Commissioned as part of the V&A's Refugee Week 2026 programme, The Hugging Bench was created across a series of participatory workshops. It brought together community participants and museum visitors through the act of collective weaving.

The project began in a West London community café supporting refugees and people seeking asylum, and ended in a public workshop for all ages at the V&A. Drawing inspiration from seating within the V&A collection, including charpoy beds and woven seating traditions, participants used recycled textiles to create a shared woven bench, while also making collaborative artworks exploring tension and support using hand-held looms.

Created in response to Refugee Week's 2026 theme of Courage, the project reflects on the courage it takes to connect with others, share our stories and build welcoming communities. Rather than producing a finished object, the seating embraces an iterative process, growing through collective making.

Through simple weaving techniques and reclaimed materials, the project reimagines furniture not only as something that supports the body, but as a social structure that encourages conversation and belonging.

In 2027, The Hugging Bench will be brought to life as a public seating installation, developed further with participants of our Portal Project programme.