A series of unique stories edited by University of Brighton journalism students have been selected for a major US exhibition as part of a global campaign reshaping how refugee stories are told.
The students collaborated with international human rights organisation Witness Change on its acclaimed 1000 Dreams project, which amplifies refugee-authored stories to challenge stereotypes and promote equity. The initiative seeks to replace reductive portrayals of refugees as either threatening “outsiders” or helpless victims with authentic, diverse narratives that reflect their lived realities.
With limited space and airtime, individual stories are frequently used to represent entire communities, masking the diversity of refugee experiences and shaping public attitudes and policies that can be ineffective or even harmful, especially in Europe and the US today.
For a month, 39 undergraduate and postgraduate Journalism students from the University’s School of Art and Media worked from transcripts of interviews conducted by refugee storytellers and professional editors to produce nuanced, ethically reported accounts – told from the perspective of refugees themselves. Eight of these stories will now feature in an international exhibition at Dupont Underground in Washington DC, running until 14 December 2025.
Third-year Journalism student, Ciara Teefey, who edited one of the stories chosen for the exhibition, said: “The 1000 Dreams project is unlike any I had heard of, as it turns the refugee and asylum seeker narrative on its head, giving the power of people’s stories back to the people themselves. Being able to contribute to this project was amazing and something I’ll never take for granted. It enabled me to put into practice everything we have been learning and reinforced the importance of representation in the media.”
Emily Bowker, who is also studying for an undergraduate degree in Journalism, said: “Being involved in the 1000 Dreams project has been an incredibly rewarding experience. We helped to share people’s strengths, dreams, and challenges and it has felt so inspiring to learn about the stories behind the interviewees and what they have overcome. This project taught me a lot that has helped me to grow as a journalist, learning to balance reporting sensitively, respectfully, and accurately while highlighting these important and touching narratives.”
Lidia Pedro Sole, lecturer in Journalism at the University of Brighton, who supervised the students, said: “This has been an amazing project. It helped our students improve their understanding of how to write about vulnerable communities from different standpoints, moving away from established stereotypes. I’m impressed by the commitment and the results; and I am looking forward to turning this collaboration into a regular project for our course.”
William Lounsbury, projects manager at Witness Change, said: “We have been blown away by the passion and dedication brought to the project by the University of Brighton student. 1000 Dreams could only be accomplished thanks to the hard work of passionate volunteers including the over students who joined the project to ensure many more narrative-changing stories are published to make impact, and this exhibition in DC proves just that.”
The 1000 Dreams Project was brought to the US by the Heinrich Böll Foundation and is free to attend at the Dupont Underground in Washington DC until 14 December 2025.
Find out more about studying Journalism at Brighton.
