My Shoes Might Fit You

My Shoes Might Fit You is a photographic exhibition completed by young Roma teenagers living in South Belfast and will be on display during the PICAS International Cultural Conference 2015 .

The exhibition examines the way Roma Culture is often stereotyped in a negative context and the title, an adaption of a Native American proverb, reflects the need for empathy:

“Don’t judge a man until you walk two moons in his moccasins.”

The exhibition has been developed through a partnership between the Romanian Roma Community Association (RRCA), BELB inclusion and diversity team and the commonwealth games. It was facilitated by Belfast Exposed Community Photography Coordinator Mervyn Smyth.

The exhibition explores four main areas:

Community Culture – showing the backgrounds of this youth and elements of Roma culture.
Community Spirit – Inspirational pictures portraying determination and resilience of these young teenagers.
Community Faces – Providing profiles of the young people in a variety of settings.
Community Inclusion – Depicting the youth interacting with other Northern Irish teenagers as one community.

The exhibition gives a voice to these often voiceless youths and allows people to have a certain insight into the lives and culture of these young Roma teenagers who are part of the increasingly diverse population landscape of Northern Ireland.

The exhibition was shown in Stormont’s Long Gallery during December 2013 and in the East Wing Gallery in March 2014.