Since September 2022, people across England have been sharing their high street photos with Photoworks and Historic England on Instagram as part of the High Streets Heritage Action Zone’s Cultural Programme. The Art House is proud to have been one of the organisations involved in supporting communities through Photowalks, inspiring and building a collective picture of our local high street.
Within three Photowalks, from March to June, community groups explored our local high streets with a 35mm point and shoot camera. Their film was then lovingly hand-developed in The Art House’s Darkroom, scanned, and now exhibited for the first time. Together, we responded to themes ranging from Art on The Street to High Streets in Bloom. Our photographs, picturing Wakefield City Centre, explore the everyday sights that we know and love, as well as uncovering overlooked details.
We invite you to join us in celebrating the history and stories of our local high street and the inspiring photographs made by participants within Picturing High Streets: Framing Wakefield. This exhibition brings together photography inspired by the themes Art on The Street, capturing the energy of our much loved Artwalk evening, and High Streets in Bloom, framing Wakefield’s spring time.
The wider Picturing High Streets project continues until September 2023. You can still submit your high street photos for a chance to be included in the Historic England Archive; the nation’s archive for England’s historic buildings, archaeology and social history.
Check out @PicturingHighStreets on Instagram to see the fortnightly callouts and submit your image using #PicturingHighStreets
This exhibition has been supported by The Upper Westgate High Street Heritage Action Zone, with Funding from Historic England and Wakefield Council.
Images courtesy of The Art House. Click images to enlarge and view in full.
