by Anisah Barber in collaboration with Roxanna Barry
Daughter of Two Lands is a series of photographs, combined with written word, that tell a story: a story about combining the cultural heritage of our national parks, and that of the diverse British public that use them.
Anisah Barber, a disabled outdoor activist, is photographed by Roxanna Barry, a mixed heritage, queer artist, in the Peak District National Park – her closest national park, and home to some of her favourite adventures, and countless memories in nature – in traditional South Asian clothing, bringing to the fore the intersection of her cultural heritage and the landscape in the Peak District where she feels at home.
Thank you to National Lottery players
Anisah Barber is a mixed heritage South Asian, Muslim woman, with Lupus, Fibromyalgia and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD). After years of her disability making her afraid to spend time in the outdoors, Anisah started hiking in 2019 to improve her quality of life. Soon after, she was hooked, and her passion extended its arms to other pursuits, such as wild swimming, climbing, and many more. Anisah predominantly works on disability access in the outdoor sector, and advocates for seeing and experiencing more diversity in the outdoors. She has experienced the impact of this first hand, keenly aware of her heritage in a predominantly white demographic; and within this space, and with this camaraderie, she has found the ability to be her full self.
“Myself and Roxanna came together in a niche area of the outdoor community that caters to supporting and advocating for accessibility and diversity; we soon bonded over not only our love for the outdoors, but our shared experiences as mixed heritage South Asians, born and raised in the UK.
I am an outdoor enthusiast, I am also half Indian. I spend my time hiking British landscapes and swimming in our bodies of water. Roxanna and I dreamed up this project together as a beautiful and artistic way to demonstrate that duality. This is a story we both share and experience, so it was important to me that Roxanna was the one to help me tell it.
Daughter of Two Lands grew from wanting to demonstrate, and more importantly celebrate, the diversity of heritage, history, culture and people that enjoy our outdoors spaces, and who work at making it a place we can all try to call home. Bringing clothing and jewellery from my culture – an indulgence of my identity I rarely get in my day-to-day – into the places that breathe life into me, imbued me with empowerment.”
“National Parks and their natural spaces mean freedom, expansiveness, connection. Freedom to roam and wander the landscapes, to expand our world from our cities and towns to open air spaces, connection not only to the land, but also to the people we share those spaces with.”
Right now we have a once in a generation opportunity to change how National Parks operate. It’s essential that future generations are part of it.
Will you help us shape the future of National Parks?
Our National Parks New Perspectives project aims to give young people from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to influence and connect with decision makers to change the narratives on who National Parks are for and who has a say in their future.
As part of our New Perspectives project we have offered grants to young people to share their stories of National Parks
Thanks to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund we provided storytelling grants, Future Leader Courses and opportunities for young people to join us as Ambassadors
