The exhibition, at Storey’s Field Centre, has been created by Cambridge constituent and photography student Michael Franklin. Through collaborative portraits and the words of those photographed, the project explores what it means to leave home because of conflict and rebuild a life as a refugee in the UK.
The exhibition comes as the fifth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine approaches. Michael says the project grew from a concern that, amid the wider political debate about immigration and refugees, the voices and individual experiences of people who have been displaced can too easily be lost.
Michael Franklin said:
“In the conflated discourse about immigration, small boats, and refugees, the voice that is often missing is that of the people who come to the United Kingdom to escape conflict or persecution.
As Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine approaches its fifth anniversary, and with no prospect of an end in sight, Refuge is an attempt to give a voice to some of the displaced Ukrainians who live in and around Cambridge, and for them to share their experiences of what it's like to be a refugee.”
Daniel Zeichner MP said:
“Behind every discussion about refugees are individual people, families and lives that have been turned upside down. This exhibition gives people who have been forced from their homes the opportunity to tell their own stories, in their own words.
“Cambridge has welcomed Ukrainians displaced by this terrible war, and I am looking forward to seeing Michael’s work and hearing more about the experiences of those who have made their lives here.”
Michael has been taking photographs since the 1970s and is currently in the final year of a Photography degree with the Open College of the Arts. His work focuses primarily on documentary photography, particularly collaborative portraiture bringing together images and text. He has also hosted a refugee from Kyiv since May 2022.
During his visit, Daniel will view the exhibition with Michael and hear more about the people who took part and the experiences behind their portraits.
