Edinburgh Napier University

A powerful degree show project is providing an insight into what life is like for those from overseas who live in Scotland by giving a voice to individuals who now call the country their home.

Final year photography student Sabrina Türschmann has developed FLOW, a multimedia project that highlights what home, belonging and identity can look like.

The project – which includes a powerful short film and suite of stunning portrait photographs - shares the stories of people who have moved from Europe and across the world to Scotland and who now consider the country their home.

A total of 23 individuals are featured.

Across the project, the participants reflect and share their thoughts on various subjects including why they see Scotland as their home, the concept of borders, their identity and the emotional effect that Brexit has had on them.

Sabrina herself grew up in Germany and moved to Scotland in 2015 after falling in love with the country during a holiday.

However, after the UK officially left the European Union in 2020, her clear vision of Scotland as her home was blurred, as she and many others who had moved to the UK from overseas began questioning if they were now welcome in the country they had grown to love.

These feelings acted as the initial creative spark for Sabrina’s final year project at Edinburgh Napier and FLOW was subsequently developed throughout the last year.

This week, the project is one of hundreds that are on display as part of In Full Bloom, Edinburgh Napier’s annual degree show at its Merchiston campus.

Sabrina said: “This project has been such a journey for me. I have loved doing it but it has actually been really challenging condensing what people have told me. I wanted to create something that gives people space to speak freely about how they feel and about how things like Brexit have made them feel. That is why the film is so important as it gives the participants a chance to go in depth about their feelings on things like identity and their sense of home and belonging.

“After Brexit, as someone who has moved to Scotland from overseas, my emotions for the country changed. It was such a big thing, and it did make me think things like ‘am I welcome here? Is this really the home I thought it was?’ And I thought that I couldn’t be the only person feeling these emotions so that’s why I reached out to people for the project. I’ve always been interested in migration, especially since the refugee crisis, but that wasn’t my story to tell. The voices in this project really are integral to the entire thing.

“Scotland is a diverse country – it is a colourful country to live in. I hope FLOW captures that, but also shines a spotlight on some of the difficult issues that aren’t as widely spoken about, especially if you aren’t an international person who now calls Scotland your home.”

In Full Bloom, Edinburgh Napier’s Degree Show, runs from 26 May to 2 June at the University’s Merchiston campus.

More information on the degree show can be found here.

FLOW by Sabrina Türschmann

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