A CARLISLE group looking to connect with the wider world has used a unique city centre art project to explore isolation.

Organised by community group AWAZ Cumbria, the art installation - part of the wider Freiraum project - can be found in The Lanes shopping centre

The project, which will stay until the end of the month, draws on contributions from several local groups, including Carlisle Youth Zone and Bluejam Arts.

Freiraum, which means ‘free space’ in German, is the brainchild of the Goethe-Institut, a global cultural association based in Germany.

The Freiraum project aims to draw communities from 40 cities across Europe closer together, something AWAZ Cumbria’s development officer Aftab Khan said was particularly important in the current political climate.

“Freiraum has been an exciting project that connects Carlisle across borders with communities across Europe,” he said.

Perhaps most powerfully, the installation incorporated words spoken by recent refugees from Syria now living in Carlisle.

One of those involved was 20-year-old Shireen Hama, who first came to the UK last April.

“We tried to explore isolation for us, and how we feel now in England,” Shireen said.

Originally from Amuda close to the north-eastern border with Iraq, Shireen escaped with her family into Kurdish Iraqi territory to avoid the ongoing devastation of the Syrian Civil War.

“It was better than in other cities”, said Shireen. “But everything was very hard to do.

“I couldn’t go to university, I couldn’t study. Around my city was the war. Everywhere was war.

“We didn’t have any choice. We had to move to another country.”

Jane Dudman, curator of the exhibition, was proud to broadcast the message from Shireen and from others.

“This is art created about Carlisle by young people and other people who don’t normally get a voice,” she said.

Commercial director of The Lanes, David Jackson, was pleased the shopping centre could give a home to the project.

“We were very happy to host it,” said Mr Jackson. “We’re a central location in the city, so we can give it maximum exposure.”