Guest blog by David Tett and Carmen Valino
100 Years, 100 Migrants is a unique photographic project by David Tett and Carmen Valino that explores the role of migration in shaping London’s diverse communities. It aims to capture 100 portraits of individual migrants, representing 100 different countries and 100 different years of age, from 1 to 100 years old.
This project will highlight the positive impact of migration on London’s culture and society and showcase the diversity and strength brought by migrant communities.
Each subject will be photographed in their personal environment—whether at home, on their street, or in a place that holds significance for them.
Key Objectives
Celebrate diversity: Show the different faces and stories that contribute to the city’s rich culture.
Emphasize migration’s positive impact: Shift the conversation around migration to one of strength, resilience, and contribution.
Foster connections: Through personal portraits and interviews, help people relate to the individual experiences of migrants.
An Introduction to the Creators
David Tett: An award-winning photographer with over 17 years of experience, David’s work has been featured in The Times, National Geographic Traveller, Time Out, and EasyJet Magazine. He has collaborated with prestigious institutions such as the Royal Shakespeare Company and King’s College London. David’s work is currently showcased in the Hold Still exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. As the son of a migrant, David has a personal connection to the project, which explores themes of migration and identity. For more, check out his portfolio.
Carmen Valino: Based in London for over 20 years, Carmen’s photographic career spans 22 years, during which her work has been published in national and international publications. Carmen has covered significant events like the 2012 Olympics, the London Riots, and the Prestige tanker disaster. Her portraits include famous figures like Ronnie Wood, Sting, and Benedict Cumberbatch. Visit her portfolio for more information.
Plan of Action
To create a collection of 100 powerful portraits, each featuring a migrant from 100 countries and spanning 100 different age groups (from 1 to 100). Essentially, one person per year from a different country. Each portrait will be taken in the subject’s home, on their street, or in their local environment, offering a personal and authentic portrayal of London’s migrant population.
To conduct an interview with each participant, allowing them to share their unique background stories and experiences in their own words.
To pair each subject’s portrait with their personal story and exhibit the project across community hubs in London in collaboration with the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants and the Migration Museum. A beautifully crafted book, featuring both the portraits and the stories, will also be published to ensure these narratives reach a wider audience. For a closer look at the project, visit the Instagram page: @100years100migrants.
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How You Can Help
Get Involved and Participate
We are reaching out to the community to help identify participants for this project. To ensure a truly diverse representation, we need help in identifying migrants from all corners of the world and all age groups. We are keen to hear from all individuals whose stories would add depth to this project so please reach out and spread the word!
Please make sure to check out the Instagram page and stay tuned for more stunning portraits and stories to be shared
Thank you for your time and consideration!
We look forward to hearing from you and hope you’ll join us in bringing 100 Years, 100 Migrants to life.
David Tett and Carmen Valino