Open Eye Gallery

06/12/2023

Welcome to our independent bookshop, located at the front of Open Eye Gallery!

As the run up to Christmas is catching up with us, here are some stocking fillers for those who love to take photos, both analogue and instant. We also offer a 10% student discount!

📸 Polaroid Now + Generation 2 – £139.99

The app-connected Polaroid Now+ Generation 2 instant camera gives you creative control through the Polaroid App: Aperture priority, light painting, double exposure, self-timer, manual mode and more — plus 5 lens filters you can attach to the camera. Compatible with Polaroid i-Type & 600 film in the original Polaroid instant film format.

📸 Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 Instant Camera – £79.99

The mini 12 features automatic exposure and flash control, so you can simply aim and click. This camera is kitted out with super simple controls so all your friends can have a go. Twist to turn on. Twist further to enter Close-up mode. Twist to turn off. That’s it!

📸 KODAK Ultra F9 Film Camera – £49.99

KODAK Film Camera Ultra F9 has a fixed focus lens, manual film winding and rewinding and a switch to turn flash On/Off. It has fixed focus lens, manual film winding and rewinding and switch to turn flash On/Off. Simply purchase a roll of 35mm film and load it in, take your photos, rewind and bring the film roll to develop at photo developing stores.

📸 ILFORD 35MM Sprite Reusable Film Camera – £49.99

Get started in film photography with this reusable camera by ILFORD. The perfect starting point for experimenting with 35mm, the iLFORD Sprite is easy to use and super lightweight for carrying around with you. Featuring a fixed shutter speed (1/120s), f9 fixed-focus wide-angle lens and a built-in flash, the camera is ready to capture snapshots in the daylight or late at night.

📸 35mm Film Stock:

ILFORD XP2 Super 400 Black and White Film (C41)

ILFORD Delta 400 Professional Black and White Film

ILFORD DELTA 3200 Professional Black and White Film

📸 Instant Film Stock:

Instax mini x 20 sheets

Polaroid Colour 600 film x 16 instant photos

Polaroid Colour 600 film x 8 instant photos

Polaroid Colour i-Type Film x 8 instant photos

Text and images by Katie Aird.

05/12/2023

We are happy to be featured in Uncover Liverpool Arts Bulletin, where we revealed some of our plans for the next year!

Arts Bulletin features upcoming events in Liverpool and the region, plus the latest arts news, jobs and opportunities – you can subscribe here: http://eepurl.com/dvAqO9

Click to see the latest arts events, cultural happenings, news, jobs and callouts in the Liverpool City Region.

04/12/2023

Free cyanotype Christmas card workshop!

8 December | 11 am – 1 pm | Ellesmere Port library

Get into the Christmas spirit with this free drop-in session – all materials provided!

The workshop is run by Open Eye Gallery’s Creative Producer and Photographer for schools and young people, Anna Wijnhoven.

The workshops programme is a part of the Community exhibition in the library. It is free and open to the public to the 27th of April 2024, with a display of the work by Whitby High School students. Read more about it on our website: https://openeye.org.uk/whatson/community-workshops-ellesmere-port-library/.

29/11/2023

Tish: special screening and Q&A with Open Eye Gallery: 13 December, 6–8pm, Picturehouse at FACT.

Tish Murtha was a visionary photographer committed to documenting the struggle and inequality of the working-class communities that framed her upbringing. Her archive of work from Northeast England and London’s Soho in the 1970s and 1980s is lovingly realised in this exploration of the legacy of her work and private life by her daughter, Ella Murtha.

Picturehouse at FACT and Open Eye Gallery present a special screening of Paul Sng’s documentary Tish, followed by a panel discussion with Jen Corcoran (producer of Tish) and socially engaged photographer Emma Case, moderated by Open Eye Gallery. Get your tickets: https://www.picturehouses.com/movie-details/000/HO00013892/tish-director-q-a-with-paul-sng

Tish’s brilliant eye, her unswerving ethics and constant empathy are present in her images, yet little is known of the artist herself. In this feature documentary we follow Tish’s daughter, Ella, as she opens up her mother’s archive for the first time on screen to reveal a treasure trove of unseen images, artefacts, letters and diaries. Ella takes to the road to meet people who knew Tish and ask why she did not receive more recognition in her lifetime.

In digging into the past, Ella comes to terms with her own grief at her mother’s passing and reconnects with family members not seen in years. By shining a light on a working class artist who went largely unrecognised in her lifetime, the documentary questions the value placed on working class people both in the past and present day.

27/11/2023

Throwback to EuroFestival in Liverpool when we had the biggest exhibition of contemporary Ukrainian photography in the UK! The project will be touring the country next year, so watch this space for the updates.

Зйомки проєкту відбувалися у травні 2023 року під час ЄвроФестивалю — спеціальної культурної події, яка відбулася у Ліверпулі напередодні Пісенного конкурсу ...

21/11/2023

What does socially engaged photographic practice have to offer independent traders in the Chester Rows?

The Chester Rows are found in the heart of Chester and are the most extensive surviving examples of a medieval two-tier compound of shops in Europe. Today, the multitude of traders selling their wares are continuing in the tradition of an expansive, rich history of 700 years of traders in the Chester Rows.

Photographer Suzanne St Clare captured stylised portraits of the participating businesspeople in their shops, and also provided participants disposable film cameras with the purpose of documenting their everyday life.

The connection these businesses have to Chester can be felt through the chosen photographs of several businesspeople in front of their wares. One portrait in particular is of Niki Davies, the owner of the Chester Health Store, sledgehammer in hand, wearing a shirt with a cheeky definition of ‘warrior’. Her quote printed underneath her portrait explains her struggle to refurbish her shop’s space in the Chester Rows, literally taking a sledgehammer to the plasterboard walls to make way for her business. Likewise, this is a portrait of a woman in the male-dominated field of business styling herself as a warrior.

Full review by our Philosopher in Residence Lauren Stephens: https://openeye.org.uk/blog/chester-traders-review/

The project is on free display at Open Eye Gallery until 22 December.

Image: Rob Battersby

20/11/2023

Tadgh Devlin works are part of the Reflections exhibition on the gallery's exterior walls.

How did those living in rural communities coped during lockdown? Tadhg Devlin has captured the diversity of experiences and views on life.

Alongside Devlin’s atmospheric photographs of him and his land, Frodsham farmer Graham Warburton’s quotes highlighted how, although much changed during the pandemic, the seasons stayed the same. Warburton shut the farm gates but carried on as normal in the Spring of 2020. “We just kept busy, which was good because a lot of people were just sat in the house. It doesn’t do you any good that, does it?” Viewers could then scan a QR code, linking them to Warburton’s full story.

Jonathan Fell, CEO of Ice Cream Farm in Tattenhall said he felt extremely lucky to be in the countryside during the pandemic.

“We did have that space and you were constantly thinking about people who didn’t have a garden. How would they handle it?”

Listen to Jonathan's story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrDtVWFHSqc

Covid-19 Reflections is a project by Cheshire West & Chester Council. Text: Antonia Charlesworth Stack for Covid-19 Reflections project. The exhibition is now on Open Eye Gallery's exterior walls.

📸Rob Battersby

16/11/2023

5 places to see photography in Liverpool

Our volunteer Aditi Shah put together a list of places where you will find photography exhibitions, big and small, shining a light on all kinds of talent, from emerging artists to photography legends.

📍Open Eye Gallery
📸 Current exhibition, ‘A Place of Our Own’, shows local stories of people from Walton, Prescot and Chester, their values and the value they add to the communities they belong to. It shows their varied self-expressions, their daily life, the work they do and the legacies they hope to leave behind.
📅 On til 22 Dec '23, Tue–Sun, 10–5

📍 Walker Art Gallery
📸 ‘Photie Man: 50 Years of Tom Wood’ showcases Tom Wood's work spanning his career of 50 years. Many of the photos on display were taken in Liverpool, where he lived from 1978 to 2003. They capture the life of people Tom encountered and built relationships with, set against the backdrop of social change.
📅 On til 7 Jan '24, Tue–Sun, 10–4

📍Tate Liverpool
📸 ‘Long Life, Low Energy: Designing for a Circular Economy’ considers how the design, construction, maintenance, and demolition of buildings is vital in the journey towards a global reduction of carbon emissions.
📅 On til 14 Jan '24, Mon–Sun, 10–5.50

📍Museum of Liverpool
📸 ‘Liverpool through the Lens’ highlights the diversity, resilience and strength of the people of Liverpool 8 amidst and after protests for racial equality and justice. Leroy Cooper, a Liverpool 8 resident, used his photography to educate people about Black history and culture, fight systemic racism and make social commentary on people, social change and progress.
📅 On til 31 Mar '24, Tue–Sun, 10–4

📍The Real Camera Company Liverpool
📸 The shop's gallery space has a collection of photographs, ‘J.E. Marsh and Sons Collection’, taken locally. The photographers covered historical local moments like World War II, Gandhi’s visit to Lancashire in the 1930s, and a Royal visit by King George VI in the 1940s.
📅 Mon–Sat, 9.30–5

📍 Ropes & Twines
📸 The current exhibition in the Lightbox Gallery is called ‘Going to the Sand: Inshore fishing around Morecambe Bay’ by Tessa Bunney.

Tessa Bunney is a Yorkshire based documentary photographer who photographs rural life, working closely with individuals and communities to investigate how the landscape is shaped by humans. The exhibition gives an insight into the work and lives of the Flookburgh fishermen, and the skills that have been passed down through generations of fishermen.
📅 Sun– Wed 10–6, Thur 10– 9, Fri & Sat 10 am – 11 pm.

Have you seen these exhibitions? What do you think of them?

Full article: openeye.org.uk/blog/places-to-see-photography-in-liverpool

15/11/2023

Book launch – A Look At A New Perspective

23 November, 6–8 pm, Open Eye Gallery

Join us for a night of music, poetry and performance to celebrate the launch of new publication A Look At A New Perspective by residents of Damien John Kelly House.

Free, register: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/book-launch-a-look-at-a-new-perspective-tickets-752361512537

One Day At A Time Boys is an arts project based in Damien John Kelly House (DJK), a recovery community for men based in Liverpool 15. Offering a program of support based in the arts, sport and culture, they explore how the lessons they learn in art can be applied to real life examples in their recovery. Through discussion, sharing and making they take a look at new perspectives.

This book has been created by the residents for the residents. It is a collective response to the new perspectives which are shared in this community together and individually. It is a celebration of recovery, an example of what is possible when we just have a go.

All funds raised will go directly back into the project to fund further art groups, pay for materials and continue to build on the creative culture within DJK.

Image by Michael Fearnehough

14/11/2023

As part of our current exhibition we've invited you to create a collage postcard about a place that is important to you. Now we are blown away by your creativity ❤️

11/11/2023

Quiet hours in the gallery

From now on, we'll keep it calm on Sundays, welcoming any of our audience that would benefit from a quieter setting between 10 am and 12 pm. The sound of the video works will be turned off or on a minimal level, and we'll turn off some of the lights. There will be no group visits during this time.

Please let us know how it's working for you!

10/11/2023

Sam Ivin’s lively and colourful portraits of carers are on display as part of the Reflections exhibition on the gallery's exterior walls.

Ivin worked with adult and young unpaid carers, meeting them through supporting charities Carers Trust and Cheshire Young Carers and delivering a series of photography workshops. The images were each decorated with key quotes from the participants, reflecting their experience over this time.

“It feels like we’re almost forgotten,” carers Julia and Laurie were quoted. “We’re like a secret army of people and there’s millions of us. And we’re doing this very valuable work because we want to, often because we have no choice and because it matters.”

Sue, who cares for her mother, reflected on her deterioration since the start of the pandemic.

“For one of my grandchildren, my mum knit this octopus with spiral tentacles. I can’t believe she did that three and a half years ago. She can’t do anything now.”

Covid-19 Reflections is a project by Cheshire West and Chester Council. Full article: https://openeye.org.uk/blog/ensuring-lost-voices-are-heard/

📸 Rob Battersby

09/11/2023

Community creative workshops with Open Eye Gallery's creative producer Anna Wijnhoven at Ellesmere Port library

As part of the Community project and exhibition, there will be free monthly responsive workshops for any Ellesmere Port community members who would like to engage with the work on display. From cyanotypes to photowalks, collage and Christmas card making workshops, ‘you can come and have a natter, get creative and maybe learn something new, all in your local community library’, said Anna Wijnhoven.

Workshop dates:
4 December 2023 – a local photo walk
8 December 2023 – cyanotype Christmas card making
5 February 2024 – a local photo walk

All workshops are happening from 11 am – 1 pm. Sign up in the library. More details: https://openeye.org.uk/whatson/community-workshops-ellesmere-port-library/

The exhibition is free and open to the public during regular library hours till the 27th of April 2024, with a display of the work by The Whitby High School students.

Image: Analiese Davies

04/11/2023

Coming soon: an exhibition by Bernice Mulenga in Open Eye Gallery's Atrium Space

17 November – 17 December

Bernice Mulenga is a British-Congolese photographer with a distinct aptitude for archiving, documenting and interrogating the world around them. Mulenga’s work centres on their communities- Black q***r global and local, Black British, London nightlife- and the experiences within them — most notably in their ongoing photo series .

Their work also explores reoccurring themes surrounding identity, sexuality, grief, darkness and family. Their work continues to influence the development of q***r aesthetics and documentation of LGBTQIA community.

Bernice will open their retrospective exhibition with an artist talk with Q&A and reception on 18 November, 2 – 4 pm.

The event is part of Homotopia Festival.

Image: Bernice Mulenga

03/11/2023

💜 Are you visiting River of Light this weekend?

💜 One of the installations (Florescentia by Atelier Sisu) is right outside of the Open Eye Gallery, and you can have a look at our exterior walls exhibition. It features three projects with stories from the groups whose voices are seldom heard. Use the QR codes on the gallery walls to listen to the stories.

💜 More about the exhibition: https://openeye.org.uk/whatson/reflections/

💜 River of Light VisitLiverpool.com (27 October – 5 November) is an outdoor illuminated gallery on Liverpool Waterfront featuring light and sound from local, national and international artists. It's a free, self-guided trail.

Images: Bronwyn Andrews

02/11/2023

We're happy to be featured in The Guardian's Alternative Guide to Liverpool:

– lesser-known cultural spaces worth seeking out include Open Eye Gallery on Albert Dock: it’s the only dedicated photography gallery in the north-west of England. Its archive holds work from more than 100 photographers, mainly portraits and documentary. Open Eye also runs free exhibitions in spaces around the city, focusing on local communities.

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2023/nov/01/alternative-guide-to-liverpool-street-food-live-music-hoptails

31/10/2023

The stories behind the pictures – Reflections

One of the major strands of Covid-19 Reflections programme was to engage with underrepresented communities.

Irene, Lizzie and May were three Gypsy and Traveller women whose experiences were highlighted in the exhibition.

“My daughter recently took me to the bingo for the first time in three years, to get me out of the house, because the fear is still there with Covid,” Irene was quoted saying. “She’s trying to work on that fear, well I am myself, but with the two of us we might be a bit stronger with beating the fear.”

“I worked with contributors on a one-to-one basis – mainly within their homes, and in one case running creative sessions in a school,” photographer Ciara Leeming explained of her year spent with women in the Gypsy and Traveller community for her project. “Over multiple visits and copious cups of tea, we discussed their lives and recent experiences.”

One common theme that emerged from this time was how acutely the dire shortage of culturally appropriate accommodation impacts on communities with a heritage of nomadism. Around three-quarters of the community now live in housing – often due to a lack of other options.

This affected Lizzie, who was diagnosed with terminal metastatic breast cancer in 2022. “I do think I’d be more comfortable living on a [Traveller] site,” she said. “I wouldn’t be so lonely. I wouldn’t like to say I’ve died in a house, I’ll be honest with you.”

May’s experience was similar, having moved into a house after breaking a hip during lockdown.

“When I lived on a site, all the women would gather,” she explained. “The hardest thing now is that I have no place to go and no neighbours to visit.”

These stories of honesty and bravery can be read in full in Leeming’s zine, Got Through It, which is available for digital download. A QR code on the gallery walls links to it, giving a unique insight into this often maligned culture and hopefully encouraging empathy and understanding.

Covid-19 Reflections is a project by Cheshire West and Chester Council.

Full article: https://www.covid19reflections.website/post/ensuring-lost-voices-are-heard

27/10/2023

Our latest exhibition by University of Salford alumni Craig Easton is divided into two parts. It's the last week to catch Thatcher’s Children before Bank Top opens on 3rd November.

Join us for the Private View!
Celebrate Bank Top with us on Thursday 2nd November from 4:30 - 7pm at the New Adelphi Building, where Craig Easton's work will be presented alongside work made during the Our Time, Our Place engagement project here in Salford. Young people from Little Hulton and recent graduates from the University present work made in response to the themes of 'Is Anybody Listening?'

Please RSVP to [email protected]

https://artcollection.salford.ac.uk/exhibition-craig-easton-salford/

Photography: Rob Battersby, Craig Easton: Is Anybody Listening at Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool

26/10/2023

You can nominate us for the Liverpool City Region Hidden Gem award!

This category is voted for by the public and recognises the region’s ‘best kept secret.’ Hidden Gems could be attractions which are off the main tourism trail.

Nominate Open Eye Gallery here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/LCRHIDDENGEM2023

The category is a part of the Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards 2023 which celebrate the best of the region’s visitor economy sector.

25/10/2023

💙New exhibition – Community

💙Young photographers’ exhibition and workshops in Ellesmere Port library. Celebration event: 26 October 4.30 – 6.30 pm.

💙 It is a celebration of unity and shared creativity that brings together the artistic talents of The Whitby High School's ‘People and Place’ and the work of Hinderton School.

💙As part of the Community project and exhibition, there will be monthly responsive workshops run by Creative Producer and Photographer Anna Wijnhoven, for any Ellesmere Port community members who would like to engage with the work on display – from cyanotypes to photowalks, from collage to Christmas card making!

💙Community is open to the public from the 27th of October 2023 to the 27th of April 2024, in Ellesmere Port Library.

💙Workshop dates: 6 November, 4 December, 8 December (Christmas workshop), 8 January, 5 February, 11 March. All workshops are happening from 11 am – 1 pm. A sign-up sheet will be available at the library.

💙Ellesmere Port Library opening hours:
Monday, Thursday and Friday: 9am – 7pm;
Tuesday and Wednesday: 9am – 5pm;
Saturday: 9am – 1pm.

💙More info: https://openeye.org.uk/whatson/community-ellesmere-port/

23/10/2023

🌟Nominate us for Culture & Creativity Awards!

🌟Open Eye Gallery has been working with local residents and international partners to support representation, empathy and equality. We think photography has a tremendous power to bring communities together. We've been bringing world-class photography to Liverpool, showing local overlooked stories and supporting local talents through workshops and exhibitions. Now you can nominate us for the awards!

🌟The Liverpool City Region Culture & Creativity Awards recognise and celebrate the incredible contribution that culture and creativity make to our city region. Nominations will close on Friday 27 October 2023.

🏆https://www.liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk/lcr-culture-award-nominations

20/10/2023

🌿Local Roots is the new exhibition at The Atkinson (foyer space) celebrating the love for trees.

🌿Over the past three months, participants from The Life Rooms Mersey Care Bootle, students from Hugh Baird College University Centre and photographer Andy Yates have been exploring trees in green spaces and urban settings in their local area through a series of photography and creative writing workshops.

🌿The exhibition in the Atkinson foyer space celebrates the individual and collective work produced by both the Life Rooms and Hugh Baird participants.

🌿This project is a co-commission by Open Eye Gallery, The Atkinson and Life Rooms, as part of Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust.

The Atkinson is open Monday – Saturday, 10 – 16.

Image: Green Treelidoscope by Michelle Webster.

19/10/2023

A Portrait Of The High Street – Prescot

This project is part of our current exhibition A Place Of Our Own. It's also on display in Prescot – in the Shakespeare North Playhouse cafe area and shopping windows on Eccleston Street. We think it's essential for the local community members to see themselves represented and to see the photos exhibited in the place where they live.

Since 2021, Tony Mallon has been working as a photographer-in-residence with local Prescot residents to create a contemporary portrait of the area.

He invited people to set up a local photography group to reimagine the high street. Tony placed the cameras in the hands of local residents, supporting them to become the documenters of their own community, using a combination of street photography and portrait techniques to tell their story.

Tony Mallon said:
– In 2022, I established a weekly photography club at Prescot Church Hall which gave local residents the opportunity to develop their photographic skills and contribute to documenting their high street. The weekly photography walks have revealed Prescot’s rich and hidden history for many. The participants have highlighted that the high street should still be the beating heart of our town centres. They have been enthusiastic about capturing a slice of social history – photographing shoppers, shop and business owners, their staff, and the buildings and spaces they frequent most days to shop and socialise.

I’m so proud of the quality of work that has been produced and how the participants have embraced capturing their town centre. This collaboration and co-produced work has shown how the high street has evolved yet still gives a sense of identity and pride. A place that was, still is and should be for future generations its beating heart.

This residency is a part of Prescot’s High Streets Heritage Action Zone Project. The high streets programme is led by Historic England , in collaboration with Knowsley Council and provides a heritage led regeneration approach.

📸 Rob Battersby

17/10/2023

Some shots from one of our The Life Rooms Mersey Care commissions with artist Ginny Koppenhol.

Life Rooms are an organisation across Liverpool and Sefton that provide a range of support for the health and well-being of local adult residents. Ginny Koppenhol has been working with participants at the Southport branch to provide free and creative photography workshops with a focus on well-being for the community that access the service.

The images here are taken during a photowalk around Southport in which participants are encouraged to photographically explore their local area.

Here's what Ginny says about the project:

– We're using and exploring photography as a tool for mental health and wellbeing. There are tons of ways that photography can boost our mood:

📷 It's a direct route to creativity and expressing ourselves through our photos

📷 We're learning new skills, or developing existing ones, boosting confidence and opening up new opportunities

📷 It encourages us to get active and explore our surroundings

📷 It's playful and experimental, allowing us to embrace mistakes and celebrate our wins

📷 And one of the most important things... it helps us connect with others, whether that's through a shared interest or showing others what we've created. This group didn't know each other until a month ago, and over 4 weeks, I have seen them sharing their photos, ideas and skills, and having a laugh whilst doing it.

The project is co-commissioned by Open Eye Gallery and Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust.

15/10/2023

This month we are speaking with a socially engaged visual artist Eva Jonas. Eva took part in Open Eye Gallery’s Crossing Sectors programme earlier this year.

Eva facilitates Photoworks’ LGBTQ+ Photography Club, where young people created a zine exploring things that are meaningful to them.

Here's what Eva says:

– It’s about the voice of young q***r people being shared. It’s about not having to be over conceptualised, it’s very simple. It’s just around objects that are important to them and the story that has aligned with the objects.

I think a big part of that was around different forms of connection and sharing the element of connection that were built from the objects brought in by the young people in the group and I don’t know if it necessarily comes from like a completely clear message to tackle or change anything, but but it just an opportunity for the young people to be affirmed, which is exciting.

Full interview: https://openeye.org.uk/blog/a-spotlight-on-eva-jonas/

14/10/2023

Book Launch: Crow Dark Dawn

📍19 October, 6–8 pm, Open Eye Gallery, free

Join us for the launch of Crow Dark Dawn, a new publication by David Greygoose.

Crow Dark Dawn completes the Brunt Boggart trilogy of wyrd-folk tales. The evening features extracts from all three books with film by First Take and NBE. All three books will be available to purchase during the evening.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/book-launch-crow-dark-dawn-second-batch-of-tickets-tickets-740062134767

13/10/2023

📸 Get informal advice on your projects and career during 1-1s with specialists in photography!

📌 6 November, 11am – 1pm, Open Eye Gallery

📸 This critique surgery will focus on socially engaged practice and is delivered by Redeye - The Photography Network in partnership with the Socially Engaged Photography Network at Open Eye Gallery.

📸 Critique Surgeries are a supportive and welcoming space to share your work and get feedback and inspiration to continue making work and building your business. This is also a space for you to evaluate your ethical approach within your socially engaged practice.

➡️ Book your ticket: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/critique-surgery-for-socially-engaged-photographers-tickets-713776563917

➡️ Read more about the reviewers: https://openeye.org.uk/whatson/critique-surgery-for-socially-engaged-photographers/

12/10/2023

Open Eye Gallery was happy to support Dean Chalkey's Young Souls 2023 project, featured in the 50 Years On The Soul Stays Strong exhibition in Wigan.

The project is part of Open Eye Hub in Wigan, and the exhibition is open Thursday–Saturday, 10-4, til 21 October, Grand Arcade shopping centre, free entry.

This exhibition explores the lasting influence of an iconic venue, discovering different perspectives unified by a love of music. It includes work by Dean Chalkley and William Titley, alongside newly commissioned work by Wigan & Leigh College students.

Young Souls celebrates the Northern Soul scene, in particular, a new generation who are finding their way onto dance floors and getting involved in this rare soul community.

📸 Dean Chalkey

10/10/2023

10/10/2023

🌿 Imagine farming that supports biocultural diversity and regenerates the land. It's already happening – and we'll soon be showing it!

🌿 Open Eye Gallery is collaborating with We Feed The UK , using the transformative power of positive storytelling to grow support for regenerative agriculture – launching on 8th February 2024 at The Open Eye Gallery in Liverpool.

🌿 We Feed The UK have commissioned 10 photographers who can change our perspective, to document 10 regenerative farmers in 10 regions of the UK. They’ve also teamed up with the Hot Poets to commission 10 spoken word artists who can cut through the noise. Open Eye Gallery is one of the 10 arts partners, who will publish the photographers’ collections through free exhibitions and books in 2024-25.

🌿 We Feed The UK is weaving together the arts and environment, to re-story regenerative farmers as custodians of Britain’s biocultural diversity. You can have a taste of what’s to come with billboards going live in the north, south, east and west!

🌿 Open Eye Gallery has been working with photographer Johannes Pretorius and poet Testament for this project.

More information: https://openeye.org.uk/blog/open-eye-gallery-wefeedtheuk/