Preston, Our City, Your City…..a community participatory photography competition and exhibition using disposable cameras.

 

The project has three broad aims:

Making Voices Heard

Encouraging Self Development

Reconnecting Communities in Preston

 

Photography is a versatile and accessible form of creative expression and offers opportunities for meaningful inclusion that few art forms can. In particular photography enables anyone to share their perspective or experience in a way that is instantly engaging and accessible to someone presented with the resulting photos. The combination of the viewer’s own experiences and the choices made in taking a photo allow the unique perspective of the photographer to shine through and creates a space for communication and discussion regardless of the extent to which someone engages on a technical level. This means photography with disposable cameras is particularly well suited as a tool to allow cross community engagement and removes the access restrictions often experienced by minority or vulnerable groups – while also providing a powerful way to share that perspective when conventional communication may be more difficult.

 

The project will facilitate the fundamental right of all individuals, irrespective of age, gender, race, wealth, ability, social position, religion or political affiliations to be able to access tools and skills through which they can find strength in their own voice and the means to represent themselves. The intention is to open the competition to as a wide an audience as possible to challenge prejudice and promote inclusion.

 

The aim of the project is to broaden the perspective of the participants and the viewer through witnessing the daily lives, loves, challenges, and passions of individuals in Preston and to get closer to truly understanding their lives, and perhaps be moved to help bring about a closer community.