I’m a self taught photographer and project manager based in Sheffield, UK.
I’ve done a lot of work with refugees and asylum seekers over the last number of years, and have become fascinated with the complexity and vital importance of decent cohesion and community integration programmes. This is work that feels especially important now, given the current UK government’s Hostile Environment policy agenda and lack of empathy in the face of what is a global refugee crisis.
Over the last decade or so I’ve also worked on a number of international development programmes, as well as on a variety of photography projects, including with women in Palestine, with children in Hackney, London, and with resettled refugees in Sheffield.
Using photography to achieve social transformation
Still images hold power, and within my field of work there is great potential for using photographs as a tool to stimulate change. Through developing collaborative photographic work in community spaces, with people across their differences, we can create opportunities for people to start to see the many threads that we share, and to start to build a sense of common cause and solidarity across and within struggle.
A commitment to community integration is a political act, and photography a tool to help us see commonalities and develop connections, to stimulate and drive debate, argument, discussion and crucially, to help create a basis for active citizenship and positive social change.
In order to explore and deepen these ideas I’m currently studying for an MA in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography at University of the Arts, London. I’m using this site to publish the coursework as it develops.
You can contact me like this:
Phone: +44 (0) 7884 054 574
Email: contactjackowen@gmail.com
Insta: @h_ello_jack/
