Imperial War Museums partners with CNN on new experience revealing what life is really like in a refugee camp

Imperial War Museums partners with CNN on new
experience revealing what life is really like in a refugee
camp

© CNN. Stills taken from Life in a Camp at IWM London, a partnership project with CNN.

As part of its Refugees season, Imperial War Museums (IWM) presents Life in a Camp (24 September 2020 – 13
June 2021), an innovative installation that immerses visitors in a refugee camp environment. Created in
partnership with CNN, Life in a Camp utilises the international news network’s pioneering panoramic video
newsgathering techniques to deepen visitors’ understanding of the lives of contemporary refugees.

Life in a Camp at IWM London consists of three large wall projections in a 30 square metre space, giving
visitors an intimate, immersive view into the makeshift Moria camp on the Greek Island of Lesbos. Designed to
host 2,200 people, Moria is currently home to over 18,000 refugees*, many of whom have fled the ongoing
conflict in Syria, which began in 2011.

Exploring themes of permanence and impermanence, Life in a Camp utilises footage captured in February and
September 2020 by CNN’s three-time Emmy nominated filmmaker and photojournalist, Lewis Whyld. Filmed
especially for IWM’s Refugees season, this footage reveals how refugees spend their time in camps, giving
insight into the harsh realities of everyday life in Moria – from overcrowding to the lack of amenities and
supplies. It also shows the devastating effects of a recent fire which, in September 2020, destroyed large
sections of the camp, leaving more than 12,000 people without shelter. Life in a Camp allows visitors to
experience just five minutes of what, for many, is a reality that stretches on for years.

Simon Offord, Curator of Second World War and Mid 20th Century at IWM, says: “Refugee camps can often feel
like miniature cities, with permanent structures developing over time, but often, they are a rapid response to a
pressing need. This partnership with CNN will give our visitors a snapshot of what life is really like in a camp,
highlighting normality and routine within an unexpected place.”

Thomas Evans, CNN Vice President of EMEA Newsgathering and London Bureau Chief, says: “Our aim with this
project is to give people a tangible sense of the environment in a refugee camp in 2020. As a network, we’ve
pioneered 360 video in newsgathering, and this collaboration with IWM is an opportunity to take those
techniques into a new environment. We hope that visitors will gain a fresh insight into the vitally important
story of the ongoing refugee crisis.”

Life in a Camp is part of Refugees, a free season of exhibitions, artistic commissions and immersive events
taking place across IWM London and IWM North in 2020 and 2021. Highlights include a new commission from
world-renowned artist Ai Weiwei titled History of Bombs (1 August 2020 – 5 September 2021); Refugees:
Forced to Flee (24 September 2020 – 13 June 2021), an exhibition at IWM London featuring cutting-edge
research projects supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the Economic and
Social Research Council (ESRC); and a major new exhibition at IWM North, Aid Workers: Ethics Under Fire (2
October 2020 – 24 September 2021).

                                                     Ends

For further press information and interview requests please contact:
Poppy Andrews, Communications Manager (Exhibitions and Programming) PoAndrews@iwm.org.uk / 020
7091 3069
Hannah Carr, Communications Officer (Exhibitions and Programming) HCarr@iwm.org.uk / 020 7416 5365
Euan Steedman, Press Officer, EMEA, CNN euan.steedman@turner.com / 020 7693 0942

Notes to editors

* On 7 February 2020, it was reported by UNHCR that Moria camp in Lesbos, Greece, was hosting 18,342
people inside a facility designed for 2,200

Life in a Camp
24 September 2020 – 13 June 2021
Part of IWM’s free Refugees season
#IWMRefugees

Refugees
Refugees is a free season of major exhibitions, new artistic commissions and immersive events taking place
across both IWM London and IWM North in 2020 and 2021. Unlocking the personal stories of people who have
been forced to flee their homes and those who work to support them, Refugees will give visitors the space to
consider their own responses to similar experiences and dilemmas. Season highlights include History of
Bombs by Ai Weiwei at IWM London (1 August 2020 – 5 September 2021); Refugees: Forced to Flee (24
September 2020 – 13 June 2021) at IWM London, an exhibition supported by AHRC and ESRC; Life in a Camp
(24 September 2020 – 13 June 2021) at IWM London, a partnership project with CNN; A Face To Open Doors
(24 September 2020 – 13 June 2021) at IWM London, an immersive installation created by the award-winning
artists Anagram; and the exhibition Aid Workers: Ethics Under Fire (2 October 2020 – 24 September 2021) at
IWM North.

IWM London
IWM London tells the stories of those whose lives have been shaped by war through the depth, breadth and
impact of our Galleries, displays and events. Explore the First World War Galleries and iconic Atrium; visit our
Holocaust Exhibition; discover stories of bravery in The Lord Ashcroft Gallery: Extraordinary Heroes or take in
our latest major temporary exhibitions.
Open Daily: 10am – 6pm. Last entry 30 minutes before closing. (Closed 24 - 26 December). Free Admission
IWM London, Lambeth Road, London, SE1 6HZ
T: 020 7416 5000
iwm.org.uk / @I_W_M / www.facebook.com/iwm.london

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 which attract over 2.5 million visitors each year are IWM London, IWM’s flagship branch
that recently transformed with new, permanent and free First World War Galleries alongside new displays
across the iconic Atrium to mark the Centenary of the First World War; 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.

CNN
CNN’s portfolio of news and information services is available in seven different languages across all major TV,
digital and mobile platforms, reaching more than 475 million households around the globe.

CNN’s brand new, state-of-the-art London bureau is the network’s largest outside the USA and is the network’s
EMEA newsgathering headquarters, as well as a key programming and digital hub.

CNN International is the number one international TV news channel according to all major media surveys
across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Asia Pacific region, and Latin America and has a US presence
that includes CNNgo. CNN Digital is a leading network for online news, mobile news and social media.

CNN is at the forefront of digital innovation and continues to invest heavily in expanding its digital global
footprint, with a suite of award-winning digital properties and a range of strategic content partnerships,
commercialised through a strong data-driven understanding of audience behaviours. CNN has won multiple
prestigious awards around the world for its journalism. Around 1,000 hours of long-form series,
documentaries and specials are produced every year by CNNI’s non-news programming division. CNN has 36
editorial offices and more than 1,100 affiliates worldwide through CNN Newsource. CNN International is a
WarnerMedia company.