Credit: Halyna Skvortsova
Credit: Halyna Skvortsova
Credit: Halyna Skvortsova
community/cultural
SHAPES Lewisham, Studio 1 Carriage Way, Octavius Street, SE8 4BY
what3words: desire.fame.home
Stories of Belonging – It Takes Courage, is a short film by Halyna Skvortsova, which explores how different waves of migration have shaped Lewisham, featuring voices from the Windrush Generation and Vietnamese, African, Eastern European, Afghan, and Ukrainian communities. The screening takes place in the new SHAPES Lewisham community space, for creatives to meet, work, learn and collaborate.
Deptford, Deptford Bridge, New Cross
177, 225, 453, 47, 53
Wheelchair accessible entrance. Screening is on the ground floor.
A welcoming environment with seating and refreshments available. Toilets are nearby in Deptford Market yard or The Albany.
Credit: Halyna Skvortsova
Credit: Halyna Skvortsova
Credit: Halyna Skvortsova
Other
13:30–15:00
Film screening with an introduction and Q&A
How to book
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What does “Open House” mean for those building a home in a new country? And how does the city open up to them?
Stories of Belonging: It Takes Courage brings together the voices of nine Lewisham residents from six communities (Windrush, Vietnamese, African, Eastern European, Afghan and Ukrainian), tracing a story of migration and belonging from 1948 to the present day.
They arrive carrying what cannot be packed: memory, culture, taste and hope. In turn, they reshape the places they come to call home — the streets and markets, shops and green spaces, the rhythm of a neighbourhood, the character of a doorway. Where do they find connection, sanctuary and a sense of home? And what will they leave behind?
This is a dialogue between a city and the people who live inside it with one shared question: what does it truly mean to belong?
For Open House Festival, we invite audiences on a different kind of journey through Lewisham — seeing the city through the eyes of those who have learned to read it not by its façades, but by how open and accessible it truly is to the people who call it home.
Created for Refugee Week 2026 with support from Lewisham Borough of Sanctuary, the documentary premiered at Deptford Lounge in June 2026.
Halyna Skvortsova — Director/Producer, DobroDIY CIC
Stepan Oleksenko / Waterkeds — Videography
Commissioned by Lewisham Borough of Sanctuary for Refugee Week 2026.
The screening will be hosted in the new SHAPES Lewisham space. A free community space for creatives to meet, work, learn and collaborate at the heart of Deptford’s Creative Enterprise Zone.
A place where ideas can be shared, projects can grow, and local people can come together through culture, creativity and collaboration.
Whether you want to run an event, host a workshop, showcase your work, start a discussion or bring people together, SHAPES Lewisham would love to hear from you. They're opening up the space for Open House Festival for visitors to discover what they offer and find out how you can make use of the space!
