Removed tells the story of one woman, Hope, from the moment she is taken from her home, in the middle of the night to an immigration removal center.

Removed originated from a qualitative piece of research into the gendered harms of immigration detention carried out by Dr Francesca Esposito. You can read more about this research here. It has since evolved into a much more far-reaching project due to the relationships which formed with women affected by immigration detention who were invited to input to the research over the course of two years (2021-2023).

During the course of research, it became clear the potential of the animation as an alternative and meaningful means to disseminate research-informed insights in our communities and contribute towards transformative bottom-up changes. By visualizing what goes on in detention centers, the project aims to increase public knowledge on the harms of detention.

The animation was developed following a participatory process from writing the script collaboratively, with those who have lived through detention, to getting feedback at every stage of the process and potential audience members.