During this time GRAIN awarded Commissions and Bursaries to emerging and established photographers, artists and writers, based regionally and nationally. The practitioners explored, responded to and documented the crisis of post lockdown society, inequalities and communities and made new work as everyone was affected by social distancing, the wearing of face coverings and PPE and new ways of working and seeing family and friends.
The Commissions and Bursaries supported photographers, artists and writers to make new work at a challenging time for everyone, including the arts and cultural sectors and at a time when people wanted to continue to be productive and feel connected.
The resulting work is an important record of our lives during Covid, our experiences of lockdown and major changes to our way of life. Reflecting on and responding to these times photographers, artists and writers have explored the affects on the outside world, on our health and wellbeing, our working environments and family and private spaces. As the familiar became unfamiliar the work is an important archive of a year lived as never before.
22 Photographers, Writers and Artists were selected based upon their submissions from a large national Open Call, generously supported by Arts Council England and the National Lottery Players.
The seven projects that are taking place in Birmingham are also supported by Birmingham City Council and the three projects taking place in Stoke-on-Trent are supported by Appetite. These commissions and bursaries are focussed on how communities and individuals have responded during these challenging times.
Invisible Chains: Photography’s Ingrained Assumptions
by Lewis Bush, part of COVID-19 Responses
Moving towards rupture, resistance, and refusal in Black moving image works
by Jamila Prowse, part of COVID-19 Responses
I am reaching out to you
by Anneka French, part of COVID-19 Responses
Photosynthesis
by Anna Souter, part of COVID-19 Responses
Fugue
by Lydia Goldblatt, part of COVID-19 Responses
Birmingham Lockdown Stories
by Jaskirt Dhaliwal Boora, COVID-19 Responses
Street Cleaners
by Chris Hoare, part of COVID-19 Responses
HAPPINESS
by Dan Dale, part of COVID-19 Responses
A Slippery Slope
by Freddy Griffiths, part of COVID-19 Responses
Field
by Jemima Yong, part of COVID-19 Responses
Metamorphosis
by Ngadi Smart, part of COVID-19 Responses
Playing Their Part
by Shaista Chishty, part of COVID-19 Responses
What would you say
by Andrew Roberts, COVID-19 Responses
All People Are Like Grass
by Barnaby Kent, COVID-19 Responses
The Planting of a Fig Tree
by Chris Neophytou, COVID-19 Responses
from two metres
by Joanna Fursman, COVID-19 Responses
Covid Mirror
by Olivier Jamin, COVID-19 Responses
Yas Lime
A response from Yas Lime for the Life in Lockdown Project
The Chronicles of Lockdown
by Robyn Clark, COVID-19 Responses
Aftermath
by Sarah Peart, COVID-19 Responses
Life Behind The Front Line
by Holly Johnson, COVID-19 Responses
