The UK has received warning that many of it’s coastal areas will eventually be non-existent due to rising sea levels and rising temperatures, leaving livelihoods lost forever. Sadly, this is already happening in other parts of the world, especially in the Global South. As Shofika, a Rohingya refugee in Bangladesh, explains “our house was destroyed and we couldn’t go to school when the floods came. Climate change destroyed our agricultural land.” Shofika is just one of 150 refugee and migrant women who took part in The Migration Blanket film project and shared her story as a woman on the frontline of the climate crisis. The Migration Blanket – Climate Solidarity documents the experiences of Shofika, alongside other women from the UK and the Commonwealth, to highlight how climate change is destroying women’s lives. Using over 400 pieces of artwork handmade by these women from 17 Commonwealth countries, as well as the artwork created by award-winning artist and international human rights activist Salma Zulfiqar; the film portrays the role of the climate crisis in preventing access to education, enabling child marriage, inciting violence and extreme hunger. The artfilm was created in ARTconnects workshops led by Salma Zulfiqar. 

Film Director, Salma Zulfiqar, explains that The Migration Blanket is a “call to ensure that women’s rights are protected as a key element in climate action and any policy making is inclusive of women’s voices and needs”. The film highlights the importance of protecting our oceans and biodiversity and is an educational tool for organisations to empower youth and communities with the knowledge needed to prevent violence against women and girls. 

Salma Zulfiqar is an Artist and Human Rights Activist. She is also the Founder and Creative Director of ARTconnects. As a visual artist, her work focuses on migration, climate change and women and has exhibited during the Venice Biennale in Italy (2019/2022) and in London, Paris Geneva, Greece and Dubai among other venues.  In 2023, Salma was bestowed with a British Citizen Empire Medal BEM in King Charles II Birthday Honours List for services to the Arts and Education and received the prestigious British Citizen Award, dubbed the ‘People’s Honour Award’ at the Palace of Westminster for her exceptional contribution to the arts.  

In 2021 ARTconnects was awarded The U.K Prime Minister's Points of Light for exceptional service and in 2019 she was awarded the National Rising Star Diversity Award powered by the Sunday Times, in 2020 she was appointed a United Nations affiliate Artist.