Culture and knowledge packed into one exhibition

By gcarter

AN EXHIBITION of suitcases throwing a spotlight on the journeys made by people travelling long distances in search of work and a new life opens at the DMT Galleries, a brand new art space in a former commercial garage in Camborne.

I Packed This Myself has been created by the cultural arts organisation Bridging Arts in partnership with University College Falmouth (UCF).

The exhibition presents new work by 3D design students at the college created with input from migrant workers from as far afield as Denmark, a suitcase and film by Nottingham-based artist Paul Matosic, and photography by award winning photojournalist Tom Pilston.

"We all make journeys in life and many of us travel a long way to find work," says Bridging Arts' director Susan Roberts. "We all face similar difficulties. Earning a living in a new place, whether in this country or abroad, can be a huge challenge. It's tough creating a new life, making new friends and dealing with cultural differences and language barriers.

"This is a big question for Cornwall and the Cornish. Workers from overseas travel here to work in many sectors of the economy, particularly agriculture. And over the years many people from Cornwall have left home to find jobs, from the miners who travelled to America when the tin industry collapsed in the 19th century to all those more recently who left in search of jobs."

UCF students Jo Bennett, Francesca Cooling, Jack Seal and Ross Tibbles have looked closely at these issues, creating work in liaison with migrant workers and Gareth Bale and Trystan Marshall of DMT Galleries.

Artist Paul Matosic presents a suitcase brought to this country by his father in the late 1940s after he carried it with him from Zagreb, Yugoslavia, to the labour camps and then to Dresden, Germany, where he sheltered under it during the bombing.

The photographs of migrant workers by Tom Pilston were commissioned by Bridging Arts for an Education Pack on Citizenship issues, funded by the Local Network Fund administered by Cornwall Community Foundation.

The exhibition will be on display at DMT Galleries, Camborne until Saturday, March 21.

The gallery is open daily from noon to 4pm.

For more information on the project see www.bridging-arts.com