The project

Embroidery as an activist art form on the theme of migration

We Came From is a platform for transdisciplinary collaboration on the theme of migration. Migrants are at the heart of the ideas developed. Each chapter has its own form, its own challenges and its own collaborators.The Francis Kurkdjian Endowment Fund has been working alongside the association since its inception, and it is only natural that it should continue its commitment to the social inclusion of migrants. This year 2023/24, We Came From is taking its activities a step further by focusing on Research & Development, in-house training and transmission to the public.

To this end, co-founders Nina and Farooq are moving into a new multifunctional space dedicated to making, transmitting and exhibiting their work. The space is intended to be a place of hospitality and sharing. We Came From is now offering a range of workshops open to a broad public, including an introduction to digital embroidery and an insight into the association's history. We Came From also offers more in-depth long-term training (3 months) for one or two refugees. The project is also being passed on to schools, with workshops designed for young people, including drawing sessions in class to enable pupils to express their creativity, followed by an embroidery experience in the workshop. These transmission and sharing activities are always designed to help participants develop their skills and promote embroidery as a means of artistic expression and intercultural dialogue.

photo de Fonds de dotation Francis Kurkdjian We Came From Nina Chalot Farooq Gul
Photo credit: François Prost
Nina Chalot & Farooq Gul
Co-founder
photo de Fonds de dotation Francis Kurkdjian We Came From Nina Chalot Farooq Gul
Nina Chalot & Farooq Gul

Farooq is an embroiderer, originally from Afghanistan, an asylum seeker in France. One day, he meets Nina Chalot, a designer. Together they decided to create We came from, a transdisciplinary platform of collaborative art projects to allow refugees to be heard.

News about the project
December 1, 2023
Collectif MxM, Orchestre Ostinato, The What Dance Can Do Project, We Came From
Concert, theatrical research and dance workshops: the latest news on projects supported by the Francis Kurkdjian Endowment Fund
September 4, 2023
Collectif MxM, Rualité, Orchestre Ostinato, The What Dance Can Do Project, Compagnie Shonen, We Came From
The Francis Kurkdjian Endowment Fund is back in action!
Stay up to date with the project