Northumberland photography exhibition highlights experiences of asylum seekers in Ashington
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A photographic and film exhibition has been launched showcasing the work of a charity and depicting the lives of the asylum seekers they support.
The exhibition by photographic artist Jamie Sinclair runs at the Woodhorn Museum in Ashington, Northumberland until 25 February 2024.
The photographs shows how Northumberland County of Sanctuary (NCOS) supports asylum seekers who settle in Ashington and also a number of portraits of asylum seekers who took part in the project.
Jamie Sinclair told ITV News Tyne Tees: "Imagine, say, we get dropped in a country where we don’t speak the language, we don’t have any money - wouldn’t it be great if there’s a community there that would like help you? Even just showing you where the shops are, or like tell you how the customs work, just little bits and pieces like this, like they do at NCOS.
"I just want to try and show other communities that this is really possible."
Mr Sinclair also directed a short film, which is projected on a wall in the exhibition, called Hjem, which is Northumbrian for 'home' in Pitmatic, a dialect spoken in the coalpits of Ashington.
The film shows some of the activities the charity has done over the years with around 300 asylum seekers to help welcome them to the country, but also support them into adjusting to British customs.
Anne Murray, from NCOS, who appears in the film, said: "Our job as volunteers is to welcome people, to say ‘you are welcome’ and to gradually enable them to take charge of their own futures.
"It’s to give them the ability to speak English, to learn about the English culture that they’ve come into, so that they can then make their way in this country."
Saman Sheri, who settled in Northumberland two years ago, is from Kurdistan. He takes centre stage in the film and told ITV News he is "happy" he has been supported so well in the North East.
He said: "The North East never said any bad word. The people, everyone is good. Everyone is really kind and I'm really happy for the North East."
Rowan Brown, chief executive of Museums Northumberland, which runs the Woodhorn Museum where the exhibition is hosted, said it offers visitors to the sight a different experience.
He said: "Oh, it’s just moving. I mean it just speaks to the message that we need right now about love and humanity. It’s a beautiful reflection of some of the best qualities of Northumberland."
‘Hjem’ has been made possible by funding from Arts Council England, The Rebecca Vassie Trust Memorial Award and Northumberland County Council.
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