Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is pleased to announce that Being Untouchable, the groundbreaking photography exhibition by Marcus Perkins for CSW on India's Dalits, will be displayed by St Paul's Cathedral from 14 June to 6 July. There will be a private view on 14 June from 6-7:30pm.
Being Untouchable is a rare and intimate series of portraits of the lives of Indian Dalits (previously known as "untouchables"), that exposes the present-day impact of these centuries of oppression, and explores how although "untouchability" was abolished by India's Constitution, it continues to be practised today.
St Paul's Cathedral will hold three Meditative Eucharists on Sundays during the exhibition. These will explore the theme of untouchability and focus on the Dalits of India, the untouchable within our own society, and ultimately the untouchable within ourselves.
The Reverend Canon Mark Oakley, Treasurer of St Paul's Cathedral, said, "Marcus Perkins' photographs are haunted by the beauty and pain of what is being observed. The colour of India – those wonderful fabrics, textures and smells – is skilfully captured but is shadowed by the darkness of reality for these men, women and children deemed to be unworthy of human touch. We are thrown back on ourselves as we look. What can we do? What happened to these people? What do we consider untouchable in our own culture and day? It is only right that such vital questions are explored in reflective acts of worship in the cathedral making this more than an exhibition. It is an invitation to see life through a different lens."
Photographer Marcus Perkins said, "Although almost every aspect of life in India has been covered by photography exhibitions, very few have paid systematic attention to casteism. Many outside India either don't know about caste, or assume it is dying out as a result of India's economic boom. That is not the case, and we have sought here to illustrate the lives of a few, who typify both the extreme and the everyday suffering that millions of Dalits face. This exhibition is a tribute to them."
David Griffiths, South Asia Team Leader at CSW, said, "Being Untouchable is both a hand of warm friendship to Dalits, and a cry of protest about their suffering. Developed in partnership with Dalit community leaders, who allowed us to share in the privilege of solidarity with their people, it is a plea to let Dalits tell their own story, express their own aspirations and forge their own future. St Paul's Cathedral is one of London's most iconic institutions, and by highlighting the lives of a people once called 'untouchable' and often treated little differently today, it is amplifying the key message that being untouchable has no place in our world."
For more information, to interview The Reverend Canon Mark Oakley or to RSVP to the private view, please contact Hannah Talbot, Press and Communications Officer, St Paul's Cathedral on 020 7246 8321 or email Hannah@stpaulscathedral.org.uk
For further information or to arrange interviews please contact Kiri Kankhwende, Press Officer at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on +44 (0)20 8329 0045 / +44 (0) 78 2332 9663, email kiri@csw.org.uk or visit www.csw.org.uk.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is a Christian organisation working for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights, in the pursuit of justice.
Notes to Editors:
1. Listings information:
Being Untouchable: an exhibition of photography by Marcus Perkins for CSW'
Date: Tuesday 14th June – Wednesday 6th July 2011
Venue: St Paul's Cathedral
Time: 8.30am – 4pm
Tickets: Normal admission charges apply
'Meditative Eucharist: Untouchable in the UK'
Preacher: Sonia Barron, Adviser to the Archbishops' Council
Date: Sunday 19th June
Venue: St Paul's Cathedral
Time: 6pm
Entry is free and all are welcome
Meditative Eucharist: The Dalits of India'
Preacher: The Revd Dr Margaret Kalaiselvi, Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary
Date: Sunday 26th June
Venue: St Paul's Cathedral
Time: 6pm
Entry is free and all are welcome
Meditative Eucharist: The Untouchable Within'
Preacher: The Revd Canon Mark Oakley, Treasurer, St Paul's Cathedral
Date: Sunday 3rd July
Venue: St Paul's Cathedral
Time: 6pm
Entry is free and all are welcome
2. St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's is the cathedral church of the diocese of London, which it has served for over 1,400 years. The current building has become a potent symbol of the life of a nation and is one of the world's most beautiful buildings. Designed by Sir Christopher Wren in the late seventeenth century, its stones have absorbed the hopes, fears, sorrows and joys of generations and stand as a enduring symbol of our communion with those gone before and those still to come. Each year nearly two million people flock to the cathedral for services, concerts, debates, educational events, performing arts and sightseeing. All are most welcome.
3. Marcus Perkins
Since 1992, Marcus Perkins has worked in over 90 countries covering humanitarian, corporate and commercial assignments. Experience, flexibility, and a natural ability to engage the people and the communities he photographs, has earned him his clients' confidence to represent them positively anywhere in the world. Best known for his work documenting humanitarian and human rights issues, Marcus remains deeply committed to communicating the heart of a story through the power of the still image.