WATERLINE - Nathan Akehurst

The exhibition runs from 11–16 August and is open daily from 12:00 PM.

Please note that the talks taking place on 13 August will begin at 7:30 PM.

Waterline is a photographic display of stories from the search and rescue community in the Central Mediterranean, narrating the month-long voyage of a civil sea rescue vessel where humanitarian volunteers fill a gap left by state neglect and state-sponsored violence, as they search for people in distress at sea and bring them to safety. It is accompanied by interactive exercises and artefacts that help us understand a wider story of a fractured world; the mosaic of countries and circumstances where people are moving from and to, whether it is the multinational crew or the people seeking refuge. The violence, criminalisation, and slander faced by people crossing - and increasingly people who assist them - emerges through these stories, holding a mirror to Europe's hypocrisies and retreat from its professed values.
On Tuesday the 13th, the exhibition will launch with a series of short talks showcasing different perspectives on the story; connecting the Mediterranean to Britain’s own maritime rescue and maritime migration stories, and provoking discussions about how we relate to movement and to the sea. The fragile maritime environment also opens up conversations about the intersections between human and environmental dangers, while the sea’s liminality allows for explorations of transitions, identity and belonging.
SPEAKERS

• A crew member from rescue ship Ocean Viking
• Sam Pordale, human rights campaigner with lived experience of displacement
• Steven Martin, cofounder and director of the Channel Monitoring Project, which observes safety and legal rights in the English Channel
• Mallika Ballakrishnan, Digital Organiser at Migrants Organise, grassroots platform for migrant justice.
• Mathilda Mallinson, Middle East Eye journalist and host of Media Storm podcast, specialising in migration and displacement

Discussion will be moderated by writer, photographer and exhibition organiser Nathan Akehurst.
Timings and dates of daily talks to be listed in due course.

Info: Politicians and media have been screaming "stop the boats" from the rooftops for years.

Why do they never stop talking about maritime migration, or blaming it for every problem Britain faces? And why do we so rarely discuss who the people are in the boats? Join us in the setting of WATERLINE, a photographic exhibition from the search and rescue community in the central Mediterranean sea, the world's most deadly migration route. WATERLINE / LANDINGS will tackle the past and present of maritime migration and how it ties people together across oceans. Among the display of stories, we will hear from rescuers operating off the Italian coast, survivors of distress at sea, organisers working with people in our city. We also hope to hear from you, as we discuss how people are navigating this complex moment, where the migration debate is perhaps more polarised and consequential than it has ever been.