VISIONARY INSTITUTE
Pierogine Collective 2024-ongoing co-creative project with ICOS Women’s Group and the land and its multiple creatures.
Pieroginie: a word we invented, a world we are building. Our name, Pieroginie Collective, is a playful fusion of pierogi—the humble dumpling and of Polish word for goddesses- Boginie
In summer 2024, the ICOS Women’s Group was invited to take part in a Community Arts Research Project supported by The Cultural Spring. I was selected as creative lead by the group, as my lived experience as an Eastern European woman gave me a strong connection with their stories and perspectives. This co-creative art research project was a chance to explore creativity, identity, intimacy and belonging through a distinctly Eastern European lens.
The project unfolded in two phases. The first was practice-based research: together we asked what it means to migrate to the UK as Eastern European women, and what barriers are faced along the way. This research was grounded in common connection to the land, dialogue, storytelling, and shared reflection. It created the foundation for the second phase, which focused on creative delivery.
Phase two took shape as a series of extended, retreat-style workshops designed with and for the women of ICOS. These 3–4 hour sessions blended artistic practice, therapeutic activities, and communal rituals. Each workshop created a safe and culturally resonant space where participants could share migration stories and personal experiences in ways that extended beyond words.
The workshops were structured around three interwoven elements: Therapeutic practices such as breath work, gentle movement, dance, yoga, and somatic exercises, helping participants to ground, relax, and connect. Art, land practice and crafts as both intuitive expression and skill-sharing, with activities including foraging walks, plant-based making, sewing, embroidery, and storytelling through craft. Hospitality, sharing food recipies and feasting as a framework for community. Each session began with a seasonal herb infusion ceremony and ended with a shared, potluck-style meal. These moments of conviviality allowed space for reflection, cultural storytelling, and imaginative world-building.
Through this structure, the workshops became places of creativity, support, and collective problem-solving. Stories were shared, challenges unpacked, and friendships formed. Women left not only with crafted objects but with a sense of connection, trust, and belonging.
Out of these sessions, something new emerged: Pieroginie Collective. Our name draws on ‘pierogi’, (traditional Polish dumpling) and a Polish word for a godesses- ‘Boginie’ and its a new playfull word that speaks to female shapeshifting and earthbound power and land-based tradition that carry memory, culture, and sustenance across generations. We are an emerging artist collective, rooted in Eastern European women’s stories, practices, and resilience.
Since forming, we have continued to grow with the support of The Cultural Spring through the A Space to Create and Community Cohesion projects. In June 2025, we partnered with Threads in the Ground to host a community feast as part of the Sunderland Food Festival. Using donated oyster mushrooms and other seasonal ingredients, we prepared traditional Polish dishes that celebrated cultural heritage and environmental sustainability. The feast welcomed forty-one local residents, creating a warm space for cultural exchange and connection.
In August 2025, Pieroginie Collective took over the EXPO Pavilion at Keel Square, Sunderland. This live exhibition showcased artworks exploring migration, friendship, and culture, while also inviting the public to take part in creative sessions, shared meals, and storytelling.
Pieroginie Collective continues as a living artwork: a group of women using creativity, ritual, and collaboration to build new forms of belonging, solidarity, and cultural exchange.