photography workshop for Refugees

What the workshop is about

Coventry is Celebrating refugee week in June 2019.

Refugee week celebrates Coventr

y refugee communities and all the contributions they have made to the City.

Refugee week also raises issues that refugees in the City go through. Using the Arts to tell refugee stories.

In preparation for refugee week, Maokwo ran a photography workshop for refugees on Friday 29th April 2019 at the Belgrade Theatre.

The theme for refugee week is ‘you me and those who came before theme’.

This theme for refugee weeks allows the refugees to display the positive impact that they have brought to the city and the struggles they are still facing.

Maokwo is a social enterprise run by Laura Nyahuye. Maokwo works with refugees and runs creative workshops, that help refugees tell their stories.

Maokwo uses workshops to empower refugees and help them settle into the city.

The workshop was hosted by Isla Goldie. Isla Goldie is a photographer from Scotland. She has had her work exhibited in a various venue across Scotland.

The workshop taught refugees basic photography skills, which they can use to tell their stories.

Refugees were taught how to use photography skills to capture moments of their time in Coventry and tell their stories as well.

Before the workshop, none of the refugees had any photography, skills and some had never used a camera before.

The refugees were taken around Coventry to take photos of places in the City that refugees would have visited, such as the Cathedral, Train station and Pool Meadow Bus Station.

All the photos that the participant took, will be exhibited during refugee week. All the photos tell the stories and the journey taken by the refugee when they arrived in Coventry.

Participants opinions on the photography workshop

One of the participants told CUSU News “The workshop will benefit refugees because it’s a way to capture moments.”

“I think pictures say a lot and through photography, it’s important to capture moments.”

“After the workshop, I felt empowered and I learnt news photography skills.”

Another participant said, “this photography workshop allows refugees to capture where they are coming from, where they are going and also to show their families back home what life is like in the UK.”

“it can be used as evidence of their journeys.”

Makowo look to run more workshops like these in the future and support more refugees Find their voice.

https://vimeo.com/333956300