Asylum seekers commonly have been traumatised, marginalised and dehumanised in their home country and by their journey. Sadly, this dehumanisation does not stop when they arrive in the UK. Asylum seekers are kept in a punitive system where they are not allowed to work and forced to live on handouts and charity. Their legal case to claim asylum often takes years to conclude. Instability, imposed poverty and uncertainty for the future make it difficult to either engage with society or recover from experiences.

The New Art Studio offers something different - we provide a place of stability and friendship. Giving opportunity to recover from the nightmares of the past. The Studio offers our members the opportunity to explore and overcome trauma, regain trust in others and build a new life.

We believe that art making is transformative. The studio embraces the power of artmaking as a vehicle for recovery, where our members can learn to live with the past and find reasons to look forward to the future.