People and Places @ Open Eye Gallery
26 April - 1 May 2023
Private view: 28 April 2023, 5:30pm – 7:30pm (RSVP at Eventbrite)
The exhibition presents the results of a photography project in Ellesmere Port that challenged young people from a local sixth form school, Whitby High, to explore their relationship with people and places.
Open Eye Gallery has been working with long-standing partners Whitby High School, on People and Places. Thirteen students from Whitby High have produced their own individual photography projects for exhibition at Open Eye Gallery in Spring, 2023. With the theme of ‘People and Places’ in mind, the students have been inspired by Craig Easton’s provocative solo show Craig Easton: Is Anybody Listening? at Open Eye Gallery earlier this year.
The photographs produced for People and Places explore the complex relationship between numerous aspects of life, from stories of new beginnings, questioning our intentions with the planet we call home, to challenging our beliefs about identity, individuality and belonging. The students used photography to create a visual narrative of their beliefs, challenges, thoughts, and feelings.
Places can evoke strong emotional responses in people, form a sense of belonging and grounding or even feelings of isolation and displacement. Similarly, people can have a huge impact on the places they call home, shaping their physical and cultural landscapes through their actions.
People and places are also tied to issues such as identity, community and social justice, as the relationship between people and place is a complex theme that touches on numerous aspects of human life. Ultimately, the dynamic relationship between people and place speaks to the human need for connection, meaning, and a sense of home.
Kit Abramson, Programme Manager, Is Anybody Listening? Our Time, Our Place said: ‘The urgency of Whitby HIgh School and Open Eye Gallery’s work relates to the intergenerational nature of poverty, economic hardship and the representation & misrepresentation of northern communities. As we face a crippling cost-of-living crisis and the long-term fall-out of a catastrophic pandemic, these themes are more apparent and relevant than ever.
‘People and Place equips young people with the skills and understanding to have pride in, and recognise the value of, their own heritage, seeing it as something worth preserving and developing the confidence to document it from the inside out – giving a louder and rooted voice to the people that make and represent ‘place’
Student Megan McHugh said: ‘For this project with The Open Eye Gallery, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience.It has enabled me to engage creatively in the project by constantly experimenting and developing new skills. From this programme I was able to develop confidence and experience new opportunities and ideas which further helped me to develop my photography.‘
The talented students involved in the project:
Analiese Davies
Brooke Barr
Cerys Owens
Chloe Massey
Heather Leggat
Isabel Pritchard
Jazmin Davies
Louis Farley
Megan McHugh
Molly Thompson
Rebecca Ashforth
Sophie Mitchell
Zak Bennett
Craig Easton: Is Anybody Listening? is touring across Blackpool (11 April – 31 May 2023, Blackpool School of Art and LeftCoast), Salford (11 September – 27 October and 6 November – 22 December 2023, New Adelphi Exhibition Gallery, University of Salford) and Birkenhead (24 January – 30 March 2024, Williamson Art Gallery and Museum).
Is Anybody Listening? Our Time, Our Place is presented by the University of Salford and generously supported by the National Heritage Lottery Fund.
Image credit: Jasmin Davies
Private view: 28 April 2023, 5:30pm – 7:30pm (RSVP at Eventbrite)
The exhibition presents the results of a photography project in Ellesmere Port that challenged young people from a local sixth form school, Whitby High, to explore their relationship with people and places.
Open Eye Gallery has been working with long-standing partners Whitby High School, on People and Places. Thirteen students from Whitby High have produced their own individual photography projects for exhibition at Open Eye Gallery in Spring, 2023. With the theme of ‘People and Places’ in mind, the students have been inspired by Craig Easton’s provocative solo show Craig Easton: Is Anybody Listening? at Open Eye Gallery earlier this year.
The photographs produced for People and Places explore the complex relationship between numerous aspects of life, from stories of new beginnings, questioning our intentions with the planet we call home, to challenging our beliefs about identity, individuality and belonging. The students used photography to create a visual narrative of their beliefs, challenges, thoughts, and feelings.
Places can evoke strong emotional responses in people, form a sense of belonging and grounding or even feelings of isolation and displacement. Similarly, people can have a huge impact on the places they call home, shaping their physical and cultural landscapes through their actions.
People and places are also tied to issues such as identity, community and social justice, as the relationship between people and place is a complex theme that touches on numerous aspects of human life. Ultimately, the dynamic relationship between people and place speaks to the human need for connection, meaning, and a sense of home.
Kit Abramson, Programme Manager, Is Anybody Listening? Our Time, Our Place said: ‘The urgency of Whitby HIgh School and Open Eye Gallery’s work relates to the intergenerational nature of poverty, economic hardship and the representation & misrepresentation of northern communities. As we face a crippling cost-of-living crisis and the long-term fall-out of a catastrophic pandemic, these themes are more apparent and relevant than ever.
‘People and Place equips young people with the skills and understanding to have pride in, and recognise the value of, their own heritage, seeing it as something worth preserving and developing the confidence to document it from the inside out – giving a louder and rooted voice to the people that make and represent ‘place’
Student Megan McHugh said: ‘For this project with The Open Eye Gallery, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience.It has enabled me to engage creatively in the project by constantly experimenting and developing new skills. From this programme I was able to develop confidence and experience new opportunities and ideas which further helped me to develop my photography.‘
The talented students involved in the project:
Analiese Davies
Brooke Barr
Cerys Owens
Chloe Massey
Heather Leggat
Isabel Pritchard
Jazmin Davies
Louis Farley
Megan McHugh
Molly Thompson
Rebecca Ashforth
Sophie Mitchell
Zak Bennett
Craig Easton: Is Anybody Listening? is touring across Blackpool (11 April – 31 May 2023, Blackpool School of Art and LeftCoast), Salford (11 September – 27 October and 6 November – 22 December 2023, New Adelphi Exhibition Gallery, University of Salford) and Birkenhead (24 January – 30 March 2024, Williamson Art Gallery and Museum).
Is Anybody Listening? Our Time, Our Place is presented by the University of Salford and generously supported by the National Heritage Lottery Fund.
Image credit: Jasmin Davies
