Using Photovoice to Foster Interfaith Dialogue and Community Connection in Liverpool 8

Photovoice is a method that builds understanding by encouraging dialogue through photographic images taken by participants, offering a powerful way to explore identity, faith, and daily life. By centring discussions around personal photographs, it creates space for meaningful conversations that are accessible and inclusive.

Photovoice in Liverpool: A Collaborative Initiative

In Liverpool, photovoice is going to be used in classrooms and community spaces to equip teachers, community leaders, and local residents with tools to engage in interfaith dialogue. The project is a collaboration between several schools and organisations, including:

• Kuumba Imani Millennium Centre
• Interfaith Photovoice®
• Archbishop Blanch School
• King David School
• Belvedere Academy
• National Museums Liverpool

Our partners are embedding photovoice activities into their school curricula and community programmes to promote understanding of different worldviews and support people to grow in confidence as they speak about their own lived experiences.
The initiative has two main strands:

1. School-Based Training: Teachers are trained to facilitate photovoice discussions in classrooms, helping pupils explore their own identities and learn about others.
2. Community-Based Training: Local leaders, creatives, and activists are trained to host workshops in community settings, extending the reach beyond formal education.

Both groups will contribute to a public photography exhibition, offering decision-makers a window into the lived experiences and concerns of participants.

Challenges and Successes

Like all projects, this one has had teething issues: the first surprise we encountered was the recruitment – we thought that the community participants would be much harder to recruit for than it ended up being! We’ve ended up with far more (double) the number of participants than we expected. So, that difficult process went from being a challenge to a boon. However, finding a suitable training period for schoolteachers also proved unexpectedly difficult. Different school commitments, religious holidays, have required a lot more work converting their interest in the programme into a reality. Thankfully, the schools that were interested in our project were really committed to making the project work, and they have been relentlessly adaptable and willing to work together with us to make it possible to deliver the training. Moreover, our partners at Interfaith Photovoice® have been in lock step with us and simultaneously been rolling with the punches. It’s been imperative to the development of the project to remain flexible and open to finding solutions which benefit everyone involved. We’re really pleased we’re in the strong position that we find ourselves.

Responding to Local Needs

The project gains added significance in light of recent events in Merseyside. Lately, there’s been a lot more attention placed on how schools and community spaces can open up conversations designed to deepen understanding and interpersonal connection. Locally, strong and community relations have been the cornerstone for wider civic conversations around religion and identity for a long time. Photovoice contributes to these conversations by promoting interreligious literacy and strengthening community relations. It encourages curiosity and empathy, helping participants to connect across differences and to build a foundation for friendship and community.

Our initiative aims to serve as a model for how interfaith engagement can catalyse positive social action. By highlighting areas of public life that need attention, and giving voice to diverse perspectives, photovoice fosters deeper connections and community cohesion.

You can track our progress at @kuumba_imani and @interfaithphotovoice