From Bosnia to Tyneside

Destination Tyneside gallery

Floor 2

This work was supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council [grant number AH/R012415/1] and the Northern Bridge Doctoral Training Partnership, in partnership with Newcastle University and Discovery Museum (North East Museums).

Discover the story of one family's journey escaping the Bosnian War and building a new life on Tyneside.

Through film, family photographs and personal objects, Smajo Beso shares the story of his childhood escape from the war in Bosnia. In 1994, aged just nine, Smajo and his family were forced to flee their country, leaving behind everything they knew to begin a new life on Tyneside.

Their story reflects the experiences of millions affected by the Bosnian War. By 1995, 1.2 million Bosnians had fled their country, and an estimated 4,500 refugees were formally resettled in the UK during what was then Europe's largest refugee crisis since the Second World War.

This display marks the start of a much bigger story. Smajo is now a doctoral researcher at Newcastle University, working in partnership with Discovery Museum to document the stories of the wider Bosnian community in the North East, their journeys, their resettlement, and the lives they built here.

The objects and photographs on display, gathered from across that community, offer a first glimpse of the histories this research is uncovering, and a preview of a major exhibition still to come once the project is complete.

Today, Smajo is an established genocide educator who teaches and speaks widely about his experiences. You can discover more and follow Smajo on his Instagram and Tik Tok accounts.