Submission 66
My idea of ‘Company’ has to revolve around cooking and food. People coming together around the focus of preparing and enjoying a meal: food as social cement. I took these at ‘In The Mix’, a weekly community gathering where refugees and asylum seekers cook and share their national dishes with the local community, giving them a sense of belonging and visibility. Asylum housing can be extremely lonely and challenging, and they are often living off a grant of only £39 a week. With no right to work for 2 years or more, many end up destitute. I met Osman a former asylum seeker from Egypt for my photographic project ‘Open Britain: Portrait of a Diverse Nation’. Osman whilst seeking asylum was on the streets and himself attempted suicide. ‘In The Mix’ provides invaluable food and ‘company’ to those that need it.
jj keith