GLASGOW LIVES
MICHAEL told me about the hardship and difficulties his family faced in finding work and being able to support themselves when they first moved to the city almost 10 years ago. The only reason that they were able to survive was because the local community helped them.
The majority who are seeking asylum are escaping civil war and their journeys here have been horrific and, without support, the
WEE Lynn talked about her love for her dog Kol and how he was the best friend she could wish for after rehoming him when he was 18 months old.
They had many adventures together, and Kol was a big comfort to her mum when her dad passed away. Lynn knew that Kol was getting on at 13 years old difficulty doesn’t end. Michael and his wife started up an initiative to provide much-needed support for migrant communities, which eventually grew into their Community Interest Company, Radiant and Brighter, to give people support and to give something back to the community that helped them.
It aims to promote diversity through education, inspiration and changing perceptions, to deliver greater societal integration in Scotland.
THE Scottish artist was in the Twin Towers as part of a six-month artist’s residency when the first plane hit and managed to escape because of the matter of seconds she had taken to hold the lift door for someone. If she hadn’t, she would have been back on the 96th floor at the time of impact and would not have survived – no one above the 93rd floor did. Vanessa’s story was a whiteknuckle account of surviving the single deadliest terror attack in human history on the day, and the aftermath. Vanessa still has the keys and her security pass for the Twin Towers, and I photographed her with the keys in her studio. when she did her interview and I think she wanted to mark her time with him, which she did beautifully. Kol was a cracking dog and they cuddled in for their portrait. Glasgow is dog daft, and a lot of dogs appear in the portraits with their owners and are quite often the subject of the story that people want to share.