Published: March 29, 2023
We are excited to announce that the fruits of our Photo Arts Group Empowerment (PAGE) project, run in partnership with Stills: Centre for Photography, will be on display at Front PAGE Views, open Wednesday 29 March until Sunday 25 June at the Museum of Edinburgh (full address below, plus a selection of images).
The exhibition will showcase a variety of photographs from the PAGE project participants, taken whilst visiting spaces and utilising techniques that they wouldn’t normally have had access to.
As a group they enjoyed day trips to a variety of inspiring locations – including Jupiter Artland, Inchcolm Island, and Edinburgh Zoo – as well as time in Stills’ digital laboratory and darkroom, editing and developing photos, and even trying their hand at taking portraits using a Victorian 5×4 hooded camera!
The aim of the project was to teach photography skills, while improving wellbeing and reducing isolation through group trips in and around Edinburgh. The project involved clients from mixed social and cultural backgrounds who faced barriers to progression due to their personal circumstances.
The result is a compelling exhibition of photographs that demonstrate the creativity of each participant and their unique perspective on the world. They are an inspiring group of people, each of whom has found and/or honed their own photographic style, and this exhibition reflects that.
Joseph Wilson, Stills’ Technician and course tutor, says:
‘It has been a privilege to be involved in a project where the participants have explored the photographic medium so enthusiastically. It has brought me joy to see them find the courage necessary to produce and share their photographs with one another, and now with a wider audience. Stills endeavours to facilitate democratic opportunity and access through its varied work, and the PAGE project, in partnership with Access to Industry, saw us provide the artists with a toolkit of photographic skills, which they used as a basis for forging friendships, as well as improving their image-making. We hope that the viewing public will enjoy the diverse range of creative techniques explored, and feel the sense of togetherness expressed in this exhibition.‘
Special thanks also goes to Ria Sloan at the City Art Centre for her help in putting the exhibition together.
Front PAGE Views runs from 29 March-25 June, Museum of Edinburgh, 142-146 Canongate, EH8 8DD. Open Mon-Sun, 10am-5pm. Free entry.
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