Tony Mallon appointed as Prescot, Knowsley Photographer-in-Residence
Open Eye Gallery is delighted to be supporting Tony Mallon as Prescot, Knowsley’s Photographer-in-Residence as part of Historic England’s High Streets Heritage Action Zones scheme.
Picturing England’s High Streets is a three-year project which is part of the national cultural programme for High Street Heritage Action Zones. Residencies will take place in six high street locations with the photographers using a ‘socially-engaged’ approach, working alongside local communities to create a contemporary portrait of England’s high streets between now and 2024. Photoworks and Historic England have partnered with Open Eye Gallery to appoint a Photographer-in-Residence in both Chester and Prescot, Knowsley with local knowledge of each area.
As the photographer-in-residence for Prescot, Knowsley, Tony Mallon will be working with local communities from 2021-2024 to reimagine the high street, producing images which will become part of the Historic England Archive. Adding to this, during 2021/22, emerging photographer Lucy Hunter will develop work with a local community group. Both will receive additional support from The Shakespeare North Playhouse.
Laura Collier, Creative Director and Programmer, Shakespeare North Playhouse said:
We are so excited to be partnering with Tony and Lucy over the coming months and years, especially as we build up to the opening of The Shakespeare North Playhouse in summer 2022 and celebrate Knowsley’s Borough of Culture. Their ideas around enabling others to explore self-expression through photography is a strong foundation for empowering the thriving creative communities of Prescot and allows us to further explore our position as one of Historic England’s High Streets Heritage Action Zones.
Sarah Fisher, Executive Director of Open Eye Gallery said:
We are really delighted to have appointed Tony Mallon to work over the next three years on the Picturing Englands High Streets project together with The Shakespeare North Playhouse. Tony has a fantastic track record of co-authoring photographic projects with communities – including working with local photographic archives to explore the past as a way of re-imaging futures. Equally we’re delighted to have appointed Lucy Hunter, a talented early career photographer to work with communities this year, alongside Tony.
Tony Mallon is a Merseyside-based photographic artist who was brought up in Knowsley and attended an art foundation course in Prescot. He has 25 years’ experience of delivering socially-engaged art projects, including a recent three-year project in Knowsley. He has a passion and a desire to connect and collaborate with people who are usually excluded from participating in and producing art. His work also focuses on people and place, and how communities define themselves.
Lucy Hunter is a London-born photographer, now living in Liverpool. While completing her studies, which includes an MA in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography, she developed a keen interest in community. She focuses her practise on social relationships, connection and the spaces that bring people together.
To find out what is happening in your area and get involved, please follow @HistoricEngland #HistoricHighStreets #PicturingPrescot and visit: www.HistoricEngland.org.uk/HighStreetCulture
