Humans of Birmingham: Meet the person behind the project

We got into the mind of the person behind ‘Humans of Birmingham’ and found out all you need to know about the project


Most have heard of the famous Humans of New York project started in 2010, and the subsequent spin off projects all around the world, but new to the scene is the Humans of Birmingham project; UoB campus edition.

Surpassing the great success of previous attempts at a Humans of Birmingham page (The only other try standing at a whopping 42 likes since its creation in May 2013) a University of Birmingham student created their own project in September of people on campus. From Dave of ‘Dave’s University Fruits’ to the Vice President of AIESEC Birmingham, anybody could be approached and featured as the project gains more attention among students.

The Tab reached out to contact the creator for an interview:

It says on the page that you’re an international student, where is it you come from and what’re you studying?

I come from Hong Kong and I’m doing LLB Law, Year 1

What made you want to start this project?

I started the project as a way to understand and integrate into Birmingham. As an international student, I felt almost obliged to start a fun and engaging project for myself to know this community more. I was a regular reader of the Humans of New York project, and the idea of doing something similar struck me. There was absolutely no better way to know a community better than going around and collecting stories from people around me.

What is it you hope to do with this?

The primary aim of this project was just to have fun, and I have always wanted to use the opportunity of studying abroad to force myself out of my comfort zone. Later, it was more like a hobby to me – I have always been interested in Humanities, Arts and culture, and by collecting stories of people I feel like I am digging deeper into the community than many of the locals here.

How often do you go out and take these pictures of people?

I basically go out whenever I want to. To be honest, the workload from Law school is pretty heavy, so I don’t always roam around with this project. Sometimes when it’s sunny, and I’m feeling happy and positive and wanting to meet new people, I go to the university earlier and meet people on campus.

How do you choose who to take a picture of?

I usually choose someone who is alone. (That sounded a little creepy, I didn’t mean it, I’m sorry.) I am a bold and outgoing person, but as an international student whose first language is not English, I tend to feel kind of nervous if I had to go up to a whole group of people (usually speaking with different accents too…) and meet them all at once. I also tend to choose someone who looks friendly and probably willing to have their picture taken. 

Do you know how many you’ve taken so far and if you have a goal (perhaps a limit) you aim to reach?
I have taken around 25 pictures, and not all of them are published. I don’t really have an aim – it really depends on how things turn out. I guess I will probably continue this project for as long as I can – I’m taking an undergraduate course so probably for 3 years. My primary aim is to get 100 pictures published, I guess!


Has anyone in particular stood out from those you’ve met?
As I’m really focusing more on students on campus, I don’t think I have got someone with a hugely inspirational life story or experience yet. But to be honest, I think many people I interview really reflect their status as university students, and somehow also their backgrounds, and this fits my primary aim of knowing more about this community. My aim wasn’t to force inspiration out of people, but to know the true sides of people, just the way they are.


From all those you’ve met thus far, is there any common factor, or similarity, between them all?
Many students tend to talk about their academics first, then when asked about their goals in life or dreams in life, they tend to shy away and admit that they are kind of lost and still finding their way. This tends to happen to many university students. International students, on the other hand, tend to talk about their own culture when asked about something interesting about themselves.

What’s the strangest, or most awkward, quote or encounter you’ve had with someone; maybe something you were unable to then include on the page?

I once interviewed a very nice girl from Saudi Arabia, and we actually had a one-hour chat in the cafeteria. However, her culture did not allow her to have her face, or even her back, published anywhere, nevermind the internet. I would actually crown her as the most interesting person I have interviewed so far, as her life experience back home was really eye-opening, especially to me. She was also quite inspirational, as she had suffered under certain rules in her culture. (This is quite a sensitive topic and as she probably wouldn’t want this to be disclosed, I’m just going to give a pass on the details.)

Any tips for people considering to do a similar project for their own area?

Tips for anyone trying to start a similar project, or generally any project that involves meeting new people: smile, be friendly, and don’t be afraid!