| Description |
A Child From Everywhere is a colourful collection of photographs and interviews from the photographer Caroline Irby on children who have migrated to the UK from 185 different countries of the world. Published in association with Oxfam, with proceeds being donated to Oxfam in support of their children’s aid programmes.
Photographer Caroline Irby has interviewed and photographed children from 185 different countries who have migrated to the UK. Of the hundreds of thousands of migrants to the UK each year, 26,000 of them are children. Irby set out to interview one child from each of the 192 countries in the world (according to the UN); 185 children agreed to take part in the project. The resulting A Child From Everywhere is a look at the nations represented and the multi-cultural layered image of the UK.
The photographs of the children, aged from 0 to 16 years old, are accompanied by interviews from the children themselves, where they are given the opportunity to give their side of the story. The children discuss their expectations of the UK, feelings upon arrival, cultural differences, ideas on community and thoughts on the future, along with details on their everyday life, school, family, friends, employment, food and lifestyle. Often the children have had difficult upbringings and have been forced out of their countries due to war, poverty or disease. For them the UK represents a new start and a wealth of opportunities. These interviews, though harrowing at times, are ultimately a positive commentary on the hope and optimism of children. |