22/02/2023
Our very own Photography students Beth Hewitt, Marni Parkes, Sarah Ralph, Olivia Rhoden and Jordy Webb were successfully selected by Historic England in the project ‘Picturing High Streets’. This exhibition aims to depict high streets, individuals and communities around the country. The soon to arrive exhibition is part of a three-year project presented by Historic England and Photoworks in partnership with various national photography organisations.
All of those who entered photographs were given fortnightly challenges with themes such as “high street hang outs” and “bright lights to dark nights”. Photographs were submitted by posting under the hashtag #PicturingHighStreets on Instagram, with all entries creating an unofficial archive which documents high streets. 60 entries in total were selected out of over 1,000 entries nationwide to be displayed in a variety of towns and cities across the country, so we are ever so proud of our students’ achievements in being selected!
The chosen photos will be displayed in different forms through the country, such as part of the FORMAT23 photography festival in Derby, exhibitions in Bristol and Bradford and on window vinyls in Middlesbrough, Hastings, Stoke-on-Trent and Prescot. They will also be visible as projections on walls in Soho Photography Quarter, outside The Photographers’ Gallery, and on Clear Channel advertising space across England.
The future of our high streets may look uncertain at times, so this exhibition will allow the public to reflect on the lasting impact our high streets still have on us and communities across the UK. They are often places to celebrate history, local culture and varied experiences that make up the people and places that we might take for granted in our daily lives.
This programme is a part of Historic England’s £95 million government-funded High Streets Heritage Action Zone scheme, which is providing people with a renewed outlook on over 60 high streets across England. Achieving status as the widest-reaching community-led arts and heritage programme in the public realm that has ever been organised, this has been led by Historic England in partnership with Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Why not follow @PicturingHighStreets on Instagram and post your own pictures using #PicturingHighStreets? The national outdoor exhibition will open in March 2023 for you to enjoy and see students work. A big congratulations goes out again to all students who took part, particularly those who were successfully chosen to participate in this project, showing off their skills and passion through fantastic pictures! We are so very proud of your achievements so far.
