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Refuge: Photo exhibition challenges asylum myths

Wednedsay June 6th 2007


A unique photographic exhibition capturing both the struggles and the achievements of refugees is coming to the Novas Contemporary Urban Centre in Southwark from Monday June 18th.

 

Bringing locals and refugees together in Derwent. One of a selection of pictures on community integration by Claudia Janke

 

 

 

 

 

 

Asylum seeker in Liverpool - one of a selection of pictures and stories by Ilham Hamood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The abandoned bedroom of a family deported from their home. Part of a series of powerful pictures on dawn raids by Robin Taudevin.

 

 

 

 

Refuge, a five-week exhibition launched to mark National Refugee Week (June 18th-24th), will showcase the works of three exceptional photographers - Robin Taudevin, Claudia Janke and Ilham Hamood - who lift the lid on the real lives of asylum seekers and refugees.

The images reveal the harsh reality of dawn raids and forced removal from the UK; the way the asylum system affects people’s everyday lives; and the huge achievements that can be made when refugee and British communities come together. The collection has been brought together by Refugee Action, an independent national charity helping refugees to build new lives in the UK.

Michael Wake, Founder and Executive Director of the Novas Group, said: "We were extremely delighted to collaborate with Refugee Action on this important exhibition. The Novas Group is extremely sympathetic to refugee issues and actually run a translation service to utilise the skills of members of the refugee community. Our aim is to highlight serious issues of social exclusion and in the process create an environment where social change can thrive through the transformative power of art."

Robin Taudevin, a 29-year-old international photographer who died last year, made a huge impact with his photographs of asylum seekers in Glasgow. He followed families as they were taken from their homes early in the morning to detention centres in order to be deported. Pictures of the Albanian Vucaj family home, with their abandoned possessions, are particularly moving.

A collection of photographs by respected photographer Claudia Janke, show the positive results when refugees and British people come together though music, dance, sport and social activities. From refugee and white British footballers uniting in Liverpool, to locals on a Derby estate forming a choir, Claudia’s photographs in partnership with Refugee Action remind us of what can be achieved when people from such different backgrounds find a common bond.

Ilham Hamood, originally from Yemen, spent 12 months chronicling the lives of asylum seekers and refugees in Liverpool, her adopted city. Her fledgling talent was nurtured by the Novas Photography Training Programme which helps people who are socially excluded or from diverse backgrounds. Ilham's collection of portraiture entitled 'Exile on Hope Street' vividly captures the daily emotions that surround issues of asylum, there is an innate intensity between the subject and photographer which can be seen throughout this emotive collection.

Siddi Majubah, a refugee photographed by Claudia Janke, said: “I am really pleased that my photograph is in this exhibition.

“Through sports and arts projects, I have made friends in Liverpool and am comfortable in my new home. However, others have less confidence and are isolated, frightened and suffering a lot. I hope that this exhibition will both move and inspire visitors to learn more about asylum seekers and refugees, and see us as normal people in extraordinary circumstances.”

Sandy Buchan, chief executive of Refugee Action, said: “We are grateful that Novas are helping us highlight the asylum issue during Refugee Week. These sometimes stark, sometimes heart-warming images bring home the realities of life as an asylum seeker in the UK and remind us all of the importance of the UK’s commitment to helping those forced to flee their countries and seek safety in ours. The celebratory photographs give us hope for integration in the future.”

ENDS

For more information or to organise an interview please contact Julia Ravenscroft, Press Officer at Refugee Action, on 0161 233 1956 or juliar@refugee-action.org.uk or Darren Asamoa, Press Officer at Novas on 020 7424 3000.

Refuge: Photography and stories that challenge the myths around asylum
Novas Contemporary Urban Centre,
73-81 Southwark Bridge Road,
London SE1 ONQ

Preview: 18th June 2007, 6pm-9pm
Exhibition: 19th June-21st July 2007
Open: Mon-Sat
10:00am- 6pm
ENTRY: FREE
Nearest station: London Bridge

NOTES TO THE EDITOR:

Notes on the three photographers involved in the exhibition:

Claudia Janke - Integration and destitution
www.claudiajanke.com
Claudia Janke, a German photographer living in London, focuses on social documentary photography working with aid agencies and social justice organisations all over the world, portraying people living in difficult situations with compassion and dignity. Her striking photographs for Refugee Action reveal the complex nature of asylum. To some, gaining refuge in the UK is exactly that - a chance to live safely free of persecution. Claudia’s pictures highlight the positive relationships many form with local people and the contribution they make to UK society. Many of these are accompanied by moving testimonies explaining why the individuals came to the UK and their experiences living here. Alongside these pictures are a selection of others which capture the fear, rejection and destitution that some asylum seekers experience, particularly those who are refused asylum but are unable or terrified of returning home. These were commissioned by Refugee Action to illustrate research published last year, ‘The Destitution Trap’.

Robin Taudevin - The reality of dawn raids and deportation
www.robintaudevin.com
An independent, international photographer who died tragically aged 29 last year. He photographed issues of social justice all over the world, but in the last year of his life he made a huge impact with his photographic work of asylum seekers living in Glasgow. His pictures document the experience of asylum families in the UK, including the first and only pictures of dawn raids - following families as they were taken from their homes early in the morning to detention centres in order to be deported. Pictures of the Vucaj family home, with their abandoned possessions after they’ve been deported, are particularly moving.
Robin’s photos are now an important and unique resource and his sister Alli Taudevin is tireless in the promotion of his work in order to raise awareness of the injustice he found that asylum seekers faced in the UK.

Ilham Hamood - Exile on Hope Street
Emerging female photographer Ilham Hamood was born in Yemen but now calls Liverpool home. She is bringing her exhibition to London after the success of her first exhibition in Liverpool. Ilham took twelve months to create her collection, visiting and engaging with all her subjects and getting personal testimonies as well as powerful photographs. Ilham’s’ creative talent was harnessed and developed on the Novas accredited Photography Training Programme which targets people from culturally diverse backgrounds experiencing social exclusion. The Novas Group have supported Ilham over the last year with the production of the exhibition.

Refugee Action is an independent, national charity working to enable refugees to build new lives in the UK. We provide practical advice and assistance for newly arrived asylum seekers and long-term commitment to their settlement through community development work, and received 30,000 visits from asylum seekers last year. As one of the country’s leading agencies in the field, Refugee Action has more than 25 years’ experience in pioneering innovative work in partnership with refugees.

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