Refugees and students collaborate for mural drawing

26 April 2023

Illustration students at University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s (UWTSD) Swansea College of Art collaborated with Oasis, a centre for refugees and asylum seekers in Cardiff, to create striking artistic murals.

Students, refugees, and asylum seekers proudly showcase a large artwork they created together.

UWTSD students joined refugees and asylum seekers at the centre where together, in a live drawing event, they shared skills and created large-scale artworks to decorate the walls of the space.

The workshop coincided with St David’s Day, adding an element of Welsh culture to the theme of ‘Celebration’ that the participants were asked to explore in their drawings. Many people joined in, and everyone involved had a fantastic day.

The artworks created by the students and refugees are now displayed at the Oasis Centre, and the University has made plans to continue the collaboration by hosting a printing workshop at their Dynevor Campus and a summer festival at the Oasis Centre in Cardiff.

A person outlines the shape of their hand as part of a larger artwork.

Anais Gauci, Illustration student at UWTSD said: “We received a very warm welcome from everyone at the Oasis Centre, and myself and the other students were grateful to hear their captivating stories. Hearing about such different experiences really enhanced my understanding of their situation and it was wonderful to connect with everyone in the room through art.”

Jonathan Williams, Illustration lecturer at UWTSD said: “We were immensely proud of how the students and refugees engaged with each other and the workshops in what was a creative and pleasurable day for everyone involved. It was lovely to see the students sharing their skills to create a collaborative mural, which will remind visitors at the centre what they can achieve.”

Founded in 1853, Swansea College of Art at University of Wales Trinity Saint David is a leading provider of Arts-related courses, ranked 1st in Wales in four Arts subjects, 4th in the UK for Film and Photography, 8th in the UK for Product Design, and 10th in the UK for Graphic Design.