Inside Out, Outside In

From 2012 to 2015, Inside Out, Outside In was a ground-breaking community arts project that used the power of storytelling to promote the development of story exchanges between immigrant detainees at Campsfield House and the local residents of East Oxford.

Fusion Arts held twelve participatory sessions each year at both the centre and Campsfield House, led by experienced storytellers Gauri Raje and Sef Townsend. The sessions fostered inclusivity, social cohesion, and positive relations among these diverse communities. Aiming to dispel wider stereotypical notions about different cultures and Global Majority groups, the project promoted the inclusion of refugees in wider society. Participants were provided an open, equal creative space to gain storytelling skills and the opportunity for self-expression by creating and sharing stories to a diverse group.

Fusion Arts published a collection of these stories to reach the wider community across Oxfordshire, giving a platform to voices and experiences that had not been heard.

This project was funded by the Lankelly Chase Foundation and The Tolkien Trust, and supported by Oxford City Council.