KEEPSAKES - CUIMHNEACHÁIN, a new exhibition at the Galway City Museum, will document the journey of 10 migrants to Ireland through the keepsakes they brought with them or the objects that helped them feel at home in Ireland.
The booklet will be launched this Saturday, September 25, at 2pm in the museum foyer. Ten people from across the continent of Africa took part in the project, and their stories, as well as featuring in the museum, will also be featured in an illustrated booklet published by Galway City Museum and made available through local schools and libraries.
The project will also be published on www.galwaycitymuseum.ie on Thursday September 30, where a copy of the booklet can be downloaded free.
Over the past year, the museum, working with facilitator Georgina Edziwa, engaged with 13 individuals seeking asylum and refuge in Ireland. Museum director, Eithne Verling, feels the project is appropriate given that Galway is Ireland’s most multicultural city, with c20 per cent of the population coming from other countries.
.
Peju, Georgina, and Precious, who are all taking part in the Galway City Museum's Keepsakes project.
“Keepsakes provides a glimpse into this cultural diversity and introduces us to a group of new friends and neighbours whose story is now part of our collective story,” she said.
For Georgina Edziwa, the “power of sharing a story through a keepsake is incredible”.
“We all value different things and they keep us connected,” she said. “The stories sustain resilience, create inner peace, build hope, improve the migrant’s physical health, make sense of the past and present, and improve the quality of life of the migrants.
“Getting the chance to talk about something important to you creates change and allows a connection with humankind around you. The stories were fascinating. People leave footprints in our hearts. The project was a mixed bag of feelings and emotions.”
