ESOL students from Wiltshire College & University Centre have contributed original artwork to Un/Common People: Folk Culture in Wessex, – a major new exhibition opening at Salisbury Museum this Saturday 7 February 2026.
The exhibition, presented by Wessex Museums, explores folk culture across the region and how it has been shaped by communities past and present.
Artwork created by our Salisbury ESOL students forms part of the exhibition, bringing contemporary voices and lived experience to the wider display.
Over four months Salisbury Museum worked with the students exploring what ‘folk’ meant to them. Workshops around music, song, dance, costume, celebrations and crafts, looked at folk traditions from this country and from their countries of origin.
ESOL Lecturer Michelle Munoz, said: “It has really helped everyone to see a new side of themselves and share their stories and experiences openly with each other. It has been a huge community and class effort to create a piece that represents our ESOL students and their cultures, and we are proud to share our stories and see how they form part of the local community.”
With work on the exhibition beginning in September, students worked alongside museum staff and artist-printmaker Hannah Cantellow, at the College’s Salisbury campus. Over the course of the project, students learned new printmaking techniques, developed their creative confidence and worked collaboratively to produce work for a public museum setting.
The work reflects each student’s personal story, which is explained through accompanying letters. Some of the written and visual elements are presented in students’ first languages alongside English, highlighting the meeting of British history with their own cultural heritage.
Michelle said: “It has been a lovely experience, and we are very grateful to Salisbury Museum for including us. The team have been so encouraging and creative with the students, giving them the opportunity to create their own stories and try out new skills such as wood carving and print making.”
Bridget Telfer, Community Curator at Salisbury Museum, said: “The artwork the ESOL students created, which reflects their personal stories and culture, will be accessioned into the museum’s collection and be preserved for future generations. The students learnt new skills and grew in confidence over the period we worked with them and should be very proud of what they have achieved.”
ESOL Students working on the project
Find our more about the exhibition
Un/Common People: Folk Culture in Wessex runs from Saturday 7 February to Sunday 10 May 2026 at Salisbury Museum.
The exhibition brings together more than 100 objects from across the region, alongside newly commissioned films, photography and sound, celebrating how folk culture continues to evolve through both tradition and contemporary voices.
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