Images of working lives: Experiences of Kurdish migrants in London
Photo Exhibition
Organized by Working Lives Research Institute, London Metropolitan University
Date: Friday 16th- 23rd July 2010 ( Exhibition opening reception 5pm on Friday 16th July 2010)
Venue: RenkArt Centre, 86 Stoke Newington High Street, Stoke Newington N16 7PA
Images of working lives is an exhibition held as part of an Economic and Social Research Council
(ESRC) funded research project conducted by Working Lives Research Institute, London
Metropolitan University to highlight the working conditions of an ‘invisible’ community, Kurdish
Diaspora, in London.
The study focused on minority ethnic workers who experienced difficulties at work and how they
developed strategies to solve work related problems including racism, discrimination, bullying,
exclusion and isolation. We chose three different minority ethnic communities- locally based ethnic
groups, Kurds in Hackney, South Asian in Ealing and Black Caribbeans in Lambeth- in London to
enable us to compare and contrast a whole range of different issues. We interviewed total of 185
workers – 100 individually and 88 in 16 focus groups and 64 interviews with ‘key respondents’ who
were officials from trade unions, advice agencies and community groups.
Our research team will give brief information on our research findings on the working condition of
the Kurdish workers and their strategies to solve work related problems and difficulties.
The exhibition illustrates different experiences of the Kurdish Diaspora in the context of ethnicity,
identity, belonging, community and working lives. The audience is invited to take a closer look at
the migrants' life experiences reflected to the lens of photo journalist Jim Hodson, Ümit Avcu and
Kurdish photographers' group RenkArt including Döndü Demir, Erdogan Guccuk, Bektaþ Arif,
Alper Taþçý as well as locally based Kurdish photographer Ümit Avcu.
Research team: Dr Jane Holgate (Principal investigator), Janroj Keles, Dr Leena Kumarappan and
Professor Anna Pollert.
For further information please contact Dr Jane Holgate or Janroj Keles
j.holgate@londonmet.ac.uk or j.keles@londonmet.ac.uk