ATD Fourth World, in partnership with artist and photographer Eva Sajovic, is proud to present The Roles We Play: Recognising the Contribution of People in Poverty. This new book brings together photographic portraits exploring the roles played by those living in poverty within their families, communities and society at large. The aim is to highlight their efforts, validate their achievements and challenge the negative attitudes often held towards vulnerable and excluded families in the UK.

Some of the activists with lived experience of poverty who co-authored this book say about the process behind it:

• “When people who have never lived in poverty write about it, we don’t even recognise ourselves. What they chose to write diminishes us.”
• “This project was our own. A lot of it was down to Eva, the photographic artist. As an ex-model, she understood what it was to be directed. She didn’t want to take power over us with the camera. She took dozens of photos and never challenged our choices of which ones to use. She was generous in empowering us.”
• “Her personality is to make you feel very relaxed. She gives you the power and asks you to show her what to do.”
• “We also got the chance to handle the camera and the sound boom ourselves. That gave us a lot of confidence. At every point, it was an exchange of knowledge and information.”

© 2014

125 pages (30 x 24 cm)