It was 12th February, Thursday. Instead of being in the office, we were at Euston station waiting for the train to Manchester.

‘Bridges to Sunflower’ was a project that has been planned back from last October, it was collaborative workshop/exhibition with The Sunflower Dream Project-a creative charity for children in Ukraine. It first started by The Sunflower in Lviv, Ukraine where Children produced paintings around their experience in the Ukrainian war.

Then their arts and story get passed on the children in local Manchester schools through workshops and create poems in response. The day we went to the Manchester was when we had a private view at the Manchester Central Library. Me and my DPS Colleague, Ama participated in the event as the helpers to prepare for the private view.

The Library was a lot bigger and sophisticated than I imagined, and the room where the private view took place was a reading room with baroque decorations with dome. It was hollow, so even dropping of pencil echoes all over the room. At 4pm, the reading room was closed for installation, and we helped setting up the artworks. The private view officially started at 5:30, the guests arrived at the venue. It was one of our tasks to guide any lost visitors who wander around the library.

There was around seventy ish guests, however given the wide capacity of the room, it still maintain spaciousness and quietness despite the conversations amongst. There were several speeches made: it started from the leader of The Sunflower Dream, the mayor of the Manchester, the representative of Ukrainian community in Manchester and Katie, the CEO of NSI came up and deliver their speech.

But the highlight of the event was when the few children read aloud their poems from the workshop which was powerful. And the rest was viewing works and conversations around it. Some works were original which made vast different from prints, other than the works I saw from working on the booklet, I came across more works I never saw before.

When everything was over (I finished a plate of Ukrainian biscuits and broke a glass), we were in Euston station at 10pm.

When I reflect on this experience, I found it really helpful to imagine what our SIP exhibition is like in 3 months time. Of course, the atmosphere in comparison will be more casual than Manchester but however, I came to realisation that I need to prepare myself in communicating others who I never interacted with, furthermore, at least with the Manchester, there was slight representation of children at the scene, but with us, there’ll be a possibility that we need to represent in behalf of young artists.

I don’t consider myself as an eloquent or interesting person to have a chat with, and I do find those setting quite a burden. I confessed to my colleagues that I don’t like the private views coming from my experience, I felt they easily become too loud, and no one focuses on the artworks in the first place. But what I like with Manchester was the space was not overwhelming but lively enough.

One thing I reflect on that I could’ve done better was when Katie was disappointed with us for not speaking to anyone at the view. Which I felt perhaps I should have at least attempt to speak to some of them, but I didn’t have much courage. Small talk is hard.