This month for our ‘A Spotlight On…’ blog we spoke to our very own Creative Producer and Photographer in Residence Andy Yates. Alongside our Engagement Assistant Adele Robinson, he discusses how he first found his passion for photography, how is work has developed into a socially engaged practice and his current environmental project ‘On the Ground’

Adele Robinson: How did socially engaged photography come about for you? Did you know what Socially Engaged photography was before you started?

Andy Yates: I didn’t start taking pictures until I went travelling in my early 20s, where I fell in love with photography. For me photography at that point was about capturing memories or moments that I wanted to treasure and keep and then look back at later.I never really thought of it as something that I was going to explore further or have a career in. 

When I got home, I decided to study photography at my local college, Hugh Baird. I spent the next 3 years exploring the different styles and techniques of photography, hoping to find something that would spark an interest in me.Throughthe course, I came into connection with Open Eye Gallery who support the students and host our final exhibition.From the conversations with the gallery, I found out about Socially Engaged Photography and it kind of resonated with me. 

During my 3rd year, I started a new project exploring my local community in Waterloo and Crosby called ‘Andy Finds Community’. I focussed on finding posters and notices on shop windows and park notice boards advertising different community groups in the area and then attended the groups to take part and capture what was going on. It led me to gardening groups, a walking football team, a history and philosophy group and many more. It was great fun and a really nice way to see what community looks like.

I wouldn’t call this project socially engaged but it helped me realise my interest in photography and people and the relationship they have through storytelling.

After graduating, through the relationship with Open Eye Gallery and the college, I was offered a paid internship to beprojectassistant on a young persons project calledOur North.This is where I started to learn about socially engaged photography and gaining first hand experience of photographers working in this way.

As lockdown happened during your Masters Degree studying “Socially Engaged  Photography” at the University of Salford. What was it like having to take Socially Engaged Photography with having to fully socially distance yourself? 

After a couple of years of working for Open Eye Gallery, I decided to study an MA in Socially Engaged Photography Practice with community experience at University of Salford.I did the course over two years and the final module was right in the middle of the first lockdown. I was working with a wellbeing and recoverycommunity group called TheSpider Project in Birkenheadand I was developing a project using photography as a tool for wellbeing. I had planned to run a series of weekly workshops over 6 weeks at the centre, but this all changed when we went into lockdown. The centre had closed and we weren’t allowed to work with the group in person.  

Working alongside The Spider Projects Creative Lead, we explored what options they were using to stay connected with the community. They had a Facebook page and a website where they would upload content from their other activities, so we decided to move the project online. Each week, I would set an activity such as a colour walk or photo treasure hunt paired with a video and post it on their Facebook and website.  

I set up a private Facebookgroupas a space for the participants to share their responses and interact with each other. About 15 people joined, but the number of responses where a bit hit and miss pending on the activity. I think because I had no prior relationship with the participants, it made it difficult to build up trust and therefore the responses where less than if it had been in person. 

As you couldn’t interact with them, they were using their own eyes behind the camera. Instead of yours?

The process was about trying out new platforms and new ways of working with a group outside of being there in person. It was quite exciting.Some of the activities I set got no responses and others were really popular. The selfie challenge for instance got the most responses.I guess that’s because it’s how people communicate, sharing were they went or whatever they’re doing and they’re familiar with that. I set an activity called New Normal, and it got no responses. This activity was much more open and it required the participants to use their own interpretation. I wonder if this was more difficult because we wasn’t able to discuss the theme? It made me realise that you have to build up to more open themes and this can take time depending on the group.

It was all great learning experience for me. Outside of these circumstances, I probably wouldn’t have chosen to work in this way but the process made me think about my workshop ideas and how I can make them more accessible. In the end, the output of this work became more about the resources I made and how this can work outside of an in person meeting.

What experience has most stuck with you from Socially Engaged Photography?

The great thing about photography is that it’s very accessible and easy to use. For me, the thing I really love about this practice is giving people the opportunity to share their story using photography. It’s always fascinating to see what people come back with and you learn so much

As a photographer we can go into any situation and share our own interpretation of the theme but it’s not necessarily reflective of the group we’re working with. Having the input of the participants, whether that is taking or directing the photographs or taking part in any way they want, adds so much more value to the work as more voices are shared.

My first real experience of working on a Socially Engaged project was a young persons project called ‘Our North’, sharing what it is like to grow up in the north. I worked with 2 groups, 1 from Sefton and 1 from Runcorn and we did a series of workshops with photographers and curators exploring themes of the north which ended up turning into a small publication and pop up exhibition at Open Eye Gallery. It was amazing seeing the responses of the young people, having their images on the walls and knowing that people are taking an interest in their lives. It’s such a valuable experience and a privilege to share it with them.

What aspect of Socially Engaged photography are you always most fond of?

This for me, is the relationships you build. You get to spend time with people and learn from their experiences, their livelihoods and that’s really important. I do a lot of work with young people and giving them a space to explore and share what’s important to them and providing them with a platform to share this is really powerful, whether that’s through photography or through sharing in a group.

You can often see through the development of a project how someones confidence has increased and by being part of the group they have made some new friendships. The fact that we can use photography as the tool to make this happen is a bonus.

What is your next upcoming project? How long has it been in the works?

A lot of my current work is considering our relationship to nature and I think photography is a great tool to do this with, especially when engaging with community. It allows you to stop, pause and take notice.

I’verecently been working with Open Eye Gallery on a project called On The Ground. I’m exploring the different solutions to the climate crisis and approaches to sustainability in the Liverpool community. This lead me to a local grow you own food garden in the Baltic area of Liverpool connected to the environmental charity, Faiths4Change. In the summer of 2020, they received some funding from the Linda McCartney foundation to create a new community growing space for 16-30 year olds to provide access to outside space and opportunities for food growing. I thought this would be a great opportunity for me to learn about food growing and combine it with a project. The space was really overgrown and being used to house some old gravestones that were bombed during the World War 2. The gravestones now border the garden and we built some raised beds and added some composters for the local community to put their food waste. It’s been great fun to see the garden develop and to grow and take home some of the food.

Hopefully through this project, we can share what we have learned and pass it on to other people. It sometimes feels quite overwhelming when thinking about what changes we can make in our lives that will make a difference to the climate crisis, but doing small things like growing your own food or being part of a community garden can make a huge difference and help change our relationship to food and to waste. I’d recommend finding your own local community garden to anyone.

I’m also working on another project with Open Eye Gallery and dot-art called, ‘The Story of Liverpool City Region Through Its Trees.’ It initially started with a group of local academics, historians, residents sharing a story about a tree that holds some significance to them and then I would go and photograph it. It then went out to the public to share a story and an image of their favourite trees and we received over 60 which you can see on Open Eye Stories. The project is continuing to grow and we have a lot of new activity planned for the new year. I’m really looking forward to seeing how this all develops and to seeing the arts really join the exploration of how we care for ourselves and the planet.

Image 1: Andy Finds Community, 2019

Image 2: On The Ground, 2021

Image 3: Helen’s Story, 2020