What We Carry

You have to leave your home in a few hours, not knowing when, or if, you will ever return, and you can only take one small bag. 

What do you bring with you? 

This is the experience of many Ukrainian people living here in Dundee and the subject of a deeply moving exhibition launched at HMS Unicorn last Friday evening. 

“What We Carry” tells the stories of fourteen Ukrainians who have made their home in Scotland. They share meaningful objects, gathered in moments of crisis, and under pressure. Objects for safety and survival, for comfort, memory and connection, for eduction and tradition, identity and community. 

Woven within these items, the exhibition also displays objects that reflect the new life they are rebuilding here in Dundee. Courage and resilience shine throughout. 

And the launch itself was a celebration of Ukrainian culture with food and music. 

The exhibition is a collaboration between HMS Unicorn, Bring Together and Ukrainians Together transforming experiences of displacement into opportunities for connection, cultural exchange and mutual support. Through engagement with Scottish heritage, the collaboration fostered new connections, supported language development and encouraged shared learning. 

It was an absolute honour to support this exhibition with design for the panels that form a backdrop to the displayed objects. 

And it was lovely to connect once again with Olha, a young woman my Rotary Club sponsored three years ago to attend a youth leadership camp. I am so proud to see her courage to build a new life for herself here in Dundee, to learn a new language, to complete school, to volunteer in the community and to follow her dream to study art at college. 

If you can spare an hour between now and June, I recommend you visit the exhibition to gain a greater understanding of these amazing people who are living and rebuilding their lives amongst us.