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Objects of Resilience

The term resilience is frequently woven into complex narratives of migration. Understandably so. Surviving torture, imprisonment, homelessness or conflict, and then starting again in an unfamiliar, possibly hostile new country takes a depth of resilience that fortunately most of us will never require.

Resilience can be drawn from religion, relationships, or physical endeavors, but it can also be found in small seemly insignificant objects which, for a few precious moments, can help us find comfort and stability.

Last summer, some of the participants on the Refugee Journalism Project took part in a video production workshop at London College of Communication where resilience was the central theme.They were invited to construct short interviews and sequences based on an object that gave them strength in times of adversity.

From a miswak designed to magnify the impact of daily prayers, to a stone painted by a child 20 years ago during a holiday to the Crimea, the result was a rich collection of stories of personal treasures. Through this compilation of images, footage and audio interviews, participants from the Refugee Journalism Project offer an insight into the depth and range of their professional experience prior coming to the UK.

Music Credit: Produced by White Hot