The project comprises a photography exhibition and public outreach programme that will travel to venues in six Gulf states and the UK in Autumn 2019 and Spring 2020.

The Place I Call Home exhibition and accompanying activities are commissioned by the British Council and curated by David Drake, Director of Ffotogallery, the national photography agency for Wales. After scoping visits to all six GCC countries, the curator determined the vision and approach for the exhibition and commissioned several UK and Middle East-based artists to produce work responding to its themes. The selected artists reflect a balance of age, gender and professional experience, as well as representation of all six GCC countries. In various ways, the work of the selected artists is about sharing stories of culture and heritage, challenging stereotypes, exploring identities, commonalities and differences.

The aim of the exhibition and supporting workshops is to encourage dialogues about:

• Place-Making: how planning, design, culture, environmental and technological considerations create a better city or neighbourhood
• Interculturalism: promoting dialogue and interaction between cultures to challenge isolation and self-segregation within cultures
• Citizenship: social responsibility, leadership, hospitality, inclusion, respect and tolerance

Read more about the curatorial approach here.

This is realised through:

• Exhibitions, print and online publishing activities and projects that reflect the evolution of the photographic medium and its role in the world

• Commissioning and exhibiting the work of new and established artists and cross-disciplinary practice that responds to the evolving nature of the medium

• Organising the biennial Diffusion: Cardiff International Festival of Photography

• Developing learning resources, organising talks and events, courses and workshops to support practice, knowledge exchange and appreciation

• Providing a creative studio and digital workspace for creative practitioners, collaborating groups and visiting international artists

• Preserving existing and producing new archival materials and establishing a new library to make them publicly accessible

• Internships, volunteering and skills development opportunities across the range of the organisation’s work

We work with young people in arts, education and science to help them realise their full potential. The long-term vision for our work is to support the development of knowledge-based economies in the Gulf. We do this by creating networks that foster collaboration and share knowledge and ideas between the UK and the Gulf, such as this photography project which aims to open a new conversation at a regional level what makes “home”.

Cultural relations are at the heart of all the British Council’s work globally – it means building understanding and trust through the mutual exchange of knowledge, experiences and ideas. Programmes across the Gulf are aligned with the strategic national visions of each country, which look to develop/expand their creative economies for the benefit of the economy and society generally.