TITLE: Wood collectors

The Twelfth July is a day that marks the victory of Protestant king William of Orange over Catholic king James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. The night before dozens if not hundreds of massive bonfires are lit across Northern Ireland. The bonfires are raised by the groups of British loyalists – it is a joint work of the young people, youth workers, local residents and ex-paramilitaries. Some might appear to raise controversies, but majority of them are seen to be a celebration of the local cultural tradition that attracts lots of participants and supporters, including more and more tourists.

AUTHOR: Mariusz Smiejek (United Kingdom)

Freelance documentary and portrait photographer, born in Poland in 1978. His work is dedicated to expose issues of post-conflict territories and societies. Mariusz lives in Belfast since 2011 and has been documenting a long term project about the transition and everyday life in Northern Ireland during the peace process since 2010.
He works as an associate with the Belfast-based Institute for Conflict Research.