In this blog post I would like to introduce my latest project, which has just received the backing and funding of the Arts Council of England, The National Trust, and Wolverhampton City Council. The aim is to create an large and revealing archive that not only depicts the aesthetics of an area, but include imagery, along with testimony, which gives insight into the lives of those who reside within it; imagery created by those who know it best - the residents themselves. The project in underway now and production will last for roughly a year before it is exhibited. I will be using this blog as a means to document the project as it unfurls.
Here is a short brief which details the aims of the project.
The project aims to provide young people from Heath Town with the opportunity and skills required to examine, consider and document their experiences within their own, familiar, environment, and one that is very different, through photography. Participants will produce work of a photographic nature that documents the ongoing developments of two sites (inner-city Wolverhampton and a National Trust property) that are both currently undergoing change, from a multitude of different perspectives. The resulting body of work will then be exhibited both locally and nationally.
Tutoring young people (16-25) from inner-city Wolverhampton in photography skills and guiding them to create their own projects. This will include working with analogue photographic equipment (such as film cameras and darkroom), and guidance in how to create an artistic body of work. The images created will be a unique perspective of the contrast between the lives and landscapes of inner-city inhabitants and the faded glory of the rural gentry. This work will be exhibited in a number of locations from the Heath Town estate to city galleries and National Trust properties.
Documenting these two changing environments will provide a testimony from the Heath Town community, creating a body of work with a potentially remarkable depth, intimacy and contrast. In doing this, there will be a widening participation in the arts for an under-represented group, giving a group of inner-city youth a set of skills that could provide them with the confidence to pursue a career in the arts, or acquire a set of skills and portfolio to aid them in an application for further/higher education. This project will provide an opportunity for members of the Heath Town community to be involved with an arts project, both as participants and audience, in a way which will leave a lasting legacy for its residents.
The project is still currently looking for participants from the Heath Town - Heathfield Park area, aged 16-25. If you would be interested in being involved with the project or would like further information regarding it, please contact me via email at jack.nelson86@gmail.com
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