Immigration is a growing problem, with six-thousand living on the outskirts of Calais, France, waiting to cross the border into the United Kingdom. The numbers are growing and volunteers are struggling to provide for them all. ‘L’auberge des migrants’ (The Inn For The Migrants) and ‘Save the children’ are two charities that are the main funders of the ‘Jungle’ (refugee camp) in Calais.
In early May 2016, I got access to the largest support warehouse where the charities organise food, clothes, medical supplies, toiletries and everyday essentials. By simple researching the location of the Jungle and the purchase of a couple of ferry tickets and a hotel, overall costing a couple of bills. I mapped the area from my hotel to the jungle and viewed the roads on satellite images, working out it would be a half an hour walk to what seemed the pits of hell at the time. arriving with a tonne of equipment and no insurance or local guide for safety I just walked around the jungle and to my surprise I felt as if I was in the middle of Syria or Sudan. A river ran through the middle of the temporary tents of shit, piss, clothes and rubbish, people shouting in different languages and running in all directions, it certainly was hell, I became quite uncomfortable and got back to the entrance feeling quite lost. Walking back to the beginning and re thinking my photography strategy was the best decision I could have made... I came across two English volunteers who listened to my situation and wanted to help me out with my project. They were credited Save The Children volunteers with all the correct paperwork, so I trusted them to take me somewhere a bit safer and a place with more of a photo opportunity.
The next fithteen minutes sat in a random car was a very big test of my courage, to the bloody limit... I could feel something very exciting about to happen and I was completely out of my comfort zone; telling my intentions to these charity workers who I found out to be the managers of a secret warehouse which provides most of the support for the migrants. Darting into a back street off of the main highway, we pulled up what looked like a movie set, a bearded man in a high-vis opening the gate and waving us in and glaring at me in the back seat through the rain drops on the window that had been created from my breath during the journey. There were old rusty oil barrels, broken road signs, tins of paint, rotting wood hanging off of the razor wire of the fence, but kind and strangely familiar faces walking around getting on with jobs. I got out of the car and was liaised over to speak with all the managers of the complex. Coming from what seemed like a photographers hell to a paradise, was a little bit too much for me at first, I needed a good sit down and to quickly make another story out of what I have been invited to. I was welcomed with an open heart by all of the staff and positivity flowed in every conversation.
The location of the warehouse was agreed between myself and the site managers to be kept secret due to a possible leakage of the location to any fascist political party in France which pose a threat to the existence of this place.
I documented the work of the volunteers and I got to listen to their stories and their purpose. It was the most eye opening experience for me and made me realise so much about how people really want to help out others in need. at 1:30pm exactly I took an image of all of the food trays in the serving area and was asked by a random volunteer to help serve the food to everyone in five minutes time. I threw my shit into the corner behind me and grabbed the tools I needed to serve the vegetation foods, this was my opportunity to see each and everyone face to face and say hello and give them life; the more I think back to this moment the stronger these images mean to me with the faint memory of the faces fading away the images of the kitchen reminds me of the time very clearly.
This day tested every part of my ability to travel, communicate, adapt and to articulate thoughts in a place I am not familiar with. It made me realise my potential and the potential the world has to offer, I ran into the unknown looking for something to capture, somebody to speak to and find the truth right there. I felt as if I was actually a migrant for the day, in a different country, lost, trying to find a better way, catching a ride with some random people and being fed out of love. I hope this work can convey the real feelings felt that day but more importantly an alternative look into such a messy situation, a look into the heart of humanities generosity. The images were shot on black and white film as well as digital, the film images convey more of a feel for the place as I shoot better on film and just have more care when making images with this medium.
The Jungle has now been burned down and is a wasteland again, as if nothing ever happened there, the people have been moved to somewhere else; hopefully with only the best intentions for them. I am unsure what what has happened to the warehouse now, maybe it is being used for retail storage again or maybe they are still operating as a charity. Either way I wish to go back to this place and finish the project or continue what I started, at least show the work to the workers and just discuss something.
In early May 2016, I got access to the largest support warehouse where the charities organise food, clothes, medical supplies, toiletries and everyday essentials. By simple researching the location of the Jungle and the purchase of a couple of ferry tickets and a hotel, overall costing a couple of bills. I mapped the area from my hotel to the jungle and viewed the roads on satellite images, working out it would be a half an hour walk to what seemed the pits of hell at the time. arriving with a tonne of equipment and no insurance or local guide for safety I just walked around the jungle and to my surprise I felt as if I was in the middle of Syria or Sudan. A river ran through the middle of the temporary tents of shit, piss, clothes and rubbish, people shouting in different languages and running in all directions, it certainly was hell, I became quite uncomfortable and got back to the entrance feeling quite lost. Walking back to the beginning and re thinking my photography strategy was the best decision I could have made... I came across two English volunteers who listened to my situation and wanted to help me out with my project. They were credited Save The Children volunteers with all the correct paperwork, so I trusted them to take me somewhere a bit safer and a place with more of a photo opportunity.
The next fithteen minutes sat in a random car was a very big test of my courage, to the bloody limit... I could feel something very exciting about to happen and I was completely out of my comfort zone; telling my intentions to these charity workers who I found out to be the managers of a secret warehouse which provides most of the support for the migrants. Darting into a back street off of the main highway, we pulled up what looked like a movie set, a bearded man in a high-vis opening the gate and waving us in and glaring at me in the back seat through the rain drops on the window that had been created from my breath during the journey. There were old rusty oil barrels, broken road signs, tins of paint, rotting wood hanging off of the razor wire of the fence, but kind and strangely familiar faces walking around getting on with jobs. I got out of the car and was liaised over to speak with all the managers of the complex. Coming from what seemed like a photographers hell to a paradise, was a little bit too much for me at first, I needed a good sit down and to quickly make another story out of what I have been invited to. I was welcomed with an open heart by all of the staff and positivity flowed in every conversation.
The location of the warehouse was agreed between myself and the site managers to be kept secret due to a possible leakage of the location to any fascist political party in France which pose a threat to the existence of this place.
I documented the work of the volunteers and I got to listen to their stories and their purpose. It was the most eye opening experience for me and made me realise so much about how people really want to help out others in need. at 1:30pm exactly I took an image of all of the food trays in the serving area and was asked by a random volunteer to help serve the food to everyone in five minutes time. I threw my shit into the corner behind me and grabbed the tools I needed to serve the vegetation foods, this was my opportunity to see each and everyone face to face and say hello and give them life; the more I think back to this moment the stronger these images mean to me with the faint memory of the faces fading away the images of the kitchen reminds me of the time very clearly.
This day tested every part of my ability to travel, communicate, adapt and to articulate thoughts in a place I am not familiar with. It made me realise my potential and the potential the world has to offer, I ran into the unknown looking for something to capture, somebody to speak to and find the truth right there. I felt as if I was actually a migrant for the day, in a different country, lost, trying to find a better way, catching a ride with some random people and being fed out of love. I hope this work can convey the real feelings felt that day but more importantly an alternative look into such a messy situation, a look into the heart of humanities generosity. The images were shot on black and white film as well as digital, the film images convey more of a feel for the place as I shoot better on film and just have more care when making images with this medium.
The Jungle has now been burned down and is a wasteland again, as if nothing ever happened there, the people have been moved to somewhere else; hopefully with only the best intentions for them. I am unsure what what has happened to the warehouse now, maybe it is being used for retail storage again or maybe they are still operating as a charity. Either way I wish to go back to this place and finish the project or continue what I started, at least show the work to the workers and just discuss something.