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Being Human 
Exhibition

About the Exhibition

Asylum seekers arriving in the United Kingdom currently face a hostile policy environment. Over the last twenty-five years, government welfare provision has diminished considerably and the lives of those waiting in the extended asylum application system have become heavily regulated. At the same time, community-based support has increased, providing essential practical and moral assistance to those seeking sanctuary in towns and cities across the country.

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The photographs presented in this exhibition are the output of a Photovoice project in Bristol to understand what impact these different welfare interventions have on asylum seeker wellbeing, both as givers and receivers of support.

 

Ten asylum seekers/refugees were simply asked to photograph what made their life easier and happy, or harder and unhappy. Over 90 images were captured, reflecting some of the everyday challenges and joys experienced while waiting in the UK asylum application system. For example, the isolation of living in hotel rooms for long periods far from support services, the negative impact of long application delays on individuals’ self-confidence and self-worth, and the friendship, empathy, and peer support facilitated by volunteering opportunities at community organisations. Click on the Gallery button above to view the images. 

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After receiving some training and taking their images on mobile phones, the participants took part in a group discussion workshop where they shared their photographs and the meaning behind them with each other. They also took part in an exhibition of all their photographs at Bristol University in July 2022.

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Feedback suggests the participants enjoyed taking part and that the experience led to improved relations among the photographers, who came from six different countries, greater understanding of others’ circumstances, and mutual practical and moral support among the group.

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From my point of view as the research organiser, there were many challenges and rewards to using the Photovoice methodology with this hard-to-reach and vulnerable population, and if you are interested in finding out more about my experiences, please take a look at my recently published article by selecting the Published Article tab.

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Thank you

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