Think Artist CIC Lotto Funding

Banks Mill tenant and University of Derby MA Arts graduate Armstrong Agoreyo, the founder of Think Artist CIC, spoke to us about the amazing funding that his company has just been awarded through National Lottery Funding, to continue his work with refugees.

As an artist, my work has always been about “Waste to Art”, finding the hidden beauty in things others have cast aside.  

When I looked at my community, I felt a deep calling to work with the refugee population. Having moved to the UK as an immigrant myself, I understand that feeling of being new in a society where you don’t know anyone. 

For many refugees, the journey is marked by sadness and the heavy burden of settling into a completely foreign system. I wanted to create a space where the themes of Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle weren’t just about the environment, but about emotional restoration. By transforming discarded materials into something beautiful, we are also working to transform stress into relief and sadness into a sense of belonging.

My company, Think Artist CIC, was recently awarded £20,000 from the National Lottery Community Fund to bring this vision to life. This funding is a massive milestone for us. It allows us to expand our workshops specifically for refugee communities, using art as a therapeutic tool to provide hope, comfort, and a “home away from home”. Our goal is to educate participants on how waste can be managed to create aesthetically appealing art, but more importantly, to show them the vital role art plays in building a beautiful, inclusive society. We want to put smiles on faces that have seen too much hardship and remind them that they have immense value to add to their new community.

The workshops take place on the 28th of the month at 25 Curzon Street, Derby and you can enrol here

Think Artist CIC have also announced their upcoming group exhibition Loud Whispers which is set to run from 1-7 April 2026 at Artcore Gallery.