Child of War exhibition to support Mothers4Mothers campaign

June 2023

Beyond Conflict is working with partners to hold a unique exhibition of children’s art and words alongside new work by award-winning artist, Arabella Dorman. It will focus on the effects of war on children and will raise money for our Mothers4Mothers mental health projects in Ukraine, Iraq and Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh.

Child of War premiers at The Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family, London, from 20 November to 3 December 2023 and will feature work from diaspora and refugee communities, including displaced Ukrainians supported by the Ukrainian Welcome Centre, as well as images and literature by schoolchildren from across the UK, and art by Arabella.

The work by pupils aged 7 to 17 will comprise selected entries from our supporter, War Through Children’s Eyes – the art and writing competition that aims to show how war is viewed from a child’s perspective. Arabella, an ambassador for Beyond Conflict, will be creating new art for the exhibition, inspired by the young people’s competition entries.

All entries will be exhibited digitally online and throughout the exhibition, and all will be for sale, unless requested otherwise, with the proceeds donated to the Mothers4Mothers campaign.

The exhibition will be backed by a series of events and a panel discussion that will explore the physical and psychological impact of war upon children. It is hoped that the exhibition will then tour the UK, inviting further entries and discussion along the way.

Follow us on social media for updates on how to visit the exhibition, listen to a panel discussion and how to buy exhibits.

Arabella’s work explores the realities of conflict today, its immediate impacts and long-term consequences. She worked as an officially accredited war artist in Iraq and Afghanistan for over a decade, and in more recent years has worked in Palestine, Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.

An opportunity for creative expression in empathy with other children

Are you aged between 7 and 17 and would like to join us in our call for an end to war and violence?

Through your creativity and participation in the competition, you too can advocate for children everywhere to be able to enjoy safe, peaceful childhoods.

You are invited to submit a good quality digital photograph or a transcript of your written piece of up to 1,000 words to  www.warthroughchildrenseyes.org.uk/ by 1 September. All queries should be emailed to: info@warthroughchildrenseyes.org.uk

All entries will be judged by the panel selected by the War Through Children’s Eyes competition organisers. Winners and highly commended entries will be awarded according to age groups, in both the art and written work categories. Awards range from £100-£200 worth of Amazon vouchers, and the associated school awarded £50-£200 in vouchers for art materials or book tokens.

Beyond Conflict Co-Founder, Edna Fernandes said: “We’re honoured to be associated with this important initiative. Beyond Conflict provides free mental health support to victims of war and the frontline workers who help them. Beyond Conflict’s formation was inspired by a young Iraqi refugee who fled ISIS in 2016. She told me victims of war urgently need mental health support as ‘we are drowning in memories.’ Even after fleeing to a place of safety, they continue to live in terror. It has become clear that Beyond Conflict’s mental health support is a lifeline.”

Arabella Dorman commented: “As a war artist, I have always been fascinated by the power of the still image to express human history. Within the noise and confusion of today’s digital world, my work explores the quieter, unheard voices of children as such an expression. Voices perhaps, that most truly, hold up a mirror to our times, and reveal the unseen stories of pain, courage, loss and hope that are found, hidden, in the shadows of war: Voices that are crying out to be heard and, for the sake of humanity alone, must be listened to.”

Narmina Mamedova, War Through Children’s Eyes founder, said: “I decided to do more to give a voice to voiceless children affected by wars around the world. On the 30th anniversary of the 1992 Khojaly massacre in Azerbaijan, I organised a competition for children in the United Kingdom to raise awareness of the issue and give children a platform to express their understanding of it through art and writing.”