Sierra Leone Stories

The project called Wilberforce Women aims to link the two cities together through photography.

Last year a number of women in Hull produced greeting cards which were sent to the Sierra Leone capital. The images explored the themes of Freedom, Pride, Belief and Change, to mark the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade. Both cities were involved in slavery; Freetown as a major embarkation point for the slave ships and Hull through the role of the city’s MP William Wilberforce in the abolition movement. The two cities have been twinned since 1980.

The Sierra Leone group outside the British Council

The two women behind the project, Lee Karen Stow and Fiona Caley, travelled out to the west African country in February; to take the cards and run a series of training sessions for women there. The result has been the establishment of the Women Photographers' Organisation Sierra Leone to encourage women to get involved in what is traditionally a male dominated activity.

Four of the Sierra Leone photographers will be visiting Hull in October to carry-out further training and meet people in the city.

As part of the visit an exhibition of both groups’ work will be held at the city’s Ferens Art Gallery.

A launch event took place at Hull’s Guildhall where a selection of the work was on show.

Gail Teasdale one of the Hull photographers said that the project has been worthwhile. “I think it is really positive I think on many levels. It’s brought women together who didn’t know each other, it’s made connections between the two countries as well, different cultures that similarity between women. But also it has also given quite a few women the chance to experience something and learn new skills as well, which is really positive.”

The mayor of Freetown Winstanley Bankole Johnson said that the project was important as it extends the links between the twinned cities. “It takes the relationship away from government to government to people to people. The women in Hull and in Freetown can engage themselves.”

The exhibition will be held at the Ferens Art Gallery, from the 6th - 28th of October.

Images copyright Wilberforce Women 2007