Gathering on Chisel beach (Photo: Thomas Ralph & Theo McInnes)
A gallery in Brixton, south London, was abuzz with the packed private viewing of the Bibby Boys exhibition at Photofusion.
Lucy saying goodbye (Photo: Thomas Ralph & Theo McInnes)
The exhibition showed the experience of the asylum seekers aboard the Bibby Stockholm barge in Dorset and the community that rallied around them.
At a time when we are being pitted against asylum seekers by politicians and the mainstream media, it was refreshing to experience an alternative, positive visual narrative.
Photographers Thomas Ralph and Theo McInnes immersed themselves in the Portland community during the Bibby Stockholm’s tenure on the island.
They developed strong bonds with both asylum seekers and Portland Global Friendship Group. This was a group established to support those on the barge.
Davide and Reece (Photo: Thomas Ralph & Theo McInnes)
A unique moment in time was captured within these sensitive photographic portraits. Asylum seekers in limbo, dealing with the adversity of a process increasingly stacked against them.
It was often a tense situation on Portland, with Patriotic Alternative and other right wing agitators descending into the community.
It could easily be considered a microcosm of the national situation at that time, culminating in the summer riots of 2024 and 2025.
However, the message contained within the portraits is one of hope. The power of the human spirit and what can be achieved when a community comes together through kindness, mutual understanding and respect.
- Bibby Boys is on show at Photofusion, 2 Beehive Place, Brixton, SW9 7QR until 4 April
- Thank you to Thomas Ralph and Theo McInnes for the use of these photographs
