A new exhibition has opened at Gunnersbury Park Museum. Called Faith in Suburbia: a shared photographic journey, it was created at University College London and had its first showing there.
The exhibition is the outcome of a remarkable collaboration between senior citizens from six different faith communities in West Ealing and Hanwell who recorded their exploration of each others’ worship spaces through a photography project initiated by UCL geographer, Dr Claire Dwyer and award-winning photographer Liz Hingley.
The volunteers took photographs to explore the different religious buildings. Participants then worked together to select images to produce six ‘banners’, one representing each faith. Photography became an effective medium for the participants to learn what they had in common and also provided opportunities to build interfaith understanding.
“Visiting the mosque and the Sikh temple and other places of worship has opened my eyes…it has broadened my mind in many ways. If other people did this it could bring the world together in a small way or even a big way,” added Ram, from the Shri KanagaThurkkai Amman Hindu Temple.
Panels produced by Dr Dwyer will be shown alongside the photography banners, offering a historical perspective on faith in London’s surburbs.
“I hope the exhibition provides a catalyst for more interfaith interaction – and that visitors to the exhibition will also share their own knowledge and experience of faith, migration and suburban change in West London.”
You can find more information on the blog here or images in the YouTube video here
Please note: the museum is open 11am to 4pm daily until 31 March, then from 1 April between 11am and 5pm.
Admission free