A people-powered, immersive exhibition that documents a year in the life of Stretford.
Read all about the exhibition
Made up entirely of Polaroids taken by the people of Stretford over the course of a year-long “photo-relay”, the exhibition is a love letter to the town from the people that live there and is curated by well known artist Simon Buckley of Not Quite Light.
In July 2021 members of the Stretford community, Simon and the Stretford Town Centre team embarked upon a journey to document a year in the life of Stretford, seen through the eyes of those who live in the town, using a simple Polaroid camera.
Simon worked with each resident to teach them how to capture the perfect photograph on the Polaroid camera which was gifted to the community by Bruntwood and Trafford Council. After the first session, the photographic relay began, and each week participants took their turn with the camera, capturing their own ‘photo diary’ of their life and town centre that week. Each collection of photographs has been curated by Simon Buckley, and will be shown alongside a soundscape of voices from participants mixed with a specially created soundtrack of Stretford.
The material captures a huge range of experiences and viewpoints, with each artist bringing their own unique vision as to what life in Stretford is like for them. From family tea and community parades to signage, landmarks, beloved pets and long-lost graves. The resulting collection is a rich social and artistic record of life in the town.
Together, the imagery and the soundscapes will create an authentic, immersive, people-powered tribute to Stretford via this one-of-a-kind exhibition.
