A new exhibition at the University of Westminster’s Regent Campus aims to counter online hate speech by exploring the themes of diversity and religion. The exhibition begins on Saturday 25 February and ends on Thursday 2 March, with a special film screening and discussion at Regent Street Cinema.
The free Action Against Hate: Diversity & Religion exhibition is delivered by the University’s Diversity and Inclusion Community and the Get The Trolls Out! (GTTO) campaign. GTTO is led by the Media Diversity Institute (MDI) and works with seven partners across Europe to counter anti-religious hate speech.
Milica Pesic, Executive Director of the Media Diversity Institute, said: “This year we mark a quarter of a century of working globally with journalists, civil society activists and academics to create connections and highlight diversity issues in the media. The time has come for us to bring artists to our work. This exhibition aims to show the importance of providing more creative spaces to start new conversations about diversity in the media. We hope through this exhibition to find additional ways to elevate stories from marginalised voices in our communities across Europe.”
This exhibition brings together 29 emerging and established artists who explore religious diversity in society. The pieces of art examine the lived experience of religious minorities, the individual’s experience of racism, imagine a society where multi-cultural communities live in harmony and other pieces of art reflect on historic discrimination and hate.
The pieces of art below will feature in the exhibition.
Eva Lilienfelde's We Belong To Each Other
Birgitta Volz's Silent Witnesses
Ismini Teligioridou's Empower
The exhibition’s closing-night film screening, at the historic Regent Street Cinema, showcases four films which provide a voice to groups in society who often do not get the opportunity to tell their stories. Each film explores themes of migration and identity.
Following the film screenings, Dr Roza Tsagarousianou, Reader in Media and Communications at Westminster and Head of the University’s Diversity and Inclusion Unit, will lead a panel discussion named Action Against Hate. The panel will discuss how media narratives, art and politics can play an active role in creating and countering hate speech.
Speakers will include Suyin Haynes, Head of Editorial at gal-dem, an award-winning publication dedicated to sharing the perspectives of people of colour from marginalised genders, Rabbi Alex Goldberg, Broadcaster and Dean of Religious Life and Belief at the University of Surrey, and Khadija Said, an illustrator, activist and digital communications specialist working in the refugee sector.
Geena Patel studied on the Media, Campaigning and Social Change MA course at the University and is currently working at the Media and Diversity Institute for the GTTO project, helping to deliver the exhibition. She said: “Working on Action Against Hate feels like a real full circle moment, as I’m able to use what I learnt on my MA to support great organisations like the Media Diversity Institute bring about social change. Collaborating with Dr Tsagarousianou to celebrate and promote diversity and inclusion at Westminster has been truly empowering.”
Book your free place at the film screening on the Action against Hate: Diversity & Religion Exhibition webpage.
