A young refugee has been named joint-winner of the first Refugee Week competition. Shamin Settuba is from Uganda and arrived in the UK three and a half years ago.

The Refugee Week 2007 Photography Competition was held between April and May 2007 and entrants were asked to enter photographs on this year’s theme, Encounters. The photos were then shortlisted and the winning entry was announced at the opening of the Encounters exhibition at Nolias Gallery, London last night. The winners and the short-listed entries were also displayed on the Refugee Week website.

Judges praised Shamin’s interpretation of the theme with her series exploring her first encounter with snow.

Her co-winner is Alan Gignoux: his photos were from a series of work he did for the British Council. Both shared the prize of £500 vouchers for photography equipment.

Shamin’s got into photography as part of a photo project held on the Refugee Council’s social evening for young people held at their Brixton office every Tuesday. Participants of the photo project worked with professional photographers to learn camera techniques and to explore issues that are important to them and which reflect their experiences and sense of community in London and the UK.

Shamin’s work and the work of the other participants will on display at the Photome exhibition opening on Saturday 30 June, at PYMCA Gallery in London.

See also

Photome: The final project exhibition is open from Saturday 30 June-Thursday 12 July 2007, 11am-7pm at the PYMCA Gallery, 41 Clerkenwell Road, EC1

Our drop-in centre in Brixton, London holds weekly social evenings for separated children, giving them the opportunity to meet others in similar situations, relax and make new friends.