Open Eye PhotoHub is thrilled to announce the opening of its latest photography exhibition, This Must Be The Place. The exhibition will take place in the newly established gallery on Market Street in Leigh town centre, launching 16 October, 6 – 8 pm.
This Must Be The Place features impactful work of photographers who have each engaged with the diverse communities of the Wigan borough through the Open Eye PhotoHub project. This exhibition explores how photography can be a tool for enhanced social awareness and communicating issues around the climate emergency.
Mario Popham, Lead Artist and Curator of the exhibition said: “The exhibition emphasizes photography as a deeply personal practice that allows individuals to connect with nature and their surroundings. It also serves as a unifying tool, fostering shared experiences and diverse perspectives on what it means to be present in our communities.”
The exhibition brings together the work of seven photographers each at different stages in their career.
Ciara Leeming collaborates with asylum seekers and refugees who are adapting to being here alongside Support for Wigan Arrivals Project (SWAP). This work highlights the significance of the borough in a global context and emphasises the importance of community and belonging.
Ruby Ramelize shares a view through the eyes of the young people at Global Friends, a diverse-led youth group based at Spinners Mill in Leigh supported by Everything Human Rights.
Mia Joyce (Open Eye PhotoHub Fellow) presents a vertical garden series that merges urban landscapes with natural greenery, envisioning a sustainable future for our towns.
Students from Lowton High School, guided by photographer Andy Yates, create cyanotypes that document their adventures in Wigan’s natural spaces. This project encourages young people to explore and appreciate their local environment.
Sara Lawlor, Open Eye PhotoHub Fellow, explores the healing properties of water and nature in relation to mental health and wellbeing. Her work reflects a personal journey and the therapeutic aspects of nature.
Lizzie King and Mario Popham respond to the green spaces of Bickershaw and Wigan Flashes, showcasing nature’s resurgence in post-industrial landscapes with support from the Canal & River Trust and Lancashire Wildlife Trust.
In addition to the exhibition, Open Eye PhotoHub will host a series of workshops, inviting attendees to explore their creativity through cyanotypes, portrait photography, and light painting. These workshops aim to encourage participants to express their own interpretations of place:
Pop-up Studio portraits with photographer Ciara Leeming: 23 October, 11 am – 3 pm.
Cyanotypes with photographer Lizzie King: 24 October, 11 am – 3 pm.
Light Painting with photographer Tim Simpson: 17 November, 4 pm – 7.30 pm.
All workshops are held in Open Eye PhotoHub, Leigh Town Hall, Market Street Leigh WN7 1DY. Book your place on Eventbrite.
Open Eye PhotoHub promotes local voices through a socially engaged approach that encourages community participants to pick up a camera and share their own stories through the lens. The initiative is a partnership between Open Eye Gallery in Liverpool, Wigan Council, and Wigan & Leigh College who have been working together to establish a programme of artist commissions and a Fellowship mentor programme for recent photography graduates entering the cultural sector. This exhibition offers a showcase of some of this work to date.
Image by Andy Yates
Address:
Leigh Town Hall, Open Eye Hub Space
Open:
10 – 4 pm Thursday – Friday, 10 - 2pm Saturday
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