Powerhouse Portraits Exhibition: Preview and Magazine Launch
A vivid reflection of people and locality through photography and text
Saturday 29 July 2-4pm
+ IAN JOHNS: retrospective showcase from 40 years photographing Moss Side
a Segment Arts project in partnership with Powerhouse and Crossing Footprints
Incl. poetry by Nasima Bee (Young Identity) and special guest local peace activist Professor Erinma Bell MBE DL JP.
Additional speakers from the Moss Side community: writer Deanne Heron, artist Ian Johns and photographer Dorothy Ennis Hand. At Powerhouse, 140 Raby St, Moss Side, Manchester M14 4SL with refreshments, snacks, speakers and musical ambience.
The Powerhouse Portraits Exhibition continues to 31st October
Local people have come together at Powerhouse to portray some of the people and places around Moss Side and nearby that are familiar to them. Three sets of workshops with different ages from 8 to 80 years ran for a period of just six weeks, all groups developing skills in photography using disposable cameras and in creative writing. The participants also developed skills in layout and design, the magazine will reflect the approaches the groups took during the project. Beginning on 22nd May the workshops took place at Powerhouse Community Centre and Library, everyone’s work will be represented in the exhibition and publication.
The art of using disposable cameras creates a very live feel with beautifully saturated colours and deep focus that is hard to achieve with any other camera system. It also means everyone is equal and nobody is using a fancier piece of kit than anyone else. By the way they may be called ‘disposable’ cameras but many of the parts are re-used and the cameras don’t rely on micro-chips with all the machinery, complex parts and rare minerals needed for those.
The workshops were led by visual artist Leo Macdonald-Oulds from Segment Arts, with writer Nasima Bee from Young Identity and artist / photographer Ian Johns from First Cut Media . The groups captured a variety of everyday moments for a diverse range of lives, full of character, atmosphere, intimacy and a dash of humour. The material produced has been carefully edited into a magazine-style publication and a vibrant community exhibition. Come down and join us at the Powerhouse Portraits Exhibition and Magazine Launch!
