June 14 marks eight years from the Grenfell Tower fire. The grief remains deep. Grenfell tower stands as a painful reminder of a preventable tragedy that claimed 72 lives on the night of June 14, 2017.
These photographs of the community coming together to grief the loss of lives, are not just a documentation of a moment in history, they are a call to remember, to reflect, and to remind us that the fight for justice continues. Above all, to uphold the principle of equality for all.
The pain felt by the Grenfell community is not just personal. It is the pain of institutional failure, of systemic inequality, of lives devalued. Inequality cost lives. This was not simply a tragedy. It was, and continues to be, a profound human rights failure.
We are delighted to present Bruno Saguer as our featured photographer this month. His photographic stories shed light on some of the most harrowing labour conditions, conveyed with a poetic vision and powerful sensitivity that both compel and move us deeply.
This work is neither a protest nor a technical chronicle, but an aesthetic immersion into the decaying beauty of corrosion, into the imprint that time and human toil leave on every stranded hull. Photography as an addiction to decomposition, to the texture of the ephemeral.
From its nest, the seagull takes off over the sea. From the shipyard, the vessel sets sail. Everything tastes of salt. The salt of life, the salt of death.
To launch, to hoist, to depart, to sail, to weather the storm, to board, to dock… A ship always carries the emotional weight of a journey toward the horizon, rocked by waves. Whether carrying people, treasure, or trade, every ship bears the significance of its voyage. Iodine drifts in the air, sea spray weaves into tangled hair flowing in the wind. A maritime symphony whispers all around. But many ships don’t reach a dignified end. After 20 or 30 years riding the waves, they’re cast aside, pushed to die like abandoned animals, left to scavengers.
Bound for slaughter.
Some places in the world have become their graveyards. And the locals—made their executioners. But this isn’t Père Lachaise in Paris. No Balzac, Camus, Chopin, Oscar Wilde, or Jim Morrison lie here. Instead, ships bear flags of convenience—fiscal loopholes, legal evasions, flags with no country.
There is no grey bin for maritime waste. No final place where all things belong. They simply end. Nowhere.
Eid Mubarak. August 2012. Chittagong, Bangladesh.
A northern “still life” made of open-air scrap. These shores should be erased from nautical charts, kept beyond the reach of any compass or bearing.
The poetry of the sea ends here. The carnage begins. No blood is spilled—only oil, diesel, and thick, contaminating fluids.
Dignity slips through the scuppers. Humiliation pools in the bilges at the end of this tragic journey.
Paints, heavy metals, asbestos— A corrosive cocktail you won’t find on a Mediterranean cruise. There will be no dinner at the captain’s table tonight.
No necks are cut, but every part of the ship is dismantled—hull to deck, cabins to engine room, even the prized bridge, where only hours before the horizon was scanned from a privileged perch.
The swords and guillotines of old revolutions are now acetylene torches and cutting saws.
A metallic roar. No siren songs here—just horns of iron pain.
Tons of steel are fed into the maw of shredders. As far as the eye can see, rusted carcasses marooned at low tide. No longer sand, but rare metals of another periodic table. Human termites gnaw at metal, wood, plastic, rope.
Dusk falls on the “unshipyard” of cruise liners, cargo ships, and freighters. Floodlights flicker on. Stripped of rest, the pillaging continues—plates, bolts, no loose ends. In three to six months, the vessel is no more.
A ship scrapped in three or four months in Bangladesh nets a million dollars in return—on a five-million-dollar investment.
And yet, this apocalyptic landscape seduces. It releases photographic endorphins. The eye, the camera’s viewfinder—both tint crimson under a leaden sky.
Steel skeletons run aground in rhythm with the tides. Swarms rush port and starboard, scrambling for the best loot—not astrolabes or sextants, but lifeboats, portholes, wires, propellers, spark plugs, pistons, lamps, sensors, sonar, radar, GPS. All of it cloaked in raw rust.
Rust merchants. Steel auctions. Everything is for sale. Even souls. Recycling without activism—just a euphemism. Melted down, but not damned.
Some pieces will sail again—aboard new vessels, or hanging in chic homes and restaurants. Better that than being left to rot on a deserted beach after a failed escape from a cyclone.
Such is the cycle of the sea. Knots and nautical miles become cubic meters of waste and steel.
Personal stories cling to these corroded remains. Like that of Hossain Khatun. A Bengali man, generations deep, rooted in toxic mud. His descendants likely will be too. There’s no way out, unless you swim—to nowhere.
His nephew Kamal, 14, walks him to the shoreline each day as the fishermen return. If the tide’s low, they can get closer. Hossain is 64 and blind. Kamal guides his arm so he can stretch his hand toward the fishermen and beg.
Kamal has spent nearly all his life working in the yards. The toxicity took his vision. Hossain is on the same path—unless he’s hurt first (they use the blind to crawl into dangerous crevices of the ships), or unless he tries to swim away…
To earn a plate of rice or dhal, they cut through plates of steel. They travel from Panchariya to Faujdarhat—almost 20 km of sandy graveyard. No insurance. No safety gear.
Roughly 200,000 souls live trapped like fish in a stagnant pond. Over 80 yards compete for the dying.
But the rust—captivates.
Nearly one in five of the world’s aging ships end up here.
Many NGOs have reported the working and environmental conditions.
That ship lamp from the Singaporean vessel “Green Earth” will look lovely somewhere. It’s docked in port now, set to sail for Malaysia tomorrow. But it’ll be back. I won’t.
How strange that so much decay can be so visually fascinating. Corrosion addiction could be the title of this landscape.
Thankfully, my memories are rusting. Only images remain. Another contradiction.
Anchored in rust, one becomes a witness to one of the most extreme forms of circular economy—a cycle both toxic and hauntingly poetic.
Bruno Saguer
“The greatest photos are those no camera can capture, yet only a photographer can see. My quest is never to miss one again.”
Born in Barcelona in 1972, half French and half Spanish, my earliest memories of photography are rooted in the dim red glow of my father’s darkroom at home. A passionate Nikon enthusiast, he introduced me to the magic of framing life in black and white. Though he passed away when I was 18, his legacy deeply shaped how I perceive the world through a lens. My journey as an amateur photographer truly began with my Nikon D700 and a humble Tamron 17-50 lens, ignited by a simple desire to feed my curiosity. My first solo photo trip was to India, a welcoming place where capturing slices of everyday life and close portraits came naturally. Inspired by a mesmerizing documentary about the shipbreaking yards in Bangladesh, I organized a photographic expedition with friends, driven not by activism but by a fascination with the stark beauty of rusted giants awaiting dismantlement. From bustling Dhaka to the surreal graveyard of ships extending for kilometres, the contrast between human vitality and industrial decay was captivating. Beyond the dismantling itself, it was the vibrant recycling economy—shops filled with salvaged lamps and life jackets—that left a lasting impression. One such lamp now hangs in my home, a constant reminder to seek out the next photographic journey. Balancing the roles of father and founder of an advertising and branding agency, my greatest challenge remains finding time to pursue these personal photographic projects, each an exploration waiting patiently for its moment. My job has also exposed me to brilliant work, and both creativity and art direction continually spark my curiosity. Among the photographers I admire most right now is Edward Burtynsky. Of course, I follow many others, specially Martin Parr, and depending on the mood—documentary, street, colour, black & white, or portrait—but I find Edward’s perspective uniquely compelling. Website | Instagram | Email
We are delighted to announce the next IN FOCUS event at Riverside Studios, featuring guest photographers Denise Felkin and Sabes Sugunasabesan, whose powerful work explores identity, memory, and marginalised lives. Felkin’s In Site documents a hidden Traveller community in East London, revealing an alternative way of living beneath the arches of the city. Sugunasabesan reflects on the legacy of war in Sri Lanka through a diasporic lens, with Kunkumam tracing memory, loss, and land. Together, their work challenges dominant narratives and brings overlooked voices to the fore.
IN FOCUS will be hosted by documentary photographer/ journalist and Photojournalism Hub’s founder and director Cinzia D’Ambrosi alongside photojournalist Sabrina Merolla. The event includes photography presentations, Q&A sessions, and time to socialise and connect.
Denise Felkin is a UK-based editorial and fine art documentary photographer whose work challenges social taboos to promote values of sustainability, inclusivity, and compassion. She aims to amplify marginalised voices and explore themes of identity and social justice. Her photography has been featured in national press, included in numerous awards, and exhibited nationally and internationally. In Site (1997–2024) reveals an underground lifestyle rooted in Traveller communities. Under three railway arches and beyond a padlocked gate in East London, an alternative lifestyle was documented. Respect, freedom, truth, and beauty are conveyed through an unpretentious perception of the experience and expression of an urban subculture. Felkin details an enriched cultural existence within a clan that had found a safe place to sustain their creative lives. The community was innovative and packed with independent souls. Embedded are elements of citizenship and domesticity, offering a strong societal message in contrast to industrialisation and capitalism. In Site was shortlisted for the British Photography Awards, exhibited in the Polarity exhibition at Photojournalism Hub, as well as selected in the Inequality open call at Photo Frome. Her next exhibition will be at Lambeth Courthouse, 7–8 June 2025. IG @denisefelkinphotographer www.denisefelkin.com
Sabes Sugunasabesan is a photographic artist living in England. He migrated from Sri Lanka over four decades ago. At the end of the thirty-year long war in May 2009, in Sri Lanka there were 90.000 widows in the north and east of the country. With the deaths on the army side the numbers would be much higher. During the repression of suspected People’s Liberation Front members (JVP) between 1988-90, 60,000 mothers lost their children in the south of the country. Sabes works on the theme of war, memory and land from a diasporic point of view. It is a view from distance of time and space. Kunkumam builds on his previous work shown under the title of the Last Walk to the Beach (2018). To prepare for Kunkumam he travelled to Sri Lanka during the August-September 2024 and enacted a performance at Mullivaikkal. IG @sabessuguna
BECOME A PJH MEMBER Consider becoming a member of the Photojournalism Hub. Your support will enable us to continue our work promoting photographic work that expose, raise awareness of social justice issues. To learn more how to become a member and the benefits of joining, follow the link HERE
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.”
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.
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 topresent 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 preservememory 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.
“The body is more than just a host; it carries countless stories.”
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 orbreakthroughs 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 artistsalike? 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.
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 X (formerly known as Twitter): @mac_birmingham Instagram: @mac_birmingham TikTok: @midlandsartscentre
Photojournalism Hub March 2025 In Focus event at Riverside Studios will welcome uniquely experienced and talented photographers Janine Wiedel and Gabrielle Motola. Their presentations will guide us into the world of the documentary photo book from the point of view of visual anthropology and psychological and ethnocultural studies. The photographers’ works will be available during the evening – some for purchase and others for free (donations to Gabrielle Motola’s photographic bursary will be very welcome).
This event will be hosted by photojournalist Sabrina Merolla and Photojournalism Hub’s founder and director Cinzia D’Ambrosi. The talks will be followed by Q&As and time to socialise and mingle.
Janine Wiedel has been working as a documentary photographer and visual anthropologist since the late 1960s. From the Berkeley Riots and Black Panther Movement in California to the in-depth portrayal of the UK’s main historical protests since the 70s, she always fuelled a lifelong interest in movements and sub-cultures. Wiedel has persistently reworked her long-term projects, which have become prominent studies, books and exhibitions. She has published zines (Café Royal Books) and historical milestone books such as Vulcan’s Forge, dedicated to the West Midland Industries (1977-79). In-depth projects have focused on Irish Travellers, Baffin Island Inuits, UK Industries, Iran, Protest movements, Urban Squatting, Eco Warriors, the Rastafarian Community, and the Refugee Camps in Northern France. Currently, she is pulling together her book on the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp (1983/84). It will soon be followed by a book dedicated to ‘St Agnes Place Squat’ (2003-06), a notorious street in South London squatted by a diverse range of people over 30 years and evicted in 2006. Web: https://archive.wiedel-photo-library.com/index Insta: @wiedelphoto
Gabrielle Motola is an award-winning photographer, writer, and photo therapist whose work blends emotional depth with perceptive realism. Her creative process often integrates with solo motorcycle travels leading to portraiture, street, and infrared landscape photography, exploring self-reflection, resilience, and the human connection. Her photo book, An Equal Difference (2016), is an ethno-photographic exploration of Iceland’s striking contrasts while examining gender dynamics following the 2008 financial crisis. Created over three years, the book centres on dialogues with individuals from diverse walks of life, including politicians, scientists, artists and educators. These conversations go beyond the surface to reveal the complexities of the Icelandic mindset, encouraging a reflection on identity, gender equality, and the societal norms that influence them. Through her workshops, Gabrielle brings a reflective approach, inspiring participants to realise their unique creative potential. www.anequaldifference.com www.gabriellemotola.com Gabrielle’s workshops bursary: www.gabriellemotola.com/learn/#bursary Insta: @anequaldifference & @gmotophotos
BECOME A PJH MEMBER Consider becoming a member of the Photojournalism Hub. Your support will enable us to continue our work promoting photographic work that expose, raise awareness of social justice issues. To learn more how to become a member and the benefits of joining, follow the link HERE
From self-portraiture that reclaims Igbo women’s identities to a collaborative exploration of historic ties to transatlantic slavery, photographers Adaeze Ihebom, Charlotte Woolford, and Mal Woolford confront history’s erasures. Ihebom’s Igbo Woman series challenges colonial narratives and reimagines the strength of pre-colonial Igbo femininity, while the Woolfords’ wet-plate collodion portraits uncover shared ancestry and redefine representation through co-creation. Together, they navigate themes of identity, isolation, and transformation across time and culture.
Adaeze Ihebom is an Italian-Nigerian artist who explores themes of identity and isolation. She has a degree in Digital photography from Ravensbourne University and has a Masters degree in Photography arts from the University of Westminster. Adaeze will present her Igbo Woman series – This series was inspired by Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe which traces the evolution of family identity from pre-colonial, through colonial and post-colonial times. In a series of self-portraits, in which I performativity explore women from various periods of history. As fictional characters, I construct their identities through costume, performance and the act of naming and dating the images. The decision to highlight Igbo women is rooted in my belief that she has been grossly misrepresented. To be more precise, I personally feel that history has not portrayed the Igbo woman in her rightful perspective. She is usually shown in images that correspond to a supposed African man’s world and the idea of feminine submissiveness to the man. The series is a way to challenge this mistaken notion and to show how colonialism has further removed feminine freedom from the Igbo woman. The portraits depict the colonial experience and the effect and impact of Christianity on Igbo women. It shows the female transformation from a virile, half-clad, war-like Igbo damsel to a mundane, all covering and meek-looking woman. This transformation shows both a radical departure and complete alienation from traditional dressing modes. Their lives changed irrevocably when the British invaded the Igboland. Colonization changed not only the religious, social and political institutions. It also enforces policies that diminished the roles and statues of Igbo women making them look like second class citizens.
Charlotte Woolford and Malcolm WoolfordHaving known each other from the school pickup, Charlotte and Mal discovered by chance that they share the surname: Woolford. Archival research revealed that they are connected through historic transatlantic chattel slavery and a household of enslavers and enslaved in Georgetown, Guyana. Two hundred years later, they are neighbours. Charlotte and Mal use the early photographic technique wet-plate collodion to make closely observed portraits not as photographer and model but as co-photographers. They trouble the historic use of photography to explore equal control and representation.
BECOME A PJH MEMBER Consider becoming a member of the Photojournalism Hub. Your support will enable us to continue our work promoting photographic work that expose, raise awareness of social justice issues. To learn more how to become a member and the benefits of joining, follow the link HERE
Seeing the Green is a documentary photography project taking place at Church Street Library. The project includes workshops that introduce participants to the foundations of visual storytelling and the development of personal photography projects. These sessions combine practical training with an exploration of visual narrative methodologies through theory and group activities. Participants will have the opportunity to learn photography and photo storytelling while documenting green spaces in and around the borough of Westminster, with a focus on the Church Street ward. The project offers two free workshops per month at Church Street Library and is free to local residents of Westminster.
The project includes: Mindfulness-inspired field photography walks; Photo documentation of the local area through the changes of the seasons; Befriending activities and trips; Contributing in a photography archive accessible to the wider community; Showcasing your work in a photography exhibition;
Thursday, 8th May 2025 – 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM Thursday, 22nd May 2025 – 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM Thursday, 5th June 2025 – 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM Thursday, 19th June 2025 – 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM Wednesday, 16th July 2025 – 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM Wednesday, 30th July 2025 – 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM Wednesday, 6th August 2025 – 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM Wednesday, 20th August 2025 – 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM Thursday, 11th September 2025 – 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM Thursday, 25th September 2025 – 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Each month, participants will have one workshop at Church Street library and one practical workshop that included photography walks in and around Westminster wards.
The project is run by the Photojournalism Hub CIC and Hammersmith Community Gardens Association charity and supported by Westminster City Council, and Community Priorities Programme.
We are thrilled to introduce award-winning photographers Anselm Ebulue and Mark Chapman at the In Focus event on the 25th of September. Both photographers bring a unique perspective to the photographic medium, transitioning from deeply personal, introspective, visceral stories on loss and mourning to powerful, straightforward documentary photography.
Anselm Ebulue is a documentary photographer based in London. He was a winner in the 2018 and 2020 Portrait of Britain award and was awarded a scholarship for the LCC x Magnum Documentary Photography Short Course. He has recently graduated from the MA Photojournalism and Documentary course at UAL. His work has been published in a variety of publications and clients include The Guardian and Observer, The Modern House, Time Out Magazine and Red Bull.
Anselm will be presenting ‘Whims of the Rye’ which is an ongoing documentary series exploring Ebulue’s personal relationship with Peckham, in south east London. Ebulue’s approach is visceral, making pictures of mundane spaces that resonate with his emotive reactions where memory and change intersect. The work expresses a sense of loss, mourning the transformation of an area in a state of rapid flux that is most clearly evidenced by its gentrification. Ebulue is particularly interested in the relationship Black communities have with Peckham and through documentation, hopes to highlight the significance of the area to the Black diaspora. Whims of the Rye serves as both a celebration and preservation of the Black communities who have called Peckham home for many decades.
Mark Chapman is an award-winning photographer and film-maker based in Gateshead, North East England and London. His moving-image work has been screened internationally across narrative, documentary and experimental contexts. Chapman’s debut photobook ‘God’s Promises Mean Everything’ explores isolation and displacement via a long-term study of a hostel resident from Teesside. The book was published by internationally renowned Dewi Lewis Publishing and launched during Photo London at Somerset House in May 2024. Mark will be speaking about ‘God’s Promises Mean Everything’, an immersive long-term character portrait that extends over seven years, but limits its perspective to a single room. Haunted by the spectre of the family he lost, Derek, a hostel resident from Teesside lives without the social safety nets many of us take for granted. Mark was given unique access to document Derek’s life over several years and the project seeks to elevate a working class story that would otherwise go unacknowledged. The images are an inseparable mix of the self-aware and spontaneous, candid and constructed. Seeking to explore the boundaries between filmmaking and photography practice, I want to tell urgent contemporary stories that are also rigorous aesthetic constructions. However, my aim is not straightforward realism, but rather to transform. My work moves between naturalism and expressiveness, altering the shape of the real world into something disturbing and mysterious. This is now the third project in which Derek has appeared (across film and photography): his unifying presence creates a constellation of individual projects across disciplines that have now become an open-ended archive of experience. The Dewi Lewis Publishing website: https://www.dewilewis.com/products/gods-promises-mean-everything
December 2023, Mediterranean sea. People onboard an overcrowded rubberboat drifting in the central Mediterranean sea have been found by the rescue crew of the Sea-Watch 5, at sunset on Christmas Eve.
The history of migration across the Mediterranean goes back thousands of years. In recent years, tens of thousands of people have crossed the Mediterranean by boat from North Africa and Turkey to seek asylum or to migrate to Europe. The central Mediterranean Sea is the Europe’s deadliest frontier. In 2014 and 2015, about 320,000 people crossed the sea from North Africa to Europe, mainly ending up in Italy and Malta. The next year, the vast majority of migrants crossing to Europe did so in the Eastern Mediterranean, landing on Greek islands close to the Turkish coast. Altogether, however, the most dangerous route is still in the central Mediterranean where distances are longer and the weather more unpredictable.
In 2023 alone, at least 3,129 men, women and children trying to cross into Europe were reported missing or dead at sea – an average of 8 people per day. This makes 2023 the deadliest since 2017. While Libya remains the main point of departure, during 2023 the number of boats leaving from Tunisia have increased dramatically. The majority of migrants are being smuggled by human traffickers who charge thousands of euros for a vague promise to take migrants to the closest EU territory. Most of these migrants are subject to serious abuse prior to their departure and there’s no guarantees of ever making it to Europe.
Fenruary 2021, Medieterranean sea. People onboard an overcrowded rubberboat drifting in the night through the central Mediterranean sea have been found by the rescue crew of the Sea-Watch 3. The rescue operation was carried out in the darkness.
Since 2014 around 30,000 migrants have been confirmed dead at sea but the reality is that many more attempt the crossing and lose their lives without ever being found. With legal pathways to gaining entry to the EU not an option for most refugees detained in or transiting through Libya or Tunisia, risking their lives at sea is the only way out the country.
The stories of those who make it to Europe mostly have a similar theme. In the places where they were waiting for passage to Europe they were often working for no money, being kidnapped for ransom and facing horrendous violence, murders, forced eviction, destruction of property, detention and arbitrary arrests, even if they were on their way back to their country of origin. Thousands of migrants find themselves in an impossible situation. Either they endure abuse in the transit countries or risk the journey to Europe.
December 2023, Mediterranean sea. RHIB crew of the Sea-Watch 5 during a training. The RHIB crew has the task to perform first approach and provide the first rescue to the peole in distress at sea, transferring them from their boats on the morhter ship. Trainings are frequent, intense, and cover almost all possible real scenarios that could occur during a critical rescue.
‘Libya is so hard for us. We are stuck. We can’t move on and we can’t travel back where we came from. That’s why we take the risk and cross the sea. This journey is the journey of life or death. A journey of no return’ says one of the lucky ones who was rescued by a boat chartered by Sea Watch, an NGO that patrols the Mediterranean and assists migrant boats in distress.
The accounts of the ‘journey of life or death’ told by so many survivors are equally harrowing. Overcrowded and unseaworthy boats, no food or water for days, struggling people driven to despair by exhaustion, dehydration and extreme temperatures combine with the gravest discomfort in cramped decks, sea sickness, storms and other adverse weather to test even the strongest-willed. Most journeys cover a distance of between 400 and 500 km to Italian and Maltese shores. SOS calls are systematically bounced between various European authorities and coast guards often resulting in them being ignored or actioned after an agonising wait. Many boats capsize or sink before rescue craft make their way to the scene.
Through the most recent deals with Libya and Tunisia, the EU has increasingly trained, financed and strengthen the unofficial coast-guards of the northern African countries to reach as many boats as possible. The unscrupulous so-called Libyan coast guard and Tunisian authorities unlawfully bring the migrants back to the place of abuse they had escaped from. Libya, a country that has been in a state of de facto civil war since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, is officially deemed ‘unsafe’ by international law, and interceptions violate the fundamental human right of non refoulement. Only 5% of the migrants leaving the North African coasts reach Italian or Maltese territory independently. The vast majority are rescued by the Italian coast guard and non- profits operating their own rescue missions to try and prevent more deaths.
‘They use Black people [people] to make money there. So if you don’t have the money you will have to die there or live in pain’ recalls another person rescued by a patrol boat in the Mediterranean. ‘The life in Libya is very tough, it’s by God’s grace that I’m still alive today. Because sometimes you go to work, you work with them and maybe they don’t want to pay you: they can take your life there.’
Non-governmental organisations carrying out search and rescue (SAR) operations have been a constant presence in the Mediterranean since 2014, seeking to fill the void left by the lack of state-organised SAR operations. The European Union, and especially Italy, are increasingly implementing stricter migration policies, essentially criminalising NGOs carrying out SAR activities.
February 2021, Mediterranean sea. Migrant rubber boat after its passengers have been brought to safety onboard the Sea-Watch 3. Between 70 and 80 people were crossing the sea on the overcrowded rubber boat, with limited water, gasoline, no gps nor satellite connection, no food and at risk of sinking for deflation or capsize.
After systematic cases of arbitrary seizures of the rescue ships and prosecution of crews, the recent practice of assigning distant ports for disembarkation, for example, keeps rescue ships away for days from the search and rescue area in the central Mediterranean where most of the emergencies occur. Despite the challenges, a number of non-profit organisations, such as Sea-Watch portrayed in this work, continue their tireless search and rescue activities at sea, in solidarity with the most criminalised: the people fleeing in search of a safer future.
Selene Magnolia Gattiis an Italian award-winning IFJ, NUJ freelance photojournalist based in Northern Italy and Berlin. Her work spans multiple issues, including questions of environmental and social justice, food production, migration, as well as gender related and contemporary political issues. She works on assignment and independent projects. Since 2023 she is represented and distributed by Panos Pictures. Raised in the Italian Dolomites, where she developed a strong bond to the natural environment, she has a background as emergency nurse, volunteer medical personnel in humanitarian crises, and academically qualified linguist, before shifting to and studying photojournalism. She has worked for a number of publications such as Der Spiegel, The Guardian, de Volkskrant, Il Reportage, Il Manifesto, amongst others. She also works for some of the leading environmental media agencies and a number of international no profits. Some of her photographic work on intensive food production is featured in the book ‘Hidden – Animals in the Anthropocene’, awarded ‘Photography Book of the Year’ by POY (2021). Her long-term project Zor, which portrays life in the biggest so-called ghetto in Europe, was exhibited at Perpignan’s Visa Pour L’Image photojournalism festival 2022. Her work was recognised by British Journal of Photography (2023), Siena Photography Awards (2022), London Photography Awards (2022), Prix de la Photographie Paris (2022), TIFA, MIFA, BIFA (2022), Kolga Tbilisi (2022), Global Billboard Project (2021), among other winning entries. She was selected for the Hamburg Portfolio Review in 2023. In 2023, she is the yearly Senior Fellow of WeAnimals Media Agency and a recipient of the European Environmental Journalism Fund grant for an ongoing project about the impact of factory farming.
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Photojournalism Hub Open ‘24 Photojournalism Hub Presents ‘POLARITY’ – A Documentary Photography Exhibition Exploring Global Polarisation.
“In the wake of a very polarised world, where nothing is certain, risking polarity means embracing the extremes. It challenges us to confront our differences and find clarity amidst the chaos. Polarisation seems to be behind or becoming the underlying cause of many conflicts and social issues of today, impacting global, national and local stability and peace, and impacting the lives of the most vulnerable people and economic places around the world.” – Cinzia D’Ambrosi
Photojournalism Hub is proud to present Polarity, a documentary photography exhibition showcasing selected works by photographers from around the world, responding to our Open Call on the theme of polarisation.
In an era increasingly defined by division, polarisation has become a powerful force driving social, political, and economic gap. From the ongoing war crimes in Ukraine and Gaza to escalating violence across Africa and deepening inequalities fueling conflict and division, our world faces profound challenges. Polarity brings together compelling visual narratives that confront these divisions, telling stories of resilience, resistance, and the human impact of conflict, inequality, and climate disasters.
At the heart of Polarity is the belief in the transformative power of photo documentary storytelling to amplify marginalised voices and humanise those often overlooked in global narratives. The selected photographs offer raw and powerful insights into the lives of those affected by injustices, shedding light on the complexities of our polarised world.
Polarity offers a space for reflection, dialogue, and a deeper understanding of the forces shaping our divided world today. Each image forms part of a broader photographic series that reflects, exposes, and bears witness to our shifting global landscape. As viewers, we are confronted with a vital question: In the face of such polarisation, where are we headed?
Polarity is curated by Cinzia D’Ambrosi, director and founder of the Photojournalism Hub.
The exhibition is accompanied by a Photobook fair showcasing photobooks and zines by contemporary photographers. The photobook fair is open daily from 11 am to 5 pm and during the Opening night from 5 pm to 9 pm.
We are very grateful and we express our heartfelt thanks for their support:
Opening: 10th October 5-8 pm at THE LODGE at Sands End Arts Centre and Community Centre, Peterborough Road, London SW6 3EZ Continues 11th – 13th October 8:30 am – 5 pm
Be part of an International Exhibition showcasing Documentary Photography and Photojournalism. Photojournalism Hub Open welcomes submissions from new, emerging and established photographers, working in the documentary photography and photojournalism genre.
Our Call: In the wake of a very polarised world, where nothing is certain, risking polarity means embracing the extremes. It challenges us to confront our differences and find clarity amidst the chaos. Polarisation seems to be behind or becoming the underlying cause of many conflicts and social issues of today, impacting global, national and local stability and peace, and impacting the lives of the most vulnerable people and economic places around the world. We are looking for photo stories that reflect, narrate, challenge, document, expose on the theme. Through understanding and dialogue, we can navigate the complexities of a polarised world and seek common ground.
1st Stage Please submit your entries, singles and stories by the 20th August 2024.
2nd Stage Selected entries will be notified by the 25th of August. Fee for selected entries: £10 (single images) £20 (series)
As this is our inaugural Annual Open Call, we would like to offer contributors a Photojournalism Hub Membership for the series entry which will grant unique access to Photojournalism Hub events and archives for a year.
Exhibition The exhibition will take place on the 10th to the 13th of October 2024 at The Lodge, Sands End Community and Art Centre in London.
What will I gain? – Exhibiting photographers images will be promoted across the social network partnerships, in a dedicated website page – Exhibiting photographers images will have their work published in the exhibition photobook – Participation and promotion in our Instagram exhibition focused residency – Becoming a member of the Photojournalism Hub for a year (series entries) and access our Archives, discounted or free entry to our events and lots more!
Awardsand Nominations Three photographers will be Nominated for a portfolio reading with a with a world-renowned curator and galleristZelda Cheatle
