YOUNG LOCAL ARTISTS part of A Day in Your life photography, founded by Alison Jackson, portrait installation supported by Young K&C Charity, opens Thursday 7th March in Earls Court underground station
Young Local Artists is part of A Day in Your Life Photography Competition and Workshops, founded by BAFTA and multi-award-winning artist Alison Jackson and supported by Young K&C Charity. It’s a community-minded project set up to discover new talent of budding, aspiring photographers from under-represented and minority backgrounds. The project is committed to nurturing creative talent and generations of artists and photographers aged 4-24 years, many of whom have never held a professional camera before. We aim to inspire, educate, and provide mentorships and opportunities.
One of the first things commuters will see when they emerge from the Warwick Road exit of Earl’s Court Underground Station from Thursday 7th March is a vast display of portraits shot by youngsters who are part of YOUNG LOCAL ARTISTS.
The portraits captured during the photography programme culminate in a major public installation in partnership with The Earls Court Development Company. The installation is part of a wider programme of art at Earls Court – designed to enliven the area as a destination and celebrate the creative talent of the immediate area and the wider borough. Previous installations at this space include Baker and Borowski’s Pleasure Garden and Azarra Amoy’s Stars of Earl’s Court.
Reflecting on the success of YOUNG LOCAL ARTISTS, Alison Jackson, founder, and director of the programme, comments:
“I started Young Local Artists to give all young people in Kensington and Chelsea an opportunity to unleash their creativity. There is a misconception that the area is filled with wealthy families, but many of the talented young people on the scheme didn’t have access to the equipment or opportunities they needed to shine. I wanted to discover new talent and aspiring photographers with fresh ways of seeing, and I did. The level of talent we’ve unearthed is extraordinary”.
Rob Heasman, CEO of The Earls Court Development Company, added:
“Since acquiring the site in 2019, we’ve made significant strides to prioritise public art and installations – from our involvement with Kensington and Chelsea Art Week for the past three years, to our Artist in Residence programme in partnership with The National Portrait Gallery.
Earl’s Court has long been recognised as a stage for world-class innovation, culture, and entertainment. Bringing culturally rich experiences to the site is fundamental to our vision for Earls Court and our collaboration with Alison Jackson and Young K&C is central to that.”
Cosmo Gimeno, a 23-year-old who took part in YOUNG LOCAL ARTISTS, commented on the impact of the programme: “I now have a fully equipped studio with the Earls Court Development Company and have a regular freelance job there as photographer. Alison’s mentoring and support has been live changing.”
The “Day In Your Life” project is so much more than the creation of a photograph by young people. To achieve this level of award-winning work, takes hours of support and training from Alison and her team- who delivered workshops that were fun and informative. Alison’s team are warm, dynamic and enthusiastic, and the children and young people were engaged from start to finish, developing skills, and learning new techniques. The brilliance of culminating the project with a showcase event at Cadogan Hall, encapsulated the ambition and joy of a project that celebrates young artistic achievements and talent. We now have some serious photographers in our community who will help those around them see life through a different lens. Abdi Aden- Earls Court Youth Club
Ann Goodger, former Chief Executive of the Dalgarno Trust 2017 – 2002 where many of the Young Local Artist’s workshops took place says:
“This was an amazing event showing the talent of young people from throughout the borough. Kensington & Chelsea is a diverse borough, and this was the first time I have seen an audience that truly represented our community.’
The YOUNG LOCAL ARTISTS programme provides photography workshops to youth centres, community centres, trusts, and schools. The outstanding portraits of young people featured in the installation were taken of each other at workshops held at Earls Court Youth Club, Dalgarno Trust, Fit for Life Youth, Lancaster and Chelsea Youth Hubs.
Each YOUNG ARTIST session utilises a pop-up flash studio and features over 20 cameras. Participants learn to take photos while also learning the history, professional disciplines, and techniques of photography.
YOUNG LOCAL ARTISTS – Generously supported by Young K&C and The K&C Foundation and Rockspring Trust.
