Shard End: Place and People

The new library for Shard End has now been completed and opens it’s doors for business tomorrow. Attached images are from the old building and the new and represents the aspirations for a regenerated neighbourhood. I still have more work to do, as the interest in the project keeps growing and more people and organisations want to get involved.

I must say it is a great way to get to know an area and the people who live there. I have a lot of material gathered so far and my next task is to start organising it, so I can begin the task of editing the images for exhibition purposes and the use of other formats. I am considering using plasma screens in the new library, use images for postcards, publicity, and produce a book. May will be a busy time for me and i will also be in Oslo for a week. I am also co-curating a slot for Dialogue which is plot 10 in the Allottment project at the Midlands Art Centre!

I will post again toward the end of May.

On March 12th I was the artist on Birmingham City Councils Mobile Arts Bus which was parked outside the Shard End Community and Sports Centre. I was there to photograph people visting the centre or passing by. This was an good experience for me, and I met some interesting people -some who let me take their photos and some who didn’t. I still feel outside my comfort zone but I am getting more confident engaging people. I have had to opportunity to photograph the Mighty Zulu Nation who were performing at Heathlands Junior and Infants. While at the Community Centre I met the mental health group and the over 60’s Bowling Club. The 1st Yorswood 229 Birmingham Cubs and Scout Troop invited me to take photos and the local schools have really embraced my project.

I am leaning about myself as an art practioner and am engaging with the community in a positive way. There is still a lot of photo’s to take and organising the material is a big task but I am well underway. I hope to exhibit a selection of images at the launch of the new library in mid June.

I have been working on my photography project of the people and places of Shard End for a few weeks now. In that time I have been invited into some of the primary schools and pre-school learning unit, the metal detectors group, the pensioners group. I have lined up further visits to the schools in the area and so far I am getting a very postive response from people. I have been invited to attend the AGM at Alysford Hall in Shard End to talk about my project and get more community groups interested in allowing me to take their photograph.

I will be outside the Shard End Community Centre on Birmingham City Councils Mobile Art Unit offering to take photos of people visiting the centre or just passing by in the street. My list of people and groups are growing and I am having to keep my diary updated!

Photographing people of all ages, either individual portraits or groups of people is outside my comfort zone. It is something that is proving to be a challenge but is producing positive results that I am pleased with. Also the feedback from people viewing my images has been positive.

For this project I have gone totally digital and have even bought the Digital SLR with lens! This has allowed me to generate a large pool of images quickly which can be edited and reviewed in a way my film SLR can not. It is also making the project economical. I am going to create an online resource of the images produced through this project to make it as accessible as possible to the people of Shard End. Hopefully it will be of interest to a global audience as well.

The exhibition I plan to have at the new Library of Shard End will take place during the middle of June. I have a lot of work to do in not only acquiring the images but also sorting, editing and getting information data. I will keep you posted on latest developments.

My photographic practice doesn’t normally focus on individuals and groups of people. I am normally comfortable documenting urban, rural and coastal subjects looking at human interaction with these places such as graffitti, litter, man made structures, town planning etc. This project builds on work I started in Bordeaux when I photographed artists, shop keepers and people. This was outside my comfort zone as I tend to shy away from doing portraits.

A central component to this project involves engaging with people who live and work in Shard End and getting their permission to take photographs. So far I have taken photo’s of the Catholic and Church of England clegy, the coffee morning group at All Saints C of E church and the pensioners group who meet at Aylesford Hall. I have permission to take photos of local police team, the sea cadets, the metal detecting club and the local primary schools. I still have a lot of groups to do as well as open public drop in sessions to organise. I have been touched by how people have been supportive of the project and who have agreed to take part.

I will also be documenting the places, buildings and public spaces in Shard End which is something that I am more familiar with. I will update you with my progress as the project develops and images are produced.

It is two weeks since I have began to work on my project. This has involved drawing up a list of contacts of people and organisations to let them know about the project and to invite the to take part. So far I have had a very positive feedback and am filling my diary with dates to photograph them. I have also started taking photographs around the redevelopment of the new shopping centre in Shard End.

To date I have taken the portrait of Fr John O’Brien at the Mother of God and Guardian Angels RC Church and on Wedneday am meeting Fr Anthony from All Saints CofE and the coffee morning crowd. While on the afternoon I am meeting the pensioners who meet at Aylesford Hall who will be having a party and playing Bingo. I should be alright for tea and cakes! Taking portraits of people is a new direction for me -although I did do some for the Bordeaux project I was involved in. Anyway I am looking forward to working on this project and will update you with the progress. It is due to be completed in June so that it will be ready for the lauch of the new library that they have built in Shard End.