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Dhaba Cafe in Arts C hosts compelling student-housing cooperative photo exhibition
By: Maria Andreou
Last updated: Tuesday, 5 December 2023
Anke Schwittay and SEASALT resident in Dhaba Cafe, admiring the SEASALT photo exhibition
We are delighted to announce that the Dhaba Cafe has recently transformed its space to host the powerful photo exhibition, ‘SEASALT: A Student Housing Co-operative in Brighton’.
The exhibition is a collaboration between Tammi Nowell, a student on the Media Practice for Development and Social Change masters course, and the Anthropology and International Development professor Anke Schwittay. The photos on display are part of a larger project on ‘Student Housing in Brighton: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.’
The inspiration for this project was sparked by a photo shared by a former Sussex student, revealing the difficulties Sussex students encounter in their living situations. Driven by the need to grasp the true picture of student housing, Anke and Tammi collaborated to visually capture the diverse living conditions of students on campus and in Brighton. The larger exhibition narrates stories that span from positive experiences to the challenges encountered in both campus accommodations and private rentals.
A key focus of the project is SEASALT, a student housing co-operative founded by Sussex students, including Global Studies students, in 2018. SEASALT collaborated with the Brighton and Hove Community Land Trust (BHCLT) to raise over £300,000 through crowdfunding and purchase a 7-bedroom house in Moulsecoomb.
Despite challenges, SEASALT has evolved into an affordable, democratically governed, and sustainable home for numerous students. Student housing cooperatives, which also exist in Edinburgh, Birmingham, and Sheffield, empower students to regain control of their living situations, providing alternatives to the traditional, financially driven student housing market.
For those eager to delve deeper into the student housing co-op movement or to connect with Anke Schwittay, please reach out at: a.schwittay@sussex.ac.uk.
If you are interested in learning more about SEASALT, visit this website.
Don't miss this insightful exhibition, offering a glimpse at alternative student housing created by students for students!