Here and there at Hereford Photography Festival
1:00pm Friday 2nd May 2008
HEREFORD Photography Festival is now the UK’s longest running annual celebration of photography and this year, its 18th, it moves from its October date to May and June.
The 2008 festival, entitled Here and There, presents ‘contemporary photography connecting people in a global world’ and to that end features two collaborative projects with Herefordshire students.
Inspired by Guy Tillim’s moving and beautiful images of an African village, Nina Gustavsson, photography tutor at Hereford College of arts and the festival’s co-ordinator, took BA Hons degree staff and students to Moreton-on-Lugg.
The aim was ‘to make a comprehensive photographic record of life there in response to Guy Tillim’s work’.
Johannesburg-based Tillim’s work, Petros Village, depicts the inhabitants’ precarious existence under a ruthless climate in central Malawi.
“We chose Moreton-on-Lugg as it is the centremost village in Herefordshire,” says Nina. “Leaflets were sent to every house in the village explaining what we planned to do on February 12, and everyone was really helpful. We met no resistance to what we were doing.
“Everybody used the same – proper – film so they were all playing on a level playing field.” The result is an extraordinary snapshot of one day in the life of a rural community, which will be shown alongside Tillim’s pictures at The Courtyard during the festival – May 17 to June 6.
Students at Fairfield High School responded in a similar way to a project undertaken by children from the village of Greyton in South Africa to document My Life. The Fairfield and Greyton pictures will be exhibited at Hereford College of Arts for the whole of the festival.
Also featured in this year’s festival is much-acclaimed photographer Roger Ballen, whose challenging and surreal work Shadow Chamber will be seen for the first time in the UK.
Jodi Bieber’s portrayal of growing up with South Africa, Between Dogs and Wolves, attempts to combat the inaccurate reporting of the traditionally depicted ‘youth team’. With the Namibian landscapes of Out There, Guy Raivitz revisits Southern Africa to document lifestyles in rural communities and to raise awareness about mines for UNICEF.
In Paramount Place, Ilan Godfrey presents a contrasting and gentle portrait of Johannesburg’s Hillbrow which, over the past decade, has been largely perceived as being in terminal decline. These exhibitions have been edited by Bridget Coaker of Troika Photos Ltd.
Other photographers exhibiting include Birmingham’s Andrew Jackson with Beyond the Rainbow, which examines the ‘Born Free Generation’, and Per-Anders Pettersson, whose work, Black Empowerment, depicts how a new, emerging South Africa, still troubled by its racially divided past, begins to provide opportunities for its people.
Local photography students are also holding a wide range of exhibitions in and around Hereford and the festival will also be a partner to the Hay Literary Festival, which overlaps with the new dates.
Events at Hay include Sam Taylor-Wood and Patrick Marber presenting a short film; an open-air exhibition – Mark Edwards’ Hard Rain; and legendary photographer Don McCullin will talk about his work.
For full details of dates and venues for the Hereford Photography Festival, visit the website at www.photofest.org.