Melbourne-based not-for-profit The Social Studio is raising awareness of the success stories of its members this week, to celebrate Refugee Week (June 20-26).
Helping to highlight the positive contribution people with refugee backgrounds have made to the Australian fashion industry, The Social Studio is this week spotlighting the work of one of its former students, Asal Foroud.
The organisation provides skills development, training and space within Australia's fashion and design industry to people with refugee backgrounds.
Foroud graduated from The Social Studio’s Certificate III program in clothing production in 2019 and has continued her fashion studies at Holmesglen TAFE.
She returned to the Studio in early 2021 to take up a three-month paid internship in the production department, honing her garment-making skills and working on The Social Studio’s collaboration with designers Romance Was Born and South Sudanese artist Atong Atem.
Speaking on her time with The Social Studio, Foroud said the program gave her the confidence to apply for work.
"I arrived by boat into Australia in 2010 and spent my first year in detention centre in Christmas Island. It was a very traumatic experience for me.
"Boats would arrive with kids who lost their parents and I remember dreaming about the simple things in life like eating tomatoes.
"In 2012 I started going to The Social Studio and attended their Saturday social sewing classes.
"I enjoyed it so much that when I was finally granted a refugee visa, I enrolled in Certificate III in Clothing and Textile Production.
"Earlier this year I completed a three-month production internship with The Social Studio’s manufacturing team. The experience was remarkable and thought-provoking.
"Working through all the stages of production gave me, someone who did not have serious and practical experience in this field, the courage to write a resume and find a job," she said.
To enable more people with refugee backgrounds to complete a paid internship, The Social Studio is working to raise $21,600 this financial year.
This will be enough to give eight trainees paid work experience across its retail and production departments.
The Social Studio CEO Dewi Cooke said the programs offer space and support for people to experiment and learn.
"We know that one of the greatest barriers to employment for young people from refugee and new migrant backgrounds is simply finding the opportunities and support to have a go.
"The Social Studio offers a platform through art, creativity and design for these positive community narratives to shine," she said.
Over the past decade, The Social Studio has supported more than 780 youth from migrant and refugee backgrounds with meaningful, practical experience.
Foroud's work is now on display at Monash University Library’s ‘Perfect Migrant’ exhibition.