A YEAR IN THE LIFE
Take a look at the latest A Year in the Life of Faversham (2010)
365 / A YEAR IN THE LIFE is community photography project designed to record a year in the life of Canterbury, Faversham, and the Isle of Sheppey during the course of 2011 through 365 photographs, one for each day of the year, taken by the residents. The project will show the different views, styles and feelings that each photographer brings in, with photographs featuring people, events, places etc that are around them. The project will capture hidden scenes too, the activities that not everyone notices or gets a chance to see, creating a diary for today and a record for the future. A Year in the Life is meant to motivate people to get involved with something they are passionate about: the area they live in. The projects will culminate in exhibitions and books designed for 2012.
- The goals of the 365 project are to:
- get participants and town residents to gain a sense of community, and a sense of place;
- give an opportunity to town residents to express what is important to them;
- bring people and communities together;
- encourage participation in civic life;
- make people feel better about where they live;
- get residents to learn more about where they live;
- increase people’s participation in photography and the arts;
- help people improve their photographic skills;
- raise awareness of local artistic talent;
- give an opportunity to photographers to showcase their work and get published;
- attract a wide and varied audience;
- motivate visitors to explore the region;
- keep a historical, social and cultural record of life in each area.
***Entries for this year 365 projects are now closed***
The current projects cover Canterbury, Faversham, and the Isle of Sheppey where photographs have been taken every day of 2011.
You can view a selection of images submitted to all three projects on Flickr.
Read how much the photographers have enjoyed taking part: Photographers comments.
What the project will offer
- an exhibition will be organised in 2012 in each area, featuring all 365 photographs.
- one book will be published in 2012 for each area also featuring all 365 photographs of the year 2011.
- an online display.
Extract from the Evaluation report issued after the latest even in Faversham:
“The feedback was remarkable, in both the sheer number of positive comments, and in what it revealed about people’s positive feelings towards the town and surroundings, its community, culture and heritage. Visitors were amazed by the amount of local creative and artistic photographic talent and the quality and diversity of the photos. Reflected was a strong sense of local pride in Faversham, its culture, and heritage, quirkiness, beauty of the locality and appreciation of community spirit.
For some, photos revealed often little-known historical aspects or aspects that people had not noticed before or had taken for granted. Others were thrilled at recognising older relatives and friends in some of the pictures and the memories it evoked. Many remarked upon many new historical or contemporary facts and features they discovered, and they enjoyed the range of artistic approaches and challenges of ‘the everyday portrayed as extraordinary’. The novelty and concept of this ‘365’ project and uniqueness of this type of social record was remarked upon, as something of value, and that other communities might adopt.
People were excited by witnessing and being part of the ‘spectacle’ and celebration. The survey of contributors to AYITLOF showed that many got involved because it offered the chance for them to contribute to something local and ‘to be a part of something’ that built on their interest in photography, and enabled them to meet new people who share a fascination in the diverse features and flavours of Faversham.”