Stories of Hope

The Project

Stories of Hope, our 2024 photography project and competition, aims to explore and showcase EU citizens living in the UK’s perspectives on the themes of identity, belonging, and aspirations through the art of photography. It provides a platform to express ourselves creatively and share our unique narratives. Through photography and storytelling, we aim to foster understanding, empathy, and solidarity within our diverse community. ​

Stories of Hope is inspired by Stories for Change, a wonderful project by our volunteers Linda and Carolina.

Photography Competition

To enter, participants submitted three photos via an entry form by 20th April 2024. Each photo was accompanied by a piece of text or poetry no longer than 250 words, explaining the story and symbolism of the photo and its connection to the themes of journey, identity, and aspirations.

Participants were invited to submit three photos, each accompanied by a short piece of text or poetry. These submissions delved into the personal meaning behind each image, reflecting the photographers' experiences as EU citizens in the UK so far as well as their aspirations for the future.

All entries were showcased on our Instagram page and the winner was determined by the entry that received the highest number of ‘likes’.

On 9th May, we gathered in London for a celebration event, where the photography exhibition and entries were shared, with many of the participants present. Monika Prorokova was announced as the winner of the Stories of Hope competition!
Later in May, she joined us on an all-expenses-paid trip to Brussels to showcase her work at an EU citizens’ event which the3million were part of alongside organisations from the UK and the EU working to protect our rights.

Although the competition is now closed, and the winner has been announced, the journey doesn't end here. All entries remain on our Instagram and on this webpage, and we hope they continue to inspire you just as much as us! Later this year, in November and December, Stories of Hope will be featured at the Common Ground International Conference and the EU Delegation’s EU Citizens’ Gathering, allowing us to share these powerful stories with an even wider audience.

A big thank you to everyone who took part in the project and shared their stories with us. We loved exploring so many different perspectives within our community and learning more about every participant’s artistic practice!