Bibby Stockholm Exhibition Highlights Community Bonds
Exhibition in London highlights positive community interactions with asylum seekers on Bibby Stockholm barge, challenging negative public perceptions.
Lauren Collins ·
Bibby Stockholm Exhibition Highlights Community Bonds An exhibition titled 'Bibby Boys' opened on March 17, 2024, at Photofusion in Brixton, London, documenting the experiences of asylum seekers housed on the Bibby Stockholm barge in Dorset, UK, and the local community's engagement with them. The exhibition, running until April 4, 2024, focuses on the positive relationships formed despite the controversial nature of the vessel, which housed asylum seekers from August 7, 2023, until November 2024.
The Bibby Stockholm barge, intended to reduce reliance on hotel accommodation for asylum seekers, faced criticism for conditions, including a Legionella outbreak and the death of an asylum seeker. However, the 'Bibby Boys' exhibition, created by Theo McKinnes and Thomas Ralph, highlights the efforts of local residents who formed the Portland Global Friendship Group (PGFG). This group provided support, organized activities such as gardening and community clean-ups, and fostered connections with the asylum seekers.
Members of the PGFG, including former local councillor Giovanna Lewis, described their involvement as a "civil and moral humanitarian duty." Asylum seekers, some of whom have since received leave to remain in the UK, recounted the friendship group's positive impact, contrasting it with their perception of the barge as a "prison." The exhibition aims to present a less reported narrative of community kindness and enduring human connections forged during a period marked by significant public and political debate surrounding asylum policy.