aida Foroutan flagged an exhibition she was participating in alongside 21 other women artists, Travelling Heritage Bureau. Exhibited at HOME, Manchester, as part of Refugee Week 2018, it should have already been on my radar (but it’s the tail end of a very busy few months…). Mixed media work was displayed encompassing film, painting, photography, sculpture and craft. Connected by the theme of displacement, all the women artists’ were at various stages of building a new stage of life in the UK. Alongside showcasing a brilliant set of works, expertly curated by Dr Jenna Ashton of DWAN, the exhibition served to highlight the difficulty of finding space to showcase work that falls in-between categories – neither emerging artists, fresh out of college, nor established on the ‘international’ arts circuit of residencies and solo shows. With exhibition schedules often programmed 2-3 years in advance at art galleries and museums of all sizes, it is especially tricky finding space to respond to new arrivals and emerging political issues. Whilst on show for only a brief period at HOME, the network of artists will continue with workshops and exhibitions extending into the autumn (for more information).

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