Campaign to celebrate Imperial's mixed heritage community

A project to celebrate Imperial’s diverse community is looking for staff and students of mixed heritage to feature in the campaign.

Mixed heritage people working and studying at Imperial are encouraged to share their stories as part of an upcoming campaign in collaboration with Mixedracefaces.

The project will profile 15 staff and students of mixed heritage, giving them a platform to discuss how their mixed background and cultures influence how they navigate their everyday lives.

Mixedracefaces is an organisation that captures portraits and stories of people with mixed heritage. Similar campaigns have been run at UK Parliament, University of Oxford and The Institute of Cancer Research.

Growing population of mixed-race people

Tenee Attoh, the founder of Mixedracefaces, said: “Our goal is to raise awareness of the vastly growing population of mixed-race people around the world, both in communities and organisations. We show how their mixed background and cultures influence the unique way they navigate their every-day live.”

The project is coordinated by Dr Sarah Essilfie-Quaye, Project Manager in Research Strategy for the Faculty of Medicine, and also Co-Chair for Imperial As One, Imperial’s BAME Staff Network.

Mixedracefaces is one of ten proposals awarded a grant from Imperial’s first round of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Seed Fund. The fund was established to encourage staff and students to generate ideas, activities and initiatives that support Imperial’s EDI Strategy.

Sarah said: "I am very excited about bringing the Mixedracefaces campaign to Imperial. As a second generation-er (both my parents came to England from Ghana) I have always been interested in hearing about other people's backgrounds and heritage and how they feel it has influenced their lives.

"When I met with Solon (the Creative manager) and his enthusiasm for what Mixedracefaces does, I knew I had to find a way to bring this campaign to Imperial. I was delighted to win funding from the first EDI seed fund to make this happen!"

Take part 

If you are a student or member of staff of mixed heritage and would like to feature, please get in touch with Dr Sarah Essilfie-Quaye by Friday 13 March.

The project will involve sharing your unique experience of being mixed heritage and coming along to the photo-engagement session on 19 March. Your photograph will form a series of portraits which will be released daily by Mixedracefaces as well as across the College’s social media channels. Portraits will be exhibited in the main entrance of the South Kensington Campus later this year.