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On Soho road in Birmingham, religion has become the defining factor rather than culture or race. Here over thirty different religious buildings act as centers for many different religious denominations and serve ethnic groups, who have come from all over the world.
‘Under Gods’ investigates the growth of multi-faith communities in European suburban contexts. The project confronts the complex issues caused and encountered by these communities such as immigration, secularism and religious revival. Focusing on issues connected to location, suburban faith is explored visually in terms of its material manifestations and construction of social spaces.
Building the Gudwara
The Council of Faiths dinner
Bedtime reading
Soho Road
‘There is a house mosque, three Vietnamese Catholic nuns and a happy clappy Black church, you will have fun on that road’ — English Buddhist convert
Sanskrit writings
Mrs Little's home communion
Soho road sweet centre
‘I bless my fridge; I put my hand on everything and bless it’ — Sikh housewife, Soho Road Gudwara
Sikh wedding
Minba chair, Pakistani mosque
'baptism', Canon Street Baptists
King James cassette Bible
Polish Carol singers
Dressing for mosque
Embassy of the Lord Jesus Christ is God, University, Bible College, School, Institute Kingdom of Heaven, government of the almighty God promoting the website endtime.com…….God gave me this title’ — 104-105 Soho Road
Hari Krishna temple flowers
Sikh yoga
Mrs Adina's church hats
Sri Lankan buddhist monk's dorm
The visitor from India
Daughter of Irish Catholic and Bengali Muslim
Disabled Hari Krishna chanting
‘I have a best friend named Hassan, but I have a problem there is a bully and he keeps saying Christians cant play with Muslims or Hindus……If everyone could be friends about their religions the world would be better than this’ — Six-year-old, Jesus Army community
St Francis Catholic school
Painted prayer Catholic convent
Dr.B.R Ambedka buddhist temple
Reverend Greg visiting the twins
‘I left my children and broke all connection, the relationships we have with our families are not real, only our relationship with God is eternal’ — N Maharaja, Hari Krishna house temple
Alka Jain's personal prayer room
Thai Temple maintenance
Muslim teenager prayers
Daffney's toys and crosses
Polish Catholic chef
Jain and Catholic neighbours
Hari Krishna book distribution
‘God must be very pleased with Soho Road because people are getting on with life and businesses are thriving, God can only smile at you more if you happen to live on Soho’ — Lord Mayor of Birmingham Chauhdry Abdul Rashid JP 2008-09
As the daughter of two Anglican priests brought up in Birmingham I lived with and documented diverse religious communities, including Rastafarians, the Jesus Army, Sikhs, Hari Krishnas and Thai Buddhists, all living on the one road. I aimed to show the reality and intensity of different lifestyles in urban areas of Britain and the beauty Religion brings to inner city life.
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