The inter-faith schools photography project involves 60 students from five faith schools in London and is running for one year. The Students are learning photography skills from professionals and using what they learn to take pictures – individually and collaboratively across the faith groups – portraying their own lives.

Their images will become a touring exhibition available to other schools as an educational tool with an accompanying resource pack for exploring themes of faith, integration, assimilation, identity, community, tolerance and multi-culturalism.

The project uses photography to provide a unique way for students in faith schools to communicate beyond faith boundaries and express themselves and their lives with a new language (imagery) where other communication may be difficult, even impossible. It provides a unique opportunity for young people who are usually educated and sheltered in their own communities to meet young people from other faith communities. It is establishing links on three levels - between young people, their schools and their faith communities and leaving structures in place for these relationships to continue and grow. It will promote tolerance and understanding between different faith groups by offering glimpses into one another¨s lives. It will offer ÿoutsiders' an insight into different faith worlds and the lives of young people.

The project gives young people opportunities to represent themselves and their faith to the wider world and find out first hand about other faiths. It gets young people to work collaboratively with young people of other faiths and take the lead in organising spin off activities for their own and the wider community. Participating schools are the Islamia Girls' School, Guru Nanak Sikh Secondary School, Swaminarayan Hindu School, Mount Carmel RC School and King Solomon High School.

It is funded by the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund.

Project type

• Interfaith
• Arts

Region

• London