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Every Thursday at TOSH, The Atrium quietly comes to life. Chatter and laughter rises up over the hum of sewing machines, hands busy stitching, threading, and crafting - this is Threads, our weekly textiles group of international women, part of the wonderful Seeking Refuge Project.
This Spring, Threads have turned their focus to a project close to home — handmade punch needle cushions for our very own lounge space at TOSH. With guidance from graphic designer and workshop leader Beth Brickman, these colourful, textured cushions are being lovingly made by the wonderful women who form a key part of TOSH’s community. Soon, they’ll find their place on our sofas and chairs, making our space more vibrant, more homely, and most importantly, more meaningful.
We feel that a space becomes special not because of what fills it, but who. These cushions carry stories, warmth, and the care of a community that has come together across cultures, languages, and lived experiences. They represent what TOSH is really about - people, creativity, and human connection.
The Threads group is one strand of the wider Seeking Refuge Project, founded by local photographer Caroline Beale Johnson. It’s a creative initiative that supports refugees and asylum seekers in Bournemouth to come together through textiles, photography, cinema nights, and gardening.
"The idea for Seeking Refuge started when I read that by the end of 2019, there were nearly 26 million refugees in the world, with half being children. It’s such an important issue, but after Brexit, the way refugees were talked about in the media often created more confusion than clarity…” - Caroline Beale Johnson
Their first installation, The Stories We Thread, showcases a powerful tapestry of cyanotype fabric tiles, each handmade by members of the Threads group. Each piece tells its own story, depicting plants from the UK, maps of people’s hometowns, countries and precious objects. To produce the final piece, Threads worked collaboratively to sew these images together, embellishing them with gold embroidery. When exhibited, viewers can absorb the piece as a whole, appreciating the vast scale of the work, or explore the individual pieces and dive deeper into the stories behind them.
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Following the success and the profound impact of this first project, the Threads group felt inspired to create a second installation that was just as meaningful. Enter A Seat at the Table.
A Seat at the Table is a communal Community and Activism work of embroidered plates of food, inspired by the countries of people seeking refuge in the UK who were staying in Bournemouth during the time of making. The tablecloth is an extraordinary 11-metres long, and celebrates the food cultures of 36 countries. Members of the Seeking Refuge Project spent many months producing this work, using disused hotel bed sheets.
The Threads workshops have been facilitated by local artists Beth Brickman, Heidi Steller and Maddison Collymore.
Spending time at TOSH means being part of a space where positive things like this are always happening - where creativity and community are woven into everyday life. Whether you’re coworking, running a session, attending a workshop, or simply stopping in for a cuppa, you’re surrounded by stories, connection, and care. It's a place where new friendships form, collaborations blossom, and diverse voices are celebrated.
TOSH is more than just a building - it’s a shared, inclusive space where people from all walks of life come together to create something bigger. And we think it’s pretty special!
Follow and support: @SeekingRefugeProject
And if you haven’t yet, come take a seat… the cushions are nearly ready!
