Together Apart - a collaborative project by the West Somerset Welcome Hub Art Group, supported by Georgina Towler & Melanie Deegan. The space is open to the public from 14.12.2024 - 01.01.2024, daily from 10am - 5pm.

Together Apart represents the gathering and creativity of a group of Ukrainian people currently living in West Somerset, who met here in Studio 10 every Wednesday evening over the course of one month. Together, they worked with East Quay resident artists Georgina Towler and Melanie Deegan to create a wall collage filled with images and objects that make them smile, give them hope and remind them of community.

Right now globally, over 100 million people have been forced to flee their homes, according to the UN Refugee Agency. The number of displaced persons exceeded 100 million for the first time in 2022. This has more than doubled compared to ten years ago, and 35 per cent of this group are children.

Prior to the outbreak of war in Ukraine in February 2022, there were 200 displaced people in Somerset. Now, less than two years later, there are over 2,000, the majority of whom are Ukrainian, sponsored by over 700 host families across Somerset.

Watchet hosts one of six Somerset Welcome Hubs run by the charity Charis, in partnership with Somerset Council and Onion Collective. The Hub provides support, safe spaces, means of resettlement, help to find employment and English provision. Managed by a dedicated team and led by Kate Kennedy and Katia Kulomza, the Hub also aims to provide friendship and a sense of togetherness through being part of a community.

We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone from the Welcome Hub who has been involved in making this project happen - it's been a pleasure to work with you.