SEE ME. 2023-2024

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Fourteen portraits made over a period of eight months during 2023, with older LGBT+ residents of Shropshire, the portraits are collaborative, with individuals chosing their locations, expressions and clothing to represent their lives and identity. Participants in the project remember their younger selves  their fears, shame and uncertainty.   They speak of their activism, advocacy and their engagement in the earliest Pride events, Gay Liberation marches, Gay Helplines, Gay Friendship Groups and Club Nights which changed our culture and society.   They talk about our current times and both the challenges and joy of age, health and wellbeing, love and loss.    

The portraits were part of a wider project which included photography workshops, where participants shared pictures of their younger lives.  These have been scanned and documented and audio stories have been collected.  This new LGBT+ collection will become a new archive at the Shropshire Archives Service.  
 

The portraits along with material curated from the project were exhibited at  Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery, Theatre Severn, Age UK Shrewsbury and at Shrewsbury Library.   In March 2024 a curated selection was shown at The Hive, Shrewsbury as part of the LGBT History Festival.  An A5 publication of the project accompanied the exhibitions.

Commissioned by GRAIN Projects in partnership with SAND.   

Generously supported by Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.