The Images of Incoming exhibition is the result of a project which engaged with some 50 women from Northern Ireland and Canada. The Northern Ireland-Canadian project emerged from an initial partnership between Queen’s University Belfast’s Open Learning (Adult Education) Programme and the British Columbia’s Adult Education Department of University of Fraser Valley. The University of Atypical for Arts and Disability, Northern Ireland’s lead organisation on arts and disability, later joined the partnership to curate an exhibition of photographs from participants, facilitate the creation of an accessible website and make a documentary film – recognising the importance of accessible dissemination and impact.

The Images of Incoming exhibition is the result of a project which engaged with some 50 women from Northern Ireland and Canada. The Northern Ireland -Canadian project emerged from an initial partnership between Queen’s University Belfast’s Open Learning (Adult Education) Programme and the British Columbia’s Adult Education Department of University of Fraser Valley. The University of Atypical for Arts and Disability, Northern Ireland’s lead organisation on arts and disability, later joined the partnership to curate an exhibition of photographs from participants, facilitate the creation of an accessible website and make a documentary film – recognising the importance of accessible dissemination and impact.

The project participants were women from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures, from Africa to China to India and Pakistan, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Kosovo, Spain, Kurdistan, East Timor and Mauritius. The women took photographs to express their sense of exclusion and belonging in their new country and came together through a series of online workshops to discuss their images. The Northern Irish participants were able to gain Open Learning credits for their participation.

The rich insights of the project will help inform all those working with incomer people, including policy makers about what are the key issues and how they can be addressed.

The Queen’s University Belfast’s Open Learning (Adult Education) Department offers our thanks to everyone who contributed to the success of the Images of Incoming project and we are privileged that the participants have given so freely of their time and shared their experiences with us.

Professor Tess Maginess
Director, Queen’s University Belfast’s Open Learning (Adult Education) Programme
Dr Federica Ferrieri, Images of Incoming Project Co-ordinator

Queen’s University Belfast Open Learning Programme: The Open Learning Programme offers a wide range of adult education courses and research. The programme has three main strands: a large Humanities curriculum featuring daytime, evening, weekend and online courses meeting the needs of the community, a Continuing Professional Development Programme, delivered in partnership with voluntary and statutory organisations and an outreach projects programme focused on the Grand Challenges of our time, including migration and the wellbeing of older people, and developed in partnership with local, national and international partners.

University of Fraser Valley Adult Education Department: The University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) Adult Education Department offers a wide array of programs including a Bachelor’s Degree in Adult Education, a Workplace Education (WE) Associate certificate and an Integrated Learning Design Associate certificate. UFV Adult Education Department also offers a certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language. These programs prepare students to work in any setting where adult learning takes place. This includes formal classroom settings, non-formal and informal settings such as the workplace. A diverse group of students from all over Canada participate in UFV’s Adult Education programs.

University of Atypical for Arts and Disability: The University of Atypical for Arts and Disability (UofA) is the lead sectoral organisation for arts and disability in Northern Ireland and plays a key role in increasing opportunities for D/deaf, disabled and Neurodiverse artists and audiences. UofA delivers a sectoral development programme in equality, access and inclusion and showcases the work of d/Deaf, disabled and Neurodiverse artists through the Atypical Gallery, Bounce Arts festival, and the Ledger Studio for performing arts. Learning programmes include EU wide research partnerships, Digital Horizon an arts based digital innovation scheme and British Sign Language courses for art workers.

QUB, UFV and UofA offer our thanks to our funders:

Queen’s University Belfast: ESRC Impact Acceleration Account, Engaged Research Seed Fund & SDG Research Fund

University of Fraser Valley: Strategic Initiative Grant, Faculty/Student, Research and Scholarly Activity Fund & SSHRC Explore Grant

University of Atypical for Arts and Disability: Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Belfast City Council & Department for Communities