On Saturday the 11th of January, during the first public discussion called ‘Arte Útil, Activism and Sincerity’, Laurie Jo Reynolds and Thomas Phillipe Guya, had the chance to meet. Thomas is a member and a representative of WE ARE HERE, a human rights group composed by refugees who applied for asylum in The Netherlands and whose claims have been rejected.

Laurie Jo and Thomas were both enthusiastic about each other’s projects and work, so they started thinking about a new proposal together, focusing on the struggle of the refugees in Amsterdam. Through a collective action Laurie Jo and Thomas have been trying to increase the visibility of the group and enhance the communication of their problems to the public by activating different actions.

On Sunday the 16th of February, Laurie Jo Reynolds with Eleni Gogou and Garazi Ansa (who are assisting her in the project) left the Museum of Arte Útil and went to Amsterdam for 3 days where they organized a 3 days workshop. They were carrying a big bag and a huge suitcase full of materials!

Their first stop was the Vluchthaven, an old prison in which some of the refugees are living at this moment.  There, after meeting Thomas, they defined the schedule for the following days. By the end of the day they also have the chance to rest and they had some delicious Sudanese food.