Baltic Preview: We all came here from somewhere

Preview Invite
We all came here from somewhere
Friday 22 November 2024 | 18:00-20:00

is a thoughtful showcase of stories, artwork and objects made in collaboration with the communities Baltic knows, welcomes, and creates with. The exhibition spotlights the warm welcome that is offered by Baltic and by organisations across the North East region. It shines a light on the people, practice and rituals that create a culture of welcome.

We warmly invite you and a guest to join a celebration opening event on Friday 22 November in Learning Lounge, Level 2 at Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead.

There is no charge to attend this event, and we encourage donation tickets. If you're unable to attend the event, we are unable to refund your donation. Booking is essential.

18:00 Exhibition opens
18:15 Music
18:30 Speeches
18:45 Music
20:00 Exhibition closes

is an evolution of the relationships and ways of working which form part of Baltic’s ongoing community activities. Those activities are driven by the question: 'How can we be a good neighbour and support people seeking sanctuary to feel welcome and at home in the North East?'

Officially recognised as a Gallery of Sanctuary since 2022, Baltic embeds a culture of welcome and seeks to promote understanding and celebration of the ways which people seeking sanctuary enrich our society.

The exhibition has been conceived alongside community partners and collaborators, including a working group of people with lived experience of migration and displacement, and Walking With in North Tyneside, a busy and thriving community in Wallsend that provides a welcome and support for refugees and asylum seekers.

The exhibition includes a series of newly commissioned portrait photographs by Kuba Ryniewicz, the video work Understanding the UK Asylum System: Myths and Realities, made by Zilan Kuzu, Tracy Affleck’s banner Together with Refugees, a sound piece by Ruth Brickland, work by the North Tyneside Schools of Sanctuary, and Sadia Sikandar’s new photographic portrait series Asylum: A Long and Painful Process created in collaboration with Walking With’s community group. Sikandar’s portraits - and the stories her subjects tell of the ways in which the asylum process has taken its toll on their lives – provide a harsh reminder to us all that 'welcome' remains a work in progress.

View information on getting to Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead and plan your visit by reading our visual story on what to expect when visiting us.

You can view Baltic's access facilities before your visit. For access requests specific to the event, please email [email protected] to let us know about any requirements you have.

View information on Getting to Baltic.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead Quays, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom