Since the summer of 2018 we have been working with residents of three Lench’s Trust housing schemes in Birmingham, engaging with older people and using photography to celebrate and tell stories of families, childhood, occupations, war years, special occasions and memorable events.  In meetings and workshops residents have shared photographs from their own collections and family albums and have reminisced about the time and place depicted.  Memories have been collected and stories told as the project, through the participants, also tells the history and story of Birmingham and surrounding areas.   

Stephen Burke led the project with Kate Peters creating portraits of each of the participating residents.

The collaboration with the Lench’s Trust has seen us working in Quinton, Moseley, and Sutton with residents, connecting to special people and places and experiencing people’s lives through portraiture and family archives.

The project has helped spark memories, develop conversations and increase connections and has shown us that the older generation have something to tell us about enduring and enjoying life despite adversity and challenging times of crisis. 

A selection of the resident’s photographs, snapshots of their memories and the portraits made by Kate Peters have been curated and published in a small publication entitled ‘We Went Mackerel Fishing One Day’.    In the book the photographs are personal, powerful and enigmatic.  They tell us so much about communities, individuals and their lives.

‘Celebrating Age’ is a partnership with the Lench’s Trust, generously supported by The National
Lottery Heritage Fund.

Image Credit: Olive Hall, (c) Kate Peters