a place called home
a place called home is a new project by socially engaged artist Jaskirt Dhaliwal-Boora which brings together the stories of four young women and their families, and the effects of generational trauma.
Commissioned by West Midlands Police in 2023, Jaskirt had the opportunity to work and collaborate with Kiera, Tiegan, Sienna and Codie to make a body of work to try and effect real change and impact within the police.
'They say ‘a picture speaks a thousand words’ looking at the images in this book it is hard not to be moved and touched by the stories being shown and told. Through Jaskirt’s work with the girls involved in this project we hoped to form a greater understanding of how their life experiences might contribute to vulnerability, and to harness the power of photography to generate real empathy and understanding amongst officers that might inform police practice, and how we interact with young people we encounter.' Cat Stock (WM Police Learning and Delivery Manager)
Portrait of Tiegan and Alfie, shortlisted for British Journal of Photography's Portrait of Britain Award 2023
How the work came together
Throughout a series of workshops and interviews by Jaskirt in June and July 2023, the young women and their families opened up their lives and explored the affects of generational trauma and gender-based violence they have experienced. The workshops at their school included zine making, photo walks in nature, writing workshops, a family workshop looking through archival imagery and basic photography skills.
In the same period as the workshops Jaskirt visited each girl and their family to take photographs and interview them about their life and stories they wanted to include in the book and exhibition.
The name of the book A Place Called Home originated from ideas Keira and Tiegan had during one of the workshops when they spoke of the importance of home to them.
The resulting book and exhibitions includes the new photographs and interviews by Jaskirt alongside archival imagery from the girls and 35mm photographs taken by the girls during and in between workshops, accompanied by text they wrote too.
Exhibitions & Book
Blackheath Library Exhibition
Dates: 30 October - 16 November 2023
West Bromwich Police Station Permanent Exhibition
Launch event: Thursday 30 Nov, 5-7pm
Sign up here to attend the launch event: https://www.eventcreate.com/e/a-place-called-home-exhibit
Publication
The photo book is being used as training material and workshops within the police.
Blackheath Library exhibition
Workshops
During a series of workshops led by Dhaliwal-Boora, the young women have taken part on photo walks shooting on 35mm cameras, text and image writing workshop with their family members, and looking through personal archives. This culminated in personal handmade zines on a story of their choice. This work also contributed to the final photo book and exhibitions that will combine each of the girls stories.
