Immediate Release

Iraq: Photographs by Sean Smith From 9 March 2013 until 2014 IWM North WaterWay Gallery and in the grounds of IWM North, Free Entry – Donations Welcome

Press preview: Thursday 7 March. Attendance and time to be arranged via Alex Knight on [email protected] or 0161 836 4040

Marking ten years since the start of the Iraq War 2003, a new photographic display by award-winning British war photographer Sean Smith will be unveiled at IWM North, part of Imperial War Museums, in Manchester.

Smith has documented the war in Iraq for The Guardian newspaper since 2003. The display will reveal previously unpublished photographs, on public display for the first time, alongside Smith’s better known images from The Guardian’s coverage from Iraq.

IWM North presents photographs by Smith taken before, during and after the Iraq War 2003. Two powerful, free displays – both inside and outside IWM North - focus on how war has shaped the lives of ordinary Iraqi people.

Smith’s photographs in this display reveal the collision of two worlds where local civilians and military personnel were forced to co-exist. The story of a complex relationship between military and civilian communities - sometimes touching, sometimes tragic - is told through Smith’s own words and images.

Smith was sent to Iraq by The Guardian just three months before the war began on the evening of 19 March 2003. He captured images of Iraqi people enjoying social events and weddings, while all the time preparing for life during war.

Smith stayed in Baghdad throughout the allied campaign in 2003, photographing the devastating impact of the conflict on civilians. He then returned to Iraq several times from 2003 - 2008, where he was embedded with both the US and British Army. Images depicting women and children receiving humanitarian aid are show alongside Smith’s Photograph of the Year 2006 (Press Photographer’s Year awards), showing US forces taking suspected insurgents for questioning.

Up to 30 dramatic photographs will be displayed in IWM North’s WaterWay Gallery, alongside photographs exhibited on a larger scale than ever before, in unique five metre high frames outside IWM North, showing his work in unprecedented detail.

Visitors can meet Smith at IWM North, when he delivers a free tour of his display on 19 March - the anniversary of the start of the Iraq War 2003. Meanwhile, regular A Closer Look tours throughout March will reveal personal stories, photographs and artefacts on display relating to the conflict.

Objects on display at IWM North include the wreckage of a car - destroyed in the bombing of the historic Al-Mutanabbi street book market in Baghdad on 5 March 2007 - brought to IWM North by Turner prize winning British artist Jeremy Deller. The story of that bombing features in IWM North’s Big Picture Show, a 360-degree immersive audio-visual experience. Al-Mutanabbi Street: A Reaction plays daily at 4.30pm.

Every day at 2pm, IWM North’s Big Picture Show, Build The Truce, features the story of Iraqi civilian Abas Eljanabi. During the fragile truce following the Iran Iraq War and the invasion of Kuwait, Abas decided to leave the country and seek refuge abroad. He now lives in Manchester.

At 6.30pm on Thursday 7 March, in the week of International Women’s Day, visitors can book to join IWM North for a live discussion - delivered in partnership with The Abundance Lab - exploring the impact of conflict on women. Speakers include Eugenie Dolberg who trained a group of Iraqi women to use photography to tell their own stories, Houzan Mahmood, from the Organisation of Women's Freedom in Iraq, and Zuhal Sultan, who founded the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq at the age of 17. The event is free but booking is essential via [email protected] or 0161 836 4000.

The anniversary will also be marked at IWM London from October 2013, exploring the cost and complexities of modern conflict through photographic exhibitions by British photojournalist Mike Moore and Lee Craker, a United States Command Photographer in Iraq 2008 – 2011.

Find out more at iwm.org.uk or connect with IWM North on facebook.com/iwm.north or on twitter @I_W_M #IWMNorth

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For further press information please contact: Alex Knight, Press & PR Manager, IWM North, 0161 836 4040, [email protected] Sam Howard, Marketing & PR Co-ordinator, IWM North, 0161 836 4043, [email protected]

RELATED EVENTS:

Through the Screen: Women in Iraq Ten Years On (Ideal for ages 14+) Thursday 7 March, 6.15pm Main Exhibition Space In the week of International Women’s Day and the tenth anniversary of the Iraq War 2003, IWM North and The Abundance Lab are teaming up to generate a debate around women and conflict, focusing on how women are affected by conflict and how they use their resilience to cope with its effects. Speakers include Eugenie Dolberg, who trained a group of Iraqi women to use photography to tell their own stories of how war shapes lives in a project titled Open Shutters: Iraq. The debate will ask: How have women and girls been affected by the conflict? How do they cope? Are their voices heard? How are the issues specific to women? Together we will explore and discuss these questions.

FREE, but booking is essential. To guarantee a place book via [email protected] or 0161 836 4000

A Closer Look: Iraq War 2003 (Ideal for ages 14+)* Monday (11, 18, 25), Tuesday (12, 19, 26), Wednesday (13, 20, 27), Thursday (14, 21, 28), Friday (15, 22, 29), Sunday 10 and 24 March, 2.15pm Meet at the Tour Point in the Foyer Join us for a tour exploring personal stories, photographs and artefacts relating to the Iraq War 2003, including our new display Iraq: Photographs by Sean Smith. Explore IWM North to learn about Major Duncan McSporran whose company had to switch from armed combat to giving humanitarian aid while serving in Basra in 2003. Also hear about the work of the Mines Advisory Group whose work in Iraq reduces the risk caused by the remnants of conflict.

Notes to Editors

IWM North The multi award winning IWM North is designed by world-renowned architect Daniel Libeskind to represent a globe shattered by conflict. The iconic building, innovative and dynamic exhibitions, use of digital media through hourly Big Picture Shows and public events explore how war shapes lives and inspire and encourage debate.

Open Daily: 10am - 5pm with FREE admission (except 24 – 26 December) IWM North, The Quays, Trafford Wharf Road, Manchester M17 1TZ (close to MediaCityUK Metrolink and Junction 9 of the M60). T: 0161 836 4000 E: [email protected] iwm.org.uk / @I_W_M / www.facebook.com/iwm.north

IWM IWM (Imperial War Museums) tells the story of people who have lived, fought and died in conflicts involving Britain and the Commonwealth since the First World War.

Our unique Collections, made up of the everyday and the exceptional, reveal stories of people, places, ideas and events. Using these, we tell vivid personal stories and create powerful physical experiences across our five museums that reflect the realities of war as both a destructive and creative force. We challenge people to look at conflict from different perspectives, enriching their understanding of the causes, course and consequences of war and its impact on people’s lives.

IWM’s five branches attract over 2 million visitors each year. IWM London, our flagship branch is transforming with new First World War Galleries and a new Atrium with large object displays which will open in summer 2014 to mark the Centenary of the First World War (please note IWM London is closed until July 2013 when it will partially re-open until summer 2014). Our other branches are IWM North, housed in an iconic award-winning building designed by Daniel Libeskind; IWM Duxford, a world renowned aviation museum and Britain's best preserved wartime airfield; Churchill War Rooms, housed in Churchill’s secret headquarters below Whitehall; and the Second World War cruiser HMS Belfast.

First World War Centenary 2014 - 2018 marks the centenary of the First World War, a landmark anniversary for Britain and the world. IWM will mark the centenary by leading a vibrant, four year programme of cultural activities across the country, including the opening of brand new First World War Galleries at IWM London in 2014. For more information visit www.1914.org