Centrala is pleased to announce the launch of Loom Lab – a 12 month programme supporting Afghan and Syrian families who have recently resettled in Birmingham.

Running from December 2025 to November 2026, this project will bring together creative workshops, cultural events, support in accessing Birmingham’s cultural scene, wellbeing sessions, and nature-based activities. The programme will offer safe, welcoming spaces where families and individuals can relax, form new connections, and grow in confidence as they settle into their new community.

Responding to Community Need

Many Afghan and Syrian families face trauma, language barriers, isolation, and limited opportunities to engage in culturally sensitive community spaces. Women in particular have told us they need supportive, women-friendly activities, opportunities to express themselves, and spaces where their children are welcome.

Loom Lab has been developed in direct response to these needs, building on Centrala’s long-standing relationships with resettled communities and our experience delivering trauma-informed and multilingual programmes.

What the Project Will Offer

The programme will provide a range of regular activities based at Centrala, with some sessions taking place along the local canal and nearby green spaces.

Activities for Women and Children

Women and children will be able to take part in monthly creative workshops offering arts, crafts and storytelling activities supported with multilingual resources in Dari, Pashto and Arabic. They will also have access to weekly yoga and mindfulness sessions, providing gentle, trauma-informed movement and relaxation designed for all abilities. These women-and-children-only sessions offer a safe, comfortable space that removes childcare barriers and supports emotional wellbeing.

Activities for the Whole Family

The programme will  include monthly family nature walks, introducing families to local canal routes and green spaces and helping them feel more confident navigating their surroundings. Every 2 months we will organise cultural events presenting and sharing  music, poetry, storytelling, dance.

Participants who wish to develop their creative skills further will be able to access one-to-one or small-group mentoring, supporting artistic growth, self-expression and pathways into Birmingham’s cultural life.

The project will culminate in a final celebration event during Refugee Week 2026, bringing together performances, artworks and cultural displays created over the year, and sharing participants’ achievements as well as the journey documented along the way.

Our Aims

Through Loom Lab, we aim to:

  • Celebrate and Preserve Cultural Heritage – Support Afghan and Syrian communities  to explore and share their cultural and art
  • Foster Integration – Create opportunities for cultural exchange
  • Encourage Active Cultural Participation – Provide safe and  supportive space and platform for expression
  • Develop Skills and Confidence – support to individuals to develop their existing skills, learn new ones, progress in their creative and artistic expression 
  • Support identity and cultural adjustment – Use creativity and cultural sharing to help families, especially children and young people, navigate identity crisis and culture shock in a positive and empowering way.
  • Strengthen Community Bonds – Use shared cultural activities to build connections within and between communities.
  • Provide voice to minority  communities and opportunity influence public perception to  challenge stereotypes of migrants and refugees

Funded by Birmingham City Council, whose support enables this project to take place.