How can we view photography through the lens of activism? On Friday 12 September at 6.45pm a panel featuring celebrated artists Sara Russell, Zita Holbourne, Nasreen Shaikh Jamal al-Lail and Aimee Valerie will discuss what it means to document Palestine with a camera in hand.

IHRC’s Bookshop and Gallery is currently exhibiting ‘Another Day’ – Sara Russell’s personal documentation of Palestine is a captivating look at a people living their lives under everyday occupation. Focusing on her work and then branching out, our panel will discuss what it means to document reality and how that in turn translates into art.

“In a globalised and demythologised world it is difficult to capture authenticity; in fact, we attempt to construct the authentic in order to have a locus from which we can judge ourselves,” says ‘Another Day’ curator Jamal al-Lail.

The panel discussion will take the shape of a relaxed conversation in the hopes of opening up a genuine dialogue about identity, documentation and art. Wherein audience members can offer their own ideas and suggestions as well as pose questions regarding the subject.

PANEL:

Sara Russell – Photographer. ‘Another Day’ is her first exhibition. Her art is the result of a recent trip to Jenin in the north of Palestine as part of a group which included London Tower Hamlets’ deputy mayor Cllr Ohid Ahmed as well as several other independent councillors. The trip involved visiting numerous organisations and villages across the region and talking with recently released prisoners.

Zita Holbourne – an award winning visual artist, curator, poet, writer, trade union and community activist. She uses art, poetry and activism to campaign for equality, freedom, justice, democracy and human rights.

Nasreen Shaikh Jamal al-Lail – Curator of ‘Another Day’ and an artist with work exhibited in both England and Saudi Arabia. Her focus has been on developing an understanding of how an interaction between different ‘collective memories’ has created a unique set of problems about who one is and what one can become.

Aimee Valerie – Photographer. She began her photography journey in 2010 and specialises in an array of mediums. She is also a human rights activist.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

• ‘Documenting Palestine’ will take place on Friday 12 September at 6.45pm

• The venue is IHRC Gallery & Bookshop, 202 Preston Road, Wembley, HA9 8PA. Nearest tube: Preston Road (1 minute walk, Metropolitan Line), South Kenton (12 minutes walk, Bakerloo line) Nearest overgound: South Kenton (as before)

• ‘Documenting Palestine’ is a free event

• ‘Documenting Palestine’ will also be streamed online at https://ihrc.org.uk/multimedia/live

• Contact nadia@ihrc.org or phone 020 8904 4222 for interviews, image requests, etc.