Photography Workshop at the Impressions Gallery

Ms D. Bennett – Photography Teacher

On Thursday 11th December, the Lower Fifth and Sixth Form Photography students visited Bradford to attend a workshop held at the Impressions Gallery. 

As part of the workshop, the students explored the exhibition Make Yourself at Home: Stories from Bradford. Bridging Past and Present, which weaves together newly commissioned photography and rich archival material to present a vibrant portrait of life in Bradford.

The students were taken on a guided journey around the exhibition following a discussion on culture and identity, exploring themes such as migration, family, home and belonging. They viewed archived images featuring personal photographs from homes and community spaces across Bradford, spanning 1900s to the 2000s, and sharing rich stories of migration, celebration, community spirit, fashion and family life.

Finally, they undertook an exercise to help them learn how to read images. Using visual literacy worksheets, working in small groups, they chose one image to study in more detail and report their findings to the rest of the class.

The workshop encouraged students to explore ideas about culture and identity, while giving them the opportunity to work together, share experiences, and develop a deeper understanding of their own and each other’s cultural backgrounds.

Afterwards, they ventured on to the Science and Media museum, where they were transported back in time to the invention of Photography in the Kodak History of Photography. Here they were able to view the work of pioneers like Niépce, Talbot and Daguerre, and view some of our most important objects, from the ancient camera obscura to photographic portraits of the 1840s.