AVID Training
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About Removed

Hope's story begins with a knock on the door in the dead of night.
It ends with a question: what kind of society do we want to be? This is your chance to see, hear, and be part of creating this change.
Removed, animation - click on the Youtube icon to share.

Take Action Now

Removed is not just a story; it’s a call to action. Here is what you can do:

  1. Spread Awareness: Share this animation and its message on social media using the hashtags #FreeThemAll and #EndDetention.
  2. Become a Visitor: Visitors stand alongside people in detention, offering emotional support, sharing important information and connecting people with the outside world. Visitors are a reminder that people in detention are not forgotten and belong in our communities, not behind bars. Find your local visitor group here or contact us on enquiries@aviddetention.org.uk to find out more about becoming a visitor.
  3. Say No To Detention Expansion: The government plans to re-open two previously closed immigration removal centres (IRCs), Haslar IRC in Gosport and Campsfield IRC in Oxford. This will mean 1000 more bed spaces. Write to your local MP and ask them to write to the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, asking  for her urgent attention to this public letter in opposition to Haslar and Campsfield Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs). You can find out more about other actions you can take and how to join local campaign groups here.
  4. Advocate for Change: Write to your local MP demanding the end of immigration detention. Detention Action have produced a series of briefings about detention which you can share with your local MP, many of whom will be unfamiliar with immigration detention and the urgent need for change.
  5. Participate in Protests: Join local and national protests advocating for the rights of detained people. You can find out about upcoming actions on Action Against Detention and Deportation's website.
  6. Support or donate: Visitor groups in the AVID network are in need of funds. You can find out more about our members on our about page. You can also Donate or join AVID as a member.
  7. Educate Yourself and Others: Learn more about the issues of immigration detention and educate your community about the human rights violations taking place.

Background to Removed

Removed tells the story of one woman - Hope - from the moment she is taken from her home, without warning, without trial, in the middle of the night by immigration enforcement officers and taken to an immigration removal centre.

Removed originated from a qualitative piece of research into the gendered harms of immigration detention carried-out by one project team member. You can read more about this research here. It has since evolved into a much more far-reaching project due to the relationships which formed with women affected by immigration detention who were invited to input to the research over the course of two years (2021-2023). 

During the course of research, it became clear the potential of the animation as an alternative and meaningful means to disseminate research-informed insights in our communities and contribute towards transformative bottom-up changes. By visualising what goes on in detention centres, the project aims to increase public knowledge on the harms of detention.

The animation was developed following a participatory process from writing the script collaboratively, with those who have lived through detention, to getting feedback at every stage of the process and potential audience members. 

Credits

Directors:

The Unchained Collective

Association of Visitors to Immigration Detention (AVID)

Writers:

The Unchained Collective

Elahe Zivardar from Shakiba Productions

Producers:

The Unchained Collective 

Association of Visitors to Immigration Detention (AVID)

Border Criminologies

Animation supervised by

Moonchausen 

Ordinary Toucan

Animators:

Moonchausen

Ordinary Toucan

Elahe Zivardar from Shakiba Productions

Illustrators:

Elahe Zivardar from Shakiba Productions

Moonchausen/Ordinary Toucan

Lulù Cancrini

Marta Bianchi

Martina Musio

Micol Nacamulli

Sound Design:

Alessio Dagianti

Ordinary Toucan

Music:

Hear Me Out Music

Music performed by people in immigration detention centres

Narrated by:

Aminata Kalokoh

Image taken from Removed Animation.

Watch: Hidden Stories