Balsall Heath Carnival, 9th of July, 2016
excerpts of the most recent year of Balsall Heath Carnival, a series which I began in 2012 following riots across the UK late summer 2011. My prerogative was to get to know the community in places where the majority of residents are 'ethnically diverse', to humanise neighbourhoods such as Balsall Heath whose negative reputation is unfounded and outdated.
Castle Vale's Gambian community, 2nd of August, 2015
Impromptu, outdoor Pop Up Portrait Studio in response to being invited by Gambian photographer Dood Lette. His initial request was that I attend several women-only events as he wasn't able to access those spaces as part of his ongoing documentation. However, I was only able to make it to this day which embraces the entire community. Young women were involved in a public performance each recounting an anecdote about a different Gambian tribe and representing delicate differences through their clothing. Young men were dressed in traditional attire and part of a celebration to highlight rites of passage.
