CONNECTION TimetoRethinkMigration
Globalmigrationisamatterofgrowingimportancethatcan polariseopinions.Inhisrecently-publishedbook'HowMigration ReallyWorks:AFactfulGuidetotheMostDivisiveIssueinPolitics', sociologistHeindeHaasobserves:
'OnMarch7,2023,RishiSunakgaveapressconferencewitha strikingvisualimage:Britain’sfirstprimeministerofcolourstoodon apodiumemblazonedwithhisgovernment’sslogan,‘Stopthe boats’.Itisanimagethatencapsulatestheodditiesofthepolarising issue–anationperhapsbecomingmoreateasewithitsdiversity strugglingtocopewithamigrationdebatethatfeelsevermore panicked.’
Designedasaninteractiveworkshopandtitled‘Connection:Time toRethinkMigration’,thisphotographyprojectinvitespeopleto:
-LookmindfullyatglimpsesoflifeinBritain–tingedwiththe colouroflifejacketsandtheopensea
-Listentohumanstoriesfromthemediaaboutglobalmigration–retoldgentlyandwithcompassion
-ReflectanddiscusshowBritishlifemaybeconnectedtothe situationofpeopleseekingrefugeinourcountry
Apartfromgovernmentpolicyandpoliticalrhetoric,media coverageoftenusesimagesofsmallboatspackedwithrefugeesin lifejacketsheadingforBritishshores.Butlittleissaidaboutthe reasonsthatpeopleembarkonlongandperilousjourneysto distantlands.
Migrationisdrivenbyongoingcatastrophes,includingclimate change,extremepoverty,conflictandoppressionandthereisevery indicationthatthesituationwillbecomeworseratherthanbetter. Manymayfeelpowerlessandevenfearfulandsolabellingpeopleor'othering’-isperhapsanaturalhumanresponsetoprotectwhat wemightperceiveas'ours’.
Myaimistocreateanenvironmentforreflectionanddiscussion whereparticipantscanlistentootherviewpointsandraise questionsratherthanpresentsolutions.Thehopeisthatcreativity canpromptthesearchforawayoflivinginwhichweconsumeless, wastelessandsharemore,bothasindividualsandasasociety.
Myownexperienceofworkingwithpeoplewhohavelived experienceofmigrationstartedwithaphotographicprojectin 2021.WorkingwithyoungpeopleonanEnglishcourseforspeakers orotherlanguages-mostofwhomwereseekingasylum–we exploredthepost-industrialYorkshiretownofHalifax.Theyused boththeirnewEnglishskillsandtheirhomelanguagetowrite commentsalongsideimagesandthentooktheirownphotographs onmobilephones,lookingatthetownwithcompletelyfresheyes.
Mostrecently,andforRefugeeWeek2023,Ihadtheprivilegeof workingcollaborativelywithtenpeoplewithlivedexperienceof migration.Aninitialdiscussionwitheachofthemprovided quotationsthatbecamethebriefforphotographstakenbymyself andbytheparticipants.Theprojectcultivatedinmeasenseof solidaritywiththisremarkablegroupofpeoplewhowerewillingto sharetheirhopesandaspirationsforthefuture.
Thisnewprojectisambitiousbecauseitneitherphotographs peopleseekingasylumnorinvolvescollaborationwiththem. Instead,itturnsthelensontoday-to-daylifeinarelativelywealthy andpowerfulnationthatisreceivingpeoplefromothercountries.A pairofaudio-visualpresentationsbringstogetherhumanstories aboutmigrantboatdisasterswithimagesofquotidianBritishstreet scenes,backedbymeditativesoundscapes.Weareinvitedto considerifourconsumerlifestyles,ourdemandforfossilfuelsand ourcoloniallegacymakeus,insomeway,complicitintheplightof peopleescapingongoingconflict,poverty,persecutionandthe effectsofclimatechange.
Theimagesaredeliberatelyintendedtobedisconcerting–even slightlydystopian.ButIhavetriedtoavoidtheriskoflecturingor promotingpersonalviewsbyshapingtheprojectasaworkshop thatprovidestimeandspaceforpersonalreflectionandrespectful discussion.Ihavealsosoughtguidancefromindividualsand organisationswithgreaterknowledgeandexperienceofworkingin suchasensitiveandcomplexenvironment,including CounterpointsArtsandEarthCharter.
Shapingthisprojectasaninteractiveworkshopdoesfeellikearisk. Holdinganexhibitioninapleasantgalleryspaceorprintinga carefully-craftedphotobookisprobablylesslikelytoignite strongly-heldopinions.But,bypresentingsomebasicgroundrules forworkshopconversationsandbyincludingparticipants’written contributionsintheoutput,myhopeisthatitmightdiscourage entrenchedviewpointsandencourageexpansivethinking.AsHein deHaasalsostatesinhisbook:
‘Anyrealdebateonmigrationwillthereforeinevitablybeadebate onthetypeofsocietywewanttolivein.’
FromanarticlebyGerardListoninPhotoVoice,April2024 https://photovoice.org/gerardliston-connection/
Resourcesfortheself-directedworkshop https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9_9X2CJpJngtcbWaYsFF zDjGtSdGAF6q
'othering’ isperhapsanaturalhumanresponsetoprotectwhatwe mightperceiveas'ours’.
Myaimistocreateanenvironmentforreflectionanddiscussion whereparticipantscanlistentootherviewpointsandraisequestions ratherthanpresentsolutions.Thehopeisthatcreativitycanprompt thesearchforawayoflivinginwhichweconsumeless,wasteless andsharemore,bothasindividualsandasasociety.Participants’ hand-writtenresponsesarecuratedtobecomeanessentialpartofa free-to-view/free-to-shareonlinepublicationfeaturingwordsand images.Theyalsohaveaccesstoadigitalpackofresources,enabling themtoplandeliveryofworkshopsthemselves,eitherface-to-faceor online.
ghIamdifferentfromyou,
ThoughIamdifferentfromyou, wewereborninvolvedwithoneanother TaoYuanming,from'Substance,Shadow,andSpirit'
Ourhomeisalsoglobal.Weareinterconnected; wesharetheearth’sresources,climateandits challenges.
RefugeeWeek2024,‘OurHome’
Ourhomeisalsoglobal.Weareinterconnected; wesharetheearth’sresources,climateandits challenges.
Ourhomeisalsoglobal.Weareinterconnected; wesharetheearth’sresources,climateandits challenges.
RefugeeWeek2024,‘OurHome’
Ourhomeisalsoglobal.Weareinterconnected;
Ourhomeisalsoglobal.Weareinterconnected; wesharetheearth’sresources,climateandits challenges.
RefugeeWeek2024,‘OurHome’
Ourhomeisalsoglobal.Weareinterconnected; wesharetheearth’sresources,climateandits challenges.
RefugeeWeek2024,‘OurHome’
Ourhomeisalsoglobal.Weareinterconnected; wesharetheearth’sresources,climateandits
RefugeeWeek2024,‘OurHome’
Ourhomeisalsoglobal.Weareinterconnected; wesharetheearth’sresources,climateandits challenges.
RefugeeWeek2024,‘OurHome’
Ourhomeisalsoglobal.Weareinterconnected; wesharetheearth’sresources,climateandits challenges.
RefugeeWeek2024,‘OurHome’
Ourhomeisalsoglobal.Weareinterconnected;
Ourhomeisalsoglobal.Weareinterconnected;
Ourhomeisalsoglobal.Weareinterconnected;
Ourhomeisalsoglobal.Weareinterconnected; wesharetheearth’sresources,climateandits challenges.
RefugeeWeek2024,‘OurHome’
Ourhomeisalsoglobal.Weareinterconnected; wesharetheearth’sresources,climateandits challenges.
RefugeeWeek2024,‘OurHome’
