an ordsall a-z
‘Ordsal A-Z’ was a participatory photography project commissioned for the official opening of the Lowry Gallery, Salford. Projects were undertaken with Year 5 children in three primary schools immediately adjacent to the multi-million pound docklands development where the new gallery was located.
The aim of the project was to give both the children and their families from this deprived inner city area a voice and a visual presence within the gallery and to convey both the strength of community and the hardships faced by those who lived in its shadow.
After gallery visits and a basic introduction to photography, 68 cameras were distributed to children across the three schools to record both the positive and negative aspects of life in their neighbourhood.
Children then edited and captioned their images in artist led workshops before a selection of work was professionally printed for exhibition. The Queen and Prince Philip met the children and viewed the resulting work at the official opening of the Lowry Gallery in October 2000.
The exhibition was also shown at Ordsall Hall, Salford in the Summer of 2001.