People, Places, Postcards

How can you capture the people and places which represent your local area in a frame that is just 3.5 by 5 inches?

Well…Open Eye Gallery invited the public to try and do exactly that.

For the past 8 weeks people have been responding to our main gallery exhibition, A Place of Our Own, with their own collage and hand-drawn postcards exploring the people and places that matter most to them.

A Place of Our Own brings together the local stories of people across Walton (North Liverpool), Prescot (Knowsley) and Chester town centre, with photographers Suzanne St Clare, Tony Mallon, Lucy Hunter, Sarah Weights and Tricia Grant-Hanlon. All the works produced are examples of socially engaged projects, meaning that photographers and local communities have come together to co-author work which best reflects their local area. Whilst the three projects on display show varying views and responses to each location, what connects them is a clear pride in people’s memories and associations with each place.

Within the gallery, we created a dedicated workshop area for the public to continue the conversations raised in the exhibition, ranging from pride in local heritage and culture to concerns of regeneration and urban development. The postcards made by the public throughout the exhibition highlight the diversity of views and pride of place people have for their local area. Thanks to our wonderful volunteers, Aditi Shah and Freya Atherton, this beautifully designed zine is a real celebration of the work produced.

Foreword by Liz Wewiora, Head of Social Practice.