Photography By Age UK members goes on tour in Havering
Photographs taken by members of Age UK Redbridge, Barking & Havering during a Create project are being shown in a touring exhibition at three Havering venues between now and the end of the year.
The exhibition is on display at MyPlace community centre in Harold Hill, Havering (to 20 November), and then moves on to Mercury Mall in Romford (22-30 November) before culminating at Fry’s Gallery in Hornchurch’s Fairkytes Arts Centre (2-9 December). The exhibition has been funded by Havering Council, and is free to visit.
The photographs were taken during our art:links project in September and October 2021. Members of Age UK visited the beautiful grounds at Langtons House in Hornchurch with our professional photographer Alejandra Carles-Tolra and Nurturing Talent artist Ashley Gill. They were encouraged to take pictures that celebrated “reconnection”, both with each other after the lockdown, and with nature.
MEET DIANA
The project participants are all members of Age UK’s Di’s Diamonds group. Diana talked to us about her experiences:
“From the first few minutes of a very warm and friendly welcome, Alejandra encouraged us to explore our inner creativity to produce imaginative, eye-catching and colourful work. Not for us the technicalities of ISO and white balance, but the freedom of roaming round the beautiful gardens and greenhouse thinking outside the box and using all sorts of natural items such as rain-dropped leaves to tubes of paper, prisms and natural framing to create wonderful abstract photographs.
“Using these objects and other exercises we learnt physically about zoom control, how to add light to our subjects using mirrors and light box diffusers, and how to create shadows. We were lucky to have lovely sunny days but even when we had heavy rain we managed to capture great shots in between downpours. We had immense fun and each Tuesday I was so happy in the anticipation of joining the group, ecstatic during the class doing what I love doing best, and so feeling pleased with what I had achieved I went home smiling and blissfully content.
“Thank you to Alejandra for being such a kind, encouraging and enthusiastic [facilitator], and the Create team. They too were so helpful aiding us and giving us so much praise for our work, which in turn gave us all a great feeling of accomplishment and self-worth. I’m sure I speak for others by saying how much we appreciate everyone’s efforts in keeping us happy and calm during an otherwise terrible time.”
See some of their images below.
art:links Havering was funded by the Masonic Charitable Foundation, The Mercers’ Company and W G Edwards Charitable Foundation.
