Syrian refugees at camps in Jordan are being given the chance to get involved in community art projects thanks to a group of artists from Deptford.

Artmongers has been creating murals and street art around Deptford, Brockley and New Cross since it was founded in 2003.

But over the last few years, it has turned its attention towards helping those in need thousands of miles away after civil war broke out in Syria.

In 2014, Artmongers founder, Buenos Aires-born Patricio Forrester, was inspired to help refugees by the group's strategy director Catherine Shovlin, who had previously worked with NGOs (non-governmental organisations).

After partnering with charity Care Jordan and visiting the Azraq camp, Artmongers began fundraising back in Lewisham.

“People who had lived with our artwork over the years suddenly turned out to say: 'We’ll support you',” Patricio told News Shopper.

The next fundraising event will be held on Friday, April 5 at Deptford Does Art gallery from 7-10pm, where works from Lewisham-based artists will be sold, with all proceeds going towards the project.

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A digital render of Patricio Forrester's His 'n' Hers mural, created by Billy Waterworth

Since the project began, 51-year-old Patricio has visited the Azraq camp twice a year for two weeks at a time to carry out community art projects with refugees.

“It’s like a military environment – like a country of its own. You can’t come in without a permit. It’s very high-security,” he said.

He added the camps had “no energy left for public spaces” as its residents are forced to prioritise their families.

Artmongers has three main aims when visiting the camp: to enhance public spaces; to engage children in artwork and to support women.

“We took pots of paint and stones from the ground and dipped them in paint and turned them into a ‘jewel’. We called them peace rocks,” Patricio explained.

In addition to setting up a women’s network, the group also works with men in the camp.

On one of his visits, Patricio described working with a group of fathers on various projects.

“The thing about the dads is that they have lost some dignity. The family is provided for so they have lost the discipline of getting out of the house to work and coming back to provide. They are in limbo.

“So when we go there, we generate work for them. They earn a little bit of money and the ‘mission’ to do something within a very short period of time.”

He added the group is keen to involve the camp’s residents in decision-making on the projects.

“There was one guy we worked with who was a painter back in Syria and he hadn’t held a paintbrush and bucket for a long, long time. Just holding it was massive for him because it gave him something back.”

The main aim of the project is to combat the monotony of daily life in the camp by giving residents something exciting to focus on.

“There’s a lot of drifting and idleness there,” Patricio said.

In the future, Patricio hopes the project will have the money to continue running in the camp throughout the year with enough support from donors.

"Part of our philosophy is that we are ordinary citizens who want to contribute. Anybody can help if they want to," he said.