Marcia Michael: The Family Album

Marcia Michael: The Family Album
Sat 15 March – Sun 1 June | First Floor Gallery | Tue – Sun, 11am – 5pm | Fr

Experience a powerful reimagining of The Family Album, exploring the beauty and depth of family connections across time while celebrating the body as a site of history and memory.
This first major solo exhibition by multidisciplinary artist Marcia Michael is a ‘massive love letter’ to family and celebrates the sense of belonging and joy found through family connections.
The Family Album is a deeply personal exploration of kinship that pieces together a rich family history through contemporary photography, sculptures, ceramics, and print design. The works of the British artist of African and Caribbean descent centre around three interconnected series: The Study of Kin, The Family Album, and The Object of my Gaze.
These moving collections, archived as a revolutionary act of remembrance, display Michael’s ongoing journey to reconnect with and preserve memory, love and identity.
Michael’s intimate portraits of herself and close family members -particularly her mother – explore how the human body can serve as both a physical and emotional vessel for recorded histories. These works echo resilience across generations and highlight the uplifting power of family bonds. For The Family Album, MAC commissioned new pieces from Michael, including a unique necklace featuring miniature bronze sculptures representing the bodies of mother and daughter.
Through her diverse artworks Michael aims to foster a sense of familiarity and belonging that are centred within the home. This showcase invites the visitor to reconsider the traditional interpretation of
a family album and encourages them to (re)connect with their own family histories from a new perspective.
Marcia Michael, the artist of The Family Album, said:

“The Family Album ultimately defines my unconditional love for my family past, present and future. It creates and holds space where images and artefacts lie in wait to be seen touched and remembered. It is always imagination that keeps the past alive! As time passes it becomes important that there is a place where one can access and retrieve the whispers of this past. As well as relocate their visual, tangible and auditory memories into the voices of new kin as they take over.”

©Marcia Michael, Portrait of Mother and Daughter (2009). Photograph: Black and White Silver Gelatin Print.
©Marcia Michael, Portrait of the Photographer (2009). Photograph: Black and White Silver Gelatin Print.
©Marcia Michael, Studio Portrait of Young Girl (2009). Photograph: Black and White Silver Gelatin Print.

About the artist, Marcia Michael
Marcia Michael (b. 1973, London, UK) is an award-winning British multidisciplinary artist of Caribbean and African heritage who challenges the representation of the Black subject within the family album by reconstructing her own family archive. With great sensitivity toward her sitters and environments, her work encompasses captivating matrilineal photography, self-portraiture, moving images, sculptures, poetry, sound pieces, and drawings, using both traditional and non-traditional media. Through photography as both a mode of documentation and conversation, Michael renews and reimagines a transdisciplinary tradition of storytelling, seamlessly connecting past, present, and future. Her work guides the viewer on a journey through temporal dimensions, weaving together Black feminism, intergenerational visuality, African diasporic traditions, and the representation of the Black mothering body. Michael’s practice reimagines and restructures history through the
empowered, political, and self-loving Black body. She studied photography at the University of Derby (1996) and earned an MA in
Photography with distinction from the London College of Communication (2009). In 2024, she was awarded a Ph.D. from the University of the Arts London. Her body of work has been shown internationally. The Object of My Gaze, exhibited at Autograph ABP, London (2018), and Tate Britain (2022), builds on her earlier series The Study of Kin and The Family Album (2009). For more information, please visit: marciamicheal.co.uk.

Photo title: ©Marcia Michael, Portrait of Father and Daughter (2009). Photograph: Black and White Silver Gelatin Print.

Where Memory Meets Curatorship: Photojournalism Hub x Dominique Nok

Interview with Dominique Nok, 1873 Studios
By Cinzia D’Ambrosi, documentary photographer and founder/director of the Photojournalism Hub.

What initially drew you to Marcia Michael’s work, and what made you decide to present this exhibition?
Around four years ago, I heard Marcia speak at a photography symposium in London. She showed images while reciting one of her poems and playing a sound piece of her mum laughing. Her intimate, unfiltered, and pure body of work—and the way she described her relationship with her late, beloved mother—touched me. After the event, I went up to her and we spoke briefly. From that moment, I knew I needed to learn more about Marcia and her work—and that the world around me should too. So, when the opportunity came at Midlands Arts Centre (MAC)—a place where I knew people who look like Marcia, our family members, and myself are warmly welcomed—I did not hesitate to put her forward. Knowing that Birmingham is home to many people from Africa and of African descent, I knew her work would speak to them, and that it would acknowledge what and who needs to be acknowledged.

What does this exhibition reveal about the ways diasporic communities preserve memory and identity across generations?
The answer to this question could easily become a whole essay—there is so much to say about preserving memory and diasporic identity across generations. I am, therefore, going to try to give an answer in the best possible way. We know that people from the African diaspora take pride in things like food, dress, music, and our ability to withstand hardship. These elements have hugely contributed to our identity and are ingrained in our memory. Amongst ourselves, we celebrate this—think of birthday parties at a family member’s house, and weddings. What we are often less aware of are the many stories we carry within us and unconsciously pass on to others. This is something Marcia spoke about again and again—and something she tenderly and beautifully portrays through her work. “The body is more than just a host; it carries countless stories.” Yes, Marcia presents several ways to preserve memory through archives, and photography by documenting her close family members, showing their facial features, their hair, and body parts like fingernails and feet. But it goes so much further and so much deeper. Identity is found in connection and here, she gently and cleverly shifts the narrative—from being othered to belonging, from hatred to love.

With a frightening and atrocious past—one that we, as people from the African diaspora, are still unpacking and healing from—there is still so much more to uncover. I am talking about a beautiful history that was concealed, forbidden to speak about or act upon, and has not been accessible through disclosed records of the past. In this exhibition, Marcia offers another way to enter this hidden family history: by engaging with stories that have been shared with her, using different mediums to tell those stories, and allowing her imagination to reveal and communicate what known and written history alone cannot. These found truths can hereafter develop into connection with the people around us, those who came before us and create pathways to develop an identity of belonging for future generations.

Can you share a bit about the curatorial process, were there particular challenges or breakthroughs in how to present such personal, intimate work in a public space?
Marcia’s practice is deeply layered. Nothing about it is linear—everything can be viewed from multiple angles. Each piece she creates is made with the utmost care and carries profound meaning. Capturing the essence of what she was trying to communicate was, I believe, my biggest challenge. It took time to truly grasp the depth of her work, but once I did, I was able to present it in a way that a wider audience could connect with and understand. While safeguarding personal elements and allowing Marcia to express what she felt comfortable to share, I sought to preserve the intimacy and care she has within her practice. Producing an experience for visitors—one that would allow them to encounter Marcia’s work in an impactful way, resonating with their own family histories was my focus. Because of the strong bond that runs through the lineage of Marcia’s mother, I wanted to create a kind of womb—an inner space. A space that feels homely and holds stories. A space that is accessible, where people can walk through—into other dimensions of the work—connecting the three bodies of work: The Family Album, The Object of My Gaze, and The Study of Kin. When I presented my vision, MAC’s Artistic Director and CEO, Deborah Kermode, said, “Dominique, we’ve never done something like this—but it’s not impossible you know.” Her trust meant the world to me. MAC has been phenomenal in facilitating this exhibition—they truly are an amazing arts institution. The structure of the inner space and the layout I envisioned on paper took far more effort to bring to life. At times the fantastic technicians at MAC were pushed to their limits—but they did it!

What legacy do you hope The Family Album leaves for audiences and future artists alike?
I hope that visitors will be touched in a way that, through art and creativity, they begin to uncover what is hidden within them. Whether by observing and allowing the work to spark emotion—something they can then explore further—or by beginning their own journey of discovery through their own creativity. That could be through photography, poetry, dance, collage, or anything really, that helps them to (re)connect with what lies inside and open a dialogue with themselves and/or their loved ones.

To future artists, I want to say: do not limit yourself. You are not a one-trick pony. You can explore multiple mediums, also at the same time, you can wear multiple hats. You hold the power to shift narratives—and to change the world around us!
As Marcia would say: “Let’s just play!”
You never know what beauty might come from it—unless you try.

About the curator, Dominique Nok
Dominique Nok (b. 1977, Paramaribo, Suriname) is a Black female portrait photographer and curator, born in Paramaribo, Suriname, raised in Amsterdam, and based in London. She has over 20 years’ experience as a commercial photographer
and holds a bachelor’s degree in (Photo) Journalism and a master’s in curating. Her work has been featured in The Guardian, BBC Midlands, ITV.com, and The Voice of Holland, with exhibitions at Midland Art Centre, Harris Museum, and FUJIFILM House of Photography. Dominique’s curatorial career began with the We Are Here exhibition for UKBFTOG (UK Black Female Photographers). Since then, she has created platforms for predominantly female (and female-identifying) artists, collaborating with individuals and collectives such as Maryam Wahid, Sharon Walters, and the Mixed Rage
Collective. Dominique is passionate about advancing equal representation for artists from the African diaspora and those of Global Majority heritage. For more information, please visit: 1873studios.com.

Install shot of Archival Wallpaper (2025), constructed from the work Alpha and Omega (2024). Courtesy Marcia Michael and Midlands Arts Centre (2025). ©Tegen Kimbley. 

Notes to Editors:
Rosi Byard‑Jones​​​​ (She/Her)
Media & PR OfficerMidlands Arts Centre
Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, B12 9QH

Rosi.Byard-Jones@macbirmingham.co.ukmacbirmingham.co.uk


About Midlands Arts Centre (MAC)

For over 60 years, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC) has connected people with creativity. MAC is a contemporary arts centre and independent charity, with the mission to make art an important part of people’s lives. Set in the magnificent surroundings of Cannon Hill Park in Birmingham, MAC is the number one visited free attraction in the West Midlands. At the heart of MAC is a focus on sustainability, accessibility, and inclusion. MAC works extensively to support international and local artists, and develop programmes for and with our local community. MAC is a registered charity supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery through the Postcode Culture Trust and Arts Council England.

Midlands Arts Centre (MAC)
Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, B12 9QH
Registered charity no. 528979


Facebook: @Midlands Arts Centre – MAC
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Instagram: @mac_birmingham
TikTok: @midlandsartscentre

Photojournalism Hub in Conversation with Ryan Thomas

Som Prabh from the Photojournalism Hub was in conversation with award winning photojournalist Ryan Thomas on his photobook ‘Everything Will Kill You, So Choose Something Proactive’. The photobook is a collection of images shot from 2018 to 2022, mostly shot in Britain, with additional photographs taken in America and France. The work focuses on sublime, chaotic, and even peaceful (albeit disruptive) elements and has become an exploratory research into the similarities that bind rapidly fluid groups of people and the unpredictable energy that ensues. Ryan is a 23-year-old photojournalist currently based in Bristol, UK. He has an MA in Photojournalism from the University of Wales Trinity St. David’s Swansea. Ryan grew up in rural Wisconsin but have deep roots embedded in west Wales, the Land of my Fathers. Ryan covers a range of documentary subjects and has worked with a number of charities and enjoys being involved with intimate and personal projects just as much as the active aspects of protests and rallies. He has had editorial commissions with Huck Magazine, WalesOnline, Daily Mom, Oxfam UK, and DeafBlind UK and has had the good grace to be shortlisted for RPS International Photography Exhibition 164 2022 and reached 3rd place at the Arizona Congressional Photo Competition 2016.

To contact Ryan directly:
Email: ryanarwynthomas@gmail.com
Instagram: ryanthomas.photography
Twitter: ryanthomasphoto
To order a copy of the book: https://www.ryanthomasphotography.com

BECOME A PJH MEMBER 
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Photojournalism Hub in Conversation with Danny Burrows

On Sunday the 7th of August, Safeena Chaudhry from the Photojournalism Hub was in conversation with multi awarded photographer and journalist Danny Burrows.

Danny was the editor in chief of the pan-European magazine Onboard until 2013, when he left to dedicate himself to his freelance photography and writing work. In 2015, Danny began a long-term project documenting the refugee crisis in Northern France, entitled ‘Indeterminate State’. The project received wide recognition with photographs published in The Guardian, The Express, Huck Magazine, Mpora.com and prints were exhibited at Wells Arts Contemporary Exhibition.

Since August 2018 Danny has been shooting a long-term project entitled TOGETHER (A)PART, which documents the pacifist Anabaptist Christian community of The Bruderhof that practices a unique community of goods and wealth and devotion to god in 23 cloistered communities around the world. TOGETHER (A)PART has been well received both inside and beyond the photographic community, with a long form photo essay published in the Sunday Times Magazine in August 2019; an image was selected for the 2018 YICCA Contemporary Arts Exhibition, in Palermo, where it won a silver medal; A photograph was selected for the KLP International Portrait Prize and exhibited world wide; The project received a Coups de Coeur de L’ANI at the 2019 Visa Pour L’Image and was a finalist at the 2019 Prix Regnier Award in Paris.

Danny is currently seeking support to realise a book of the project TOGETHER (A)PART, which with unprecedented access, he is sharing touching photographs that documents the lives of the Bruderhof communities. Having the book published would offer inspiration for alternative ways of living in our world of perpetual war, hyper-consumerism and mass consumption as well as finding a more valued connection with each other as well as very valued historical testimony of this very reserved religious community.

If you would like to support this extraordinary unique document that describes the realms of ‘another life’ – their rejection of personal property, wealth and technologies, a commitment to god and non-violence – then please share this extraordinary story, and help to make this book a reality HERE

Kickstarter link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gblimitededitions/together-apart-a-photo-book-by-danny-burrows?ref=ksr_email_creator_launch

To contact Danny Burrows directly:

https://www.instagram.com/dannyburrowsphoto/

https://www.dannyburrowsphotography.com/

BECOME A PJH MEMBER 
Consider becoming a member of the Photojournalism Hub and receive the benefits of free access to events, Photojournalism Hub resources, editorial content, portfolio reviews and photography exhibitions, and lots more! whilst supporting our work advocating, advancing social justice and human rights through promoting, engaging the public and stakeholders to committed, courageous independent photojournalism, and journalism. If there were ever a time to join us, it is now. Support the Photojournalism Hub from as little as £1 every month. If you can, please consider supporting us with a regular amount each month. Thank you.  JOIN US HERE

Photojournalism Hub in Conversation with Ada Trillo & Isaac Scott

On Tuesday 2nd August, Cinzia D’Ambrosi and Safeena Chaudhry from Photojournalism Hub were in conversation with Ada Trillo & Isaac Scott about their current exhibition ‘I Look At The World’, which is curated by David Acosta and is being shown at the Da Vinci Art Alliance in Philadelphia.

Ada Trillo is a Philadelphia-based photographer. Born and raised in the U.S/ Mexican border region of Juarez and El Paso, her work focuses on sex trafficking, climate and violence-related international migration, and long-standing barriers of race and class. Her projects have been featured in international publications including The Guardian, Vogue, Smithsonian Magazine, and Mother Jones. Trillo’s work is held in the Library of Congress, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and other institutional and private collections. Her many awards include a First Place in the Tokyo International Foto Awards (2019), a British Journal of Photography Female In Focus Best Series Award and The Me & Eve Grant from the Center of Photographic Arts in Santa Fe (2020). Trillo’s images have been exhibited in the US, Japan, Luxembourg, Italy, England, France, and Germany. She holds degrees from the Istituto Marangoni in Milan, and Drexel University in Philadelphia. Website: https://adatrillo.com

Isaac Scott is a ceramic artist, curator, and photographer from Madison, Wisconsin, who is currently living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Scott is an MFA candidate at Tyler School of Art and Architecture and plans to graduate in Fall of 2021. His ceramic work has been exhibited around the country including at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia and at the 2019 National Conference for Education in the Ceramic Arts in Minneapolis. Scott’s photographs of the 2020 Uprising in Philadelphia were featured in the June 22, 2020 issue of The New Yorker. In August of 2020 Scott completed his first mural alongside collaborators Gerald A. Brown and Roberto Lugo. The Stay Golden mural is located at 33rd and West Diamond St. in Philadelphia. Just as Scott elevates his subjects on the surface of his pottery, his photography pays tribute to the people and places in his environment. His work capturing the 2020 Uprising follows the protesters and organizers in Philadelphia and the movement for Black Lives. He captures the humanity of those involved and the brutality they face in the streets. Scott’s goal is to capture the voices and stories of the movement for Black Lives Matter and amplify them past this moment so they can speak to generations to come. Website: https://studiopotter.org

Exhibition ‘A Look At The World’ runs: July 27th – August 17th
Opening Reception: July 28th, 4-7pm at Da Vinci Art Alliance (704 Catharine St)

BECOME A PJH MEMBER 
Consider becoming a member of the Photojournalism Hub and receive the benefits of free access to events, Photojournalism Hub resources, editorial content, portfolio reviews and photography exhibitions, and lots more! whilst supporting our work advocating, advancing social justice and human rights through promoting, engaging the public and stakeholders to committed, courageous independent photojournalism, and journalism. If there were ever a time to join us, it is now. Support the Photojournalism Hub from as little as £1 every month. If you can, please consider supporting us with a regular amount each month. Thank you.  JOIN US HERE

Finbarr O’Reilly: In Conversation with Photojournalism Hub

Finbarr O’Reilly is a multi award winning photojournalist and the 11th Laureate of the Carmignac Photojournalism Award. He has covered conflicts and combat situations in Congo, Chad, Sudan, Afghanistan, Libya and Gaza. His awards include the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize exhibition photographer and the World Press Photo of The Year in 2020.

‘Congo, A Sublime Struggle’ is evocatively titled after a quote from Patrice Lumumba’s Independence Speech. It is a sequel of ‘Congo in Conversation’ by Congolese photographers and journalists, and produced by the Carmignac Photojournalism Award team and Finbarr.

The monograph explores the Eastern DRC and how it connects with the environmental and climate crisis, the country’s colonial history, and on-going extractive practices. in collaboration with the International Criminal Court.

Iga Barriere, Ituri, DRC, May 17, 2021. Miners at a gold mine in Iga Barriere in Congo’s Ituri province
© Finbarr O’Reilly for Fondation Carmignac

This monograph is a striking and meaningful endeavour that documents and presents the many facets that are part of Congo today, including struggles and efforts in bringing the country as a whole. It includes work on the reparation programme with victims of violence in collaboration with the International Criminal Court.

On Friday 1st July, Finbarr O’Reilly joined Cinzia D’Ambrosi and Safeena Chaudhry in a conversation about The Congo, Photography, reparation and trauma.

During the interview, Finbarr answers questions on his latest work and monograph ‘Congo, A Sublime Struggle’, which contains powerful photographs and writings on Congo of the last two years.

MONOGRAPH – FINBARR O’REILLY
CONGO, A SUBLIME STRUGGLE

Carmignac Photojournalism Award – 11th Edition
Democratic Republic of Congo

Co-published by: Reliefs / Fondation Carmignac
Release date: June 17, 2022
Bilingual: French/English
Size: 24 × 28 cm, 128 pages
Texts : Finbarr O’Reilly, Comfort Ero and Judge Antoine Kesia-Mbe Mindua
Photographs : Finbarr O’Reilly
Price: 35 euros, 45 USD, 58 CAD, 35 GBP
Distributed by: Harmonia Mundi

BECOME A PJH MEMBER 
Consider becoming a member of the Photojournalism Hub and receive the benefits of free access to events, Photojournalism Hub resources, editorial content, portfolio reviews and photography exhibitions, and lots more! whilst supporting our work advocating, advancing social justice and human rights through promoting, engaging the public and stakeholders to committed, courageous independent photojournalism, and journalism. If there were ever a time to join us, it is now. Support the Photojournalism Hub from as little as £1 every month. If you can, please consider supporting us with a regular amount each month. Thank you.  JOIN US HERE

Poland’s Abortion Ban Protests, Interview with Zula Rabikowska

By Laura James

On 22 October 2020, the Constitutional Tribunal in Poland ruled that abortion on the grounds of fetal abnormality was unconstitutional, further restricting Poland’s already stringent abortion laws (Thebmjopinion). This abortion ban caused outrage among Polish people and resulted in mass protests in the streets. Zula Rabikowska, a Polish-British documentary photographer and videographer, currently based in Karków, attended these protests as they unfolded in order to document the events but also to stand in solidarity with Polish women and help secure the basic human right of safe abortion healthcare. 

In what follows, Zula talks about the current situation regarding the abortion ban, shares her lived experiences of the protests and explains how the Polish people are fighting for their human rights, freedom of speech and going against the tyrannical government currently in power.

What was your motivation for documenting the protests? 

That’s an interesting question. I think it was multi-layered to be honest. I felt a sense of responsibility on a personal level as a female identifying individual who is Polish. Having recently moved back to Poland after living in the UK for 20 years I almost felt like this is something I have to do to show solidarity with other women in Poland, but also for myself and for my own rights to abortion health care. I believe it is a fundamental human right that unfortunately the Polish government does not share. 

So, that was the first layer of my motivation. The second element was that I wanted to be there as a documentary photographer and I was really frustrated to see just how many male photographers were present but there was only 1 or 2 women (In Kraków). From my general understanding, and from having had conversations with other photographers who have covered other areas in Poland, there was a general consensus that this is something that is being covered by male photojournalists. I felt a double sense of frustration as a participant and also as a photographer as I felt like female photographers should have been given more of a voice in this and get their perspectives heard and seen.

What was the atmosphere like at the protests? 

In the winter months it was relentless, it was all the time. It wasn’t just protests which were happening, there were pickets, road closures, transport strikes. The tension in the atmosphere was really tangible, you could see in the streets and you could feel it just walking around. The protests have a symbol of the red thunderbolt and you would see this in bakeries for example, people would have the red thunderbolt in their car windows, on their jackets, on their phones, on their faces, on their masks. It was very much a movement that to this day is still going on. The other day, I was checking out a local a tattoo parlour and there are artists who specialise in the thunderbolt, due to a demand for people to have this tattooed on the body. 

This is something that has really affected the Polish society and it quickly became not just about abortion, it became about the oppression from the very right-wing government here. Some of the protests I was going along to were about pedophilia in the Catholic Church. People just took to the streets to show how fed up they were with the current tyrannical government.  

What was the main message the protesters wanted to convey? 

I think the main message was to show the government, and internationally, that people disagree with this ban. Poland isn’t this homophobic, homogenous, Catholic, conservative country that the government would like everyone to believe. This is the message that appears in the state-owned media in Poland, it is pure propaganda and it’s quite frightening how the message is portrayed. Alongside this, the way they portrayed the protests and protesters in the state news was horrific. It didn’t really show this message of abortion health care and the need for women and for people to have a say about their rights. 

The baseline message was that people wanted to express their discontent for this ban and their need to have safe access to abortion. The second message would be this wave of being fed up and ready for a change of government.

You said that the protests are still happening today, is it in such a large capacity as back in winter? 

Yes and no. Before in Kraków, every other evening there would be thousands of protesters taking to the streets, and I haven’t seen it happening as much right now. But that is not to say that protests on a smaller scale aren’t happening. 

This weekend it was actually 11 years ago that a plane crashed in Poland and 93 right wing politicians died. So, the current president that we have now, his twin brother and mother died in that plane crash. As a result people took to the streets and to the main market square in Kraków to protest against the government, so this kind of discontent is very much present. In addition, on 1st May Poland observed International Labour Day, which is traditionally a day to celebrate labourers and the working classes, and lots of people demonstrated with the thunderbolt symbol on this day. I went along on 18th April to Wawel Castle in Kraków as Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the leader of the Law and Justice party, came to the city. On this day the politicians were greeted by a small crowd of protesters holding up banners and with their faces in red thunderbolts. The way the large-scale protests were happening in January, October and November and even in December have changed, but it doesn’t mean that people aren’t still striking.

Did you feel safe documenting the demonstrations? 

Once again, I was in Kraków, yet in Warsaw a lot of arrests of photojournalists were being made and this completely infringed freedom of speech in my opinion. This did happen in Kraków to an extent but obviously the protests weren’t as big as in Warsaw. Yet, there were a few occasions when I thought to myself should I be here? And that wasn’t because of the protesters, but the main threat came from the police who were kitted out with tear gas and shields, and really looked in full combat mode. When you are surrounded by 50 or 60 police it is really intimidating. But intimidation was definitely one of the tactics that they were going for with that presence. The other threat was that the police used the pandemic and used megaphones with the slogan ‘you shouldn’t be meeting in groups of more than 5 people’. They used this as an excuse to arrest people or fine them.

Within the community do you feel there is a sense of polarisation between supporters of the abortion ban and those who are protesting against it? 

I guess that is happening all around us these days. I could compare it to Brexit in the UK and we are seeing it right now with people being pro-vaccine and anti-vaccine. But I suppose within the liberal bubble that I live in in Kraków, I personally didn’t encounter anyone directly who was anti-abortion. But I have seen the countermovement of the right wing people come out to confront the protesters. I remember there was a group of nuns and priests who came out to the protests with huge speakers to drown out the protesters with religious songs and the police didn’t stop them. This is one of many examples of such actions.

As a Polish woman do you feel your human rights are being violated by this ban? 

Yes definitely 100%. It is a huge violation and is very upsetting that the government and parts of the society do not see it that way. 

Do you think the protests will continue until the ban is lifted? 

I think it is difficult to say to be honest. But this time people have explicitly been taking to the streets. People have been fired by their employers for protesting, so people have been losing their jobs because of this. Nevertheless, people are still willing to protest and to let the government and society know that this is not ok. 

At the same time, I think things will only change when we elect another government as the situation right now is really tyrannical, not just in terms of the abortion ban, but with the lack of freedom of speech, democracy and even the way the state news reports on what is factual and not factual is frightening. 

Will you continue to document the protests via photography? 

Yes definitely. But photography is only one of the tools I use, I also use multimedia and video to make sense of the world around me and if other people are finding it useful to help make sense of the world then great. So I have no intention of stopping at least for the near future. 

Zula Rabikowska
Photographer
www.zulara.co.uk
@Zula.ra

Laura James
Writer
Laura@photojournalismhub.org

All photographs ©Zula Rabikowska

Consider becoming a member of the Photojournalism Hub and receive the benefits of free access to events, PJHub resources, editorial content, annual PJHub photography exhibition and portfolio reviews, and lots more! whilst supporting our work advocating, advancing social justice and human rights using independent photojournalism and documentary photography.  How to join HERE

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