Students' 'New Faces New Stories' exhibition, highlighting underrepresented voices, is now accessible globally.
By Alasdair Buchan
••3 min read
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Generic image of diverse hands arranging photographic prints on a table, with a blurred college campus background.
The North East Scotland College (NESCol) has digitised its 'New Faces New Stories' photography exhibition, originally launched at its Fraserburgh Campus, to reach a global audience.
The exhibition, created by NESCol students to celebrate the lived experiences, identities, and contributions of underrepresented members of the College community, has moved online. Initially launched in October as part of Black History Month at the College’s Fraserburgh Campus and extended into early November, the striking imagery and compelling accompanying stories can now be viewed on the newly introduced NESCol blog.
Creative industries students collaborated with English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) peers to plan and deliver the exhibition, supported by NESCol lecturing staff. The project explores challenging themes, including the experiences of refugees finding peace in Scotland, the aspirations of Afghan women pursuing education, and the hopes of African students adjusting to life in North East Scotland. The exhibition addresses the trauma of war and racism alongside themes of friendship and solidarity.
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"New Faces New Stories is an incredibly powerful collection of work. It doesn’t shy away from the traumatic experiences that many of our students and their families have experienced, but it also shines a light on the sense of community they have discovered in North East Scotland."
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"The exhibition combines creativity with social consciousness in a way that has really connected with everyone who has viewed it in-person. By moving the images online, we hope to reach new audiences and to share the incredible stories and the stunning images that our students have shared and captured."
During Black History Month, NESCol hosted various events, including a hate crime awareness presentation by Police Scotland at the Aberdeen Altens Campus for over 60 students. A panel discussion at City Campus, planned to include MSPs Karen Adam and Maggie Chapman, along with representatives from NESCol staff, students, and regional partners, was postponed due to a power outage. A new date will be announced soon, focusing on misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation.
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"We had a very successful panel discussion as part of Black History Month in 2025 and this conversation will build on that. The theme is how misinformation, disinformation and malinformation can be challenged – something that we know is becoming increasingly important in our society. We want our students and staff to feel comfortable talking about these big issues."
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"Our Black History Month programme also included opportunities for members of our College community to share their lived experiences of being black in Scotland. Those perspectives are very powerful and support our aim of creating an anti-racist and inclusive environment."
NESCol is a major provider of vocational education and training in Scotland, serving over 20,000 students annually across its Aberdeen Altens, Aberdeen City, and Fraserburgh campuses, as well as the Scottish Maritime Academy in Peterhead. The Altens Campus also houses the Energy Transition Skills Hub, established in 2025 to support the North East's net zero ambitions.
