Photo Exhibition - What do Hope and Sanctuary mean to you?

Photographic reflections on hope and sanctuary, by the winners and finalists of Freedom from Torture’s 2026 international photography competition

Everyone should be able to live with hope and with a sense of sanctuary, yet many torture survivors struggle to rebuild their lives after experiencing extreme violence, conflict and persecution.

The competition invited anyone with access to a camera to show us what hope and sanctuary look like - and how the feeling of hope might be captured in a digital photographic image that transcends borders. There are two categories for entrants over and under 18 years of age plus a People's Choice Award.

Entries were judged by a professional jury composed of 4 established creatives:

Kolbassia Haoussou (MBE) who serves as the head of Freedom from Torture's Survivor Empowerment Directorate; Aisha Olamide Seriki a Nigerian multimedia artist; Inga Marchuk, a Ukrainian photographer whose work bridges commissioned photography and independent artistic exploration; and Lee Williams, the creator and owner of Rapid Eye, a cornerstone of the East London photography scene. For each category, a winner will be announced at the opening of the exhibition in London and prize money awarded.

24 images have been selected for display. The exhibition will be displayed in Edinburgh.