The Belonging Project is a collaboration between photographer Laurence Gibson, the Migrant Centre NI, and migrants in Northern Ireland. It features portraits of migrants, each with an object from their home country, and a recorded story of their journey to Northern Ireland. The project aims to promote understanding and combat prejudice by celebrating diversity and highlighting our shared humanity. By giving migrants a platform to share their stories through portraits and interviews, organizers hope to encourage viewing migrants as individuals rather than an outgroup.

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The ‘Belonging’ Project is a collaboration between Belfast-born professional photographer
Laurence Gibson, the Migrant Centre NI, and the migrants in Northern Ireland to create a
stunning gallery and workshop program aspiring to combat discrimination and prejudice,
and promote empathy and human connection in Northern Ireland.
‘Belonging’ is designed to portray the growing migrant culture of Northern Ireland by
focusing on individuals with unique stories to share. The central component of ‘Belonging’ is
a collection of portraits of migrants, each photographed with an object or memento which
they have brought to Northern Ireland from their home country. Each portrait is
accompanied by a recorded interview conducted with the participant about their journey to
Northern Ireland and the significance of the chosen object. An exhibition typically features
both the portraits and the interviews, in recorded or transcript format, offering a distinct way
for viewers to engage with the individuals’ stories.
By giving migrants a place to share their stories, we aim to celebrate diversity while
simultaneously highlighting the similarities we share as human beings. Migrant peoples are
not a cohesive group; they are individuals each with distinctive identities, regardless of their
country of origin, skin colour, or religion practised. It is our hope to encourage the general
public to identify with the migrants on a human-to-human level rather than an ‘us versus
them’ mentality. In emphasising this outlook, we hope to foster an environment of
understanding and create more cohesive communities with lasting relationships between
local and migrant communities.
Artistry is key in effectively humanising the migrant journey, and showcasing their belonging
within a new community. Photographer Laurence Gibson is known for portrait work that
presents his subjects with honesty and subtle clarity. By embarking on this project, he is
committing this unique gift to the mission of portraying migrants in a manner that invites
observers to connect with them at an individual level.
The Migrant Centre NI and its founding organisation, the Northern Ireland Council for
Ethnic Minorities, have years of experience helping migrants integrate into Northern Ireland
and advocating for fair and comprehensive government policy to support such integration.
The partnership between Mr Gibson and the Migrant Centre NI combines artistry with
resources, including a client base from which to invite participants, experience with telling
migrants’ stories in a sensitive and meaningful manner, and the contacts and organisational
capacity to create workshops and roundtable discussions.
We hope to secure further funding in order to continue developing and showcasing the
project on a larger scale in Northern Ireland. The project’s website, linked below, hosts a
video providing more information and offers a growing gallery of portraits and stories for
perusal.
The Belonging Project Laurence Gibson
www.thebelongingproject.com Photographer
internsbmc@gmail.com www.laurencegibson.co.uk
0289043862 @laurencegibson