Connecting classrooms

A striking new photography exhibition that captures the images and views of students in their classrooms across the Middle East and the UK is set to open in Bahrain next month.

GulfWeekly was offered a sneak preview of Classroom Portraits, an exhibition that shares the common experiences of school life in Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the UK.

Photographer Julian Germain was commissioned by the British Council to take a series of photographs in schools across the region, and asked students about their likes, dislikes, aims and ambitions during each classroom visit.

The exhibition features students from six primary and secondary schools across Bahrain including Al Rouhda Primary School, Safraa Intermediate School, Al Motanabi Primary School, Al Noaim Secondary School, Al Belad - Al Qadeem Intermediate school and Saar Secondary School.

The Middle Eastern leg of the project followed a successful pilot undertaken by Mr Germain in 2004 with schools in the North of England.

Mr Germain said: "From the age of five to 16, school is our life. We all leave school but it never leaves us.

"Our schooldays are a collective formative experience, a memory matrix allowing even complete strangers to find common ground and understanding.

"Photographs have the potential to trigger all kinds of responses and memories from anyone who has been at school.

The statistics tell us things that the photographs alone cannot. They add to our sense of what the pupils think and feel - about themselves, school, and the world beyond.

"What interested me as a photographer was the physicality of school, the buildings, the classrooms and uniforms and the children."

The British Council's Middle East regional Director for the Arts, Elizabeth White said: "Whatever our background, 'Classroom Portraits' provides us all with a common focal point - our school days.

"By using art to illustrate this shared experience young people in the UK and the Middle East have a wonderful opportunity to find out more about each others lives, explore different cultures and exchange ideas.

"The British Council is delighted to support Julian on this exciting project and we would like to thank all the schools in Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, who took part in this innovative project. In time we look forward to building 'Classroom Portraits' into a global collection of images and statistics from schools worldwide.

"This exhibition complements the British Council's wider work in building greater understanding among young people through our international Connecting Classrooms programme.

The British Council aims to eventually create a global collection of classroom portraits. The venue and opening date of exhibition will be announced shortly.