The Stove Network hosted One Day Without Us on Monday 20th February, which saw the people of Dumfries come together to celebrate the contribution that migrants make to the UK saw a huge turnout. One Day Without Us, which took place all over the UK, provided people with the opportunity to express their solidarity, and explore how migration has had a positive impact on both their own lives and the lives of the wider Dumfries and Galloway community.
On Monday, thousands of migrants and their supporters took part in the National Day of Action to celebrate the vital role that migrants play within their own communities. There was a great turnout for the day, and many people and their families joined us at The Stove to share food, listen to music, watch short films, share a personal story and post messages of support on the walls.
Emerging artists platform, Blueprint100, had the opportunity to coordinate and organise the event for The Stove. Blueprint100 Curatorial Team Member, Michael Moore, commented, “To me 1 Day Without Us was all about displaying our community’s strength through diversity, with people from different nations around the world living harmoniously together.”
There was also opportunities for members of the public to share their own personal stories of how migration has changed their lives. Stories were shared on the walls of The Stove, and will be eventually collated into a zine. At 1pm, people across the nation joined together to show their support in a number of ways, by linking arms or holding hands. By encouraging people to share their stories and speak out, this event aimed to spread the message that migrants make a positive contribution to Dumfries and Galloway, enriching the fabric of everyday life in our town.
