Culture Shifts is a region wide socially engaged photography programme working with 12 photographers embedded in communities across 7 areas. It aims to support communities to explore their stories in a way that is meaningful to them.
Young people from Sefton have come together with photographer Colin McPherson to create a series of photo stories reflecting on their identity, interests and lives. Positive Changes is an exhibition, which brings together two diverse yet interlaying projects by the Sefton New Beginnings (LGBTQ+) group and the Sefton Youth Voice group.
The young people from New Beginnings wished to create a body of work with Colin McPherson, which touched on topics around gender discrimination, stereotyping and identity.
Sefton Youth Voice wanted to work with photography as a tool for spreading a UK wide message about what matters to young people today. Working with Colin to create a series of 9 images, each photograph represents a key topic under the recent ‘Make Your Mark – Curriculum to prepare us for life’ campaign; a national youth parliament initiative for young people to speak out about the major concerns for their generation. Topics ranged from mental health and cyber bullying to body image, affects of media, sexual health and politics.
Each image from both sets of work, will also be made into a postcard series with more information around each topic and how it is affecting young people. The postcards will be distributed to local and national government and council representatives, education and health sectors, spreading the message to those audiences who need to hear it.
The exhibition will include audio interviews by each of the young people as well as interactive elements for the audience to respond to the contents of the show.
The exhibitions will culminate in a long-running show at Liverpool’s Open Eye Gallery in October, collecting together highlights from each of the exhibitions.
As part of an on-going collaboration between us, Open Eye Gallery and Sefton Youth Service.
Find out more here.
“Wonderful to see so many talented young people tackling serious issues, in their own individual way. Brilliant display”
“Beautiful. I feel safe in the knowledge that these young people will continue to drive our community forward in a positive and inclusive way”
Image Credit: Part of Sefton Youth Parliament group & Colin McPherson, 2017
Supported by the Strategic Touring Fund, Arts Council England
