Fence to freedom: photography of place, belonging and citizenship

What’s on offer?

This engagement event will be based on a photovoice project that was conducted in 2019 with a group of people currently seeking asylum or with refugee status. Photovoice is a research methodology where participants take photographs to represent their experiences of a particular research theme or question. In this project participants used photography to represent their experience of place, belonging and citizenship in Manchester, Salford and the surrounding areas. The aim of this event is to exhibit some of the photographs from the project to a wider audience including the public, third sector organisations and relevant stakeholders. The event will consist of an exhibition of some of the photographs that will be up for four days and an opening event.

What’s it about?

This event is about the ways in which configurations of race, migration, belonging and citizenship, play out in the lives of asylum seeker and refugee populations through their experiences of bordering, racism and exclusion – as represented by these people themselves, through photography. But it is also about the ways in which people seeking asylum and with refugee status navigate wellbeing, belonging, and hope largely through interactions with various places within the city, including local cultural grocery stores, Piccadilly Gardens, and local parks, thus highlighting the significance of local areas (the festival theme) in the lives of this group.

Who’s leading the event?

Dr Jo Biglin, lecturer in Social Psychology in collaboration with participants who took part in the photovoice project.

Open to

Everyone.

Of particular interest to

People with a migration background, third sector organisations supporting refugees and asylum seekers and local stakeholders interested in understanding how local areas are used and the significance of places to different user groups.

Scheduling information

Opening event: Thursday 10th November

Exhibition (non-ticketed) All day Thursday 10th November - Sunday 13th November

Event booking deadline

The EventBrite booking is for the opening event on 10th November (5-7pm) only. The exhibition is open to the public (non-ticketed) from 5pm onwards between 10th and 13th November.