New faces and new stories in focus as photography exhibition moves online

November 12, 2026

An exhibition created by NESCol students to celebrate the lived experiences, identities and contributions of underrepresented members of the College community has been digitised to help reach a global audience.

The New Faces New Stories exhibition was launched at the College’s Fraserburgh Campus in October as part of Black History Month and was extended into early November to allow more people to view the work.

Now the striking imagery and compelling accompanying stories have moved online. The exhibition can be viewed as part of the newly introduced NESCol blog.

Creative industries students collaborated with English for Speakers of Other Languages peers to plan and deliver the exhibition, supported by NESCol lecturing staff.

The project explores challenging themes – from the experiences of those forced to flee Syria and who have found peace in their new Scottish home, to the dreams of Afghan women who have followed their path in education far from home and the hopes of the African students as they adjust to life in the North East.

The trauma of war and the hurt of racism feature in the exhibition – alongside the warmth of friendship and the strength of solidarity.

Lisa Ginnane, who lectures in ESOL and is an anti-racism champion as part of the College’s Equalities and Wellbeing Group, collaborated with David Herd, Curriculum Manager for Art and Design, Floristry and Business, to curate the exhibition.

She said: “New Faces New Stories is an incredibly powerful collection of work. It doesn’t shy away from the traumatic experiences that many of our students and their families have experienced, but it also shines a light on the sense of community they have discovered in North East Scotland.”

David Herd said: “The exhibition combines creativity with social consciousness in a way that has really connected with everyone who has viewed it in-person. By moving the images online, we hope to reach new audiences and to share the incredible stories and the stunning images that our students have shared and captured.”

Throughout Black History Month the College raised awareness and understanding of key topics through a range of events. That included a hate crime awareness presentation by Police Scotland at the Aberdeen Altens Campus, attended by more than 60 students.

A panel discussion at City Campus, including MSPs Karen Adam and Maggie Chapman as well as representatives from NESCol’s staff and student body and the College’s regional partners, was postponed due to a power outage. A new date for that event will be shared soon, with a focus on highlighting misinformation, disinformation and malinformation.

Nelson Chapisa, a Curriculum Manager at NESCol and anti-racism champion, is part of the organising team. He said: “We had a very successful panel discussion as part of Black History Month in 2025 and this conversation will build on that. The theme is how misinformation, disinformation and malinformation can be challenged – something that we know is becoming increasingly important in our society. We want our students and staff to feel comfortable talking about these big issues.

“Our Black History Month programme also included opportunities for members of our College community to share their lived experiences of being black in Scotland. Those perspectives are very powerful and support our aim of creating an anti-racist and inclusive environment.”

NESCol is one of the largest providers of vocational education and training in Scotland, delivering to more than 20,000 full-time, part-time and online learning students each year. The College serves an area covering more than 2,500 square miles and operates from its main Aberdeen Altens, Aberdeen City and Fraserburgh campuses as well as the Scottish Maritime Academy in Peterhead. The Altens Campus incorporates the Energy Transition Sills Hub, launched in 2025 to drive the North East’s net zero ambitions.