Edward Cotton

The quarter of St Jacques in the center of Perpignan has been inhabited by gypsies for over 400 years. This is a group of people who are living on the margins in how they seen by the outside world, their daily livelihood (with 90% unemployment), but also their future in the quarter hangs in the balance with many of its buildings in the process of being knocked down and modernized. Over the course of four days, I traveled to St Jacques to photograph the people of the quarter and challenge myself to build relationships with a people who were not only wary of outsiders, they simply did not want to be photographed. The journey took me into the very heart of St Jacques to go through the challenge to try and separate fact from fiction, to see the story for myself and experience close the humanity and vibrancy of the people first-hand.