A number of high profile British Asians living and working in Manchester feature in a new exhibition to go on show this November 22 at the National Media Museum in Bradford.
Twenty-one British Asians have been chosen by photojournalist Tim Smith, for “Making Britain” which celebrates the 21st anniversary of the influential not-for-profit organisation QED-UK.
DJ, journalist and TV star Adil Ray is photographed at Salford Quays MediaCityUK where he filmed the BBC’s first Asian sitcom, Citizen Khan. Coronation Street star, Shobna Gulati also stars alongside other not so well-known individuals of South Asian background in a visual celebration of their cultural, political, artistic and economic contribution to British life.
His Honour Judge Mushtaq, whose specialist area is fraud, drugs and money laundering was photographed outside of Manchester Crown Court. The young up-coming racing driver Zubair Hoque, who attends Altrincham Grammar School, is pictured at Daytona Race Track. Former Secretary General of Amnesty International and Chancellor of Salford University Dr Irene Khan, also features alongside Uzma Khan, an engineer at BAE Systems in Lancashire.
The photos were commissioned by QED-UK, which works as an education, employment and training provider to eradicate poverty, disadvantage. The Bradford-based charity, which Dr Ali founded in 1990, works towards creating a society in which opportunity is not dependent on ethnic origin, race, religion or gender.
Dr Ali said: “Social and economic exclusion was, and still is, the biggest driving force behind community disintegration. The key issues that are essential to the health of any community are education and employment – for without the prospect of an education, a job, and a home, there is hopelessness. We’re all about creating hope.”
Photojournalist Tim Smith's work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. His books include ‘Here to Stay,’ a portrait of Bradford’s South Asian communities, and ‘Asians in Britain’, which includes photographs taken over the past 20 years.
Tim said: “These photographs celebrate everything QED has worked hard for over the past 21 years. As a photographer I’ve been witness to this period of extraordinary change, where British Asians have moved from the margins to the mainstream. This new project is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate success stories that embody this transformation, and to illustrate how British Asians are a vital part of our contemporary, cosmopolitan society.”
The participants will see their portraits hang alongside those of professional footballers, TV personalities and leading figures in the arts and politics amongst them BBC newsreader Mishal Husain, stand-up comic Shazia Mirza, and footballer Zesh Rehman.
