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

This research project is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and is being undertakeby the Working Lives Research Institute, London Metropolitan University.
For further information about our research please visit our website
http://www.workinglives.org/research-themes/wlri-project-websites/$-emraw/emraw_home.cfm

We as a research team (Dr. Jane Holgate, Dr. Leena Kumarappan and  Janroj Keles from WLRI, London Metropolitan University and Professor Anna Pollert at University of West of England) are doing a research project on ‘Influences of identity, community and social networks on ethnic minority representation at work’ at London Metropolitan University and focusing on Kurdish people in Hackney, Indian people in Ealing and Caribbean people in Lambeth.

We are looking for 20  Kurdish individuals (with different age, gender, education and occupation background) to participate in a focus group and to interpret the social and cultural meanings of 10 photographs of Kurdish everyday life in London including identity, community and work.

We are interesting in how Kurdish people conceptualize their identities and relationships with issues of community, work and social network in London. This ESRC funded research project would like to hear your voice, your opinion and give you an opportunity to understand  the way you feel, interpret, and make sense of your experiences in London through using images of Kurdish people taken by a professional photographer Jim Hodson and  RenkArt.

We only need approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes of your time and we will pay you £20 for your participation.

Date: Friday 13 November 2009

Time: 6:15pm

Venue: SOAS, Room FG08

School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG

Organised by : Kurdish Studies and Students Organisation  at SOAS (KSSO)

Please note: Space is limited to 20 participants, and pre-registration is required! Deadline for registration:  Friday at 11:00 am (13.11.2009).  The discussion will take place in English and Kurdish.

If you would like to consider participating in this project, please mail Janroj Keles  j.keles@londonmet.ac.uk or mc@ksso.org.uk,  Telephone: 07875149068

Working Lives Research Institute, London Metropolitan University

31 Jewry Street, London EC3N 2EY

www.workinglives.org

This research project is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and is being undertaken by the Working Lives Research Institute, London Metropolitan University.