Our Home. Our Place. Our Space was an artist residency in Walton commissioned by Culture Liverpool and Open Eye Gallery, which culminated in an exhibition at Open Eye Gallery called A Place of our Own.
Photographer Lucy Hunter, supported by photographers Sarah Weights and Tricia Grant-Hanlon, worked with Walton Youth and Community Project and the wider community of Walton for over a year, exploring their memories, current views and aspirations for their neighbourhood.
Together with Lucy, the residents enjoyed regular photo walks, experimenting with different camera techniques and playing with shadow and slow movement.
The project gave the community the chance to learn new skills by participating in free workshops and by looking at their neighbourhood through a different lens, it fostered a sense of community ownership and pride.
A selection of images went on display at Spellow Community Hub & Library and on lamppost banners along County Road before coming together in a wider display at A Place of Our Own, an exhibition at Open Eye Gallery which brought together the stories of people across Walton, Prescot and Chester, three areas connected by a sense of local pride.
Following the exhibition, Culture Liverpool brought together artists, commissioners, community members and key stakeholders to explore how socially engaged approaches to arts engagement can better enable local residents to shape and share what matters to them about their local area. This publication gives an overview of each project and shares the reflections from the day.
Since the exhibition closed, Lucy has continued to work with the community and has gone on to mentor Lillie Farrell, one of the young people from Walton Youth and Community Project. In the run up to the reopening of Spellow Community Hub & Library, following the devastating fire by rioters, Lucy and Lillie spent time with community members, listening to their experiences of Spellow Hub and gathering thoughts on why libraries are so important to society.
The result is a zine, the images and text within which are a product of these conversations and serve as a powerful reminder of the strength and resilience of the community.
Image ©Lillie Farrell
