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A different light on Thurrock
Ag reader Richard Heeps has just had a book published featuring his photography. A Different Light is the title of a project developed through the Arts Generate programme in Thurrock in 2003. Arts Generate is an initiative funded by Arts Council England East which aims to highlight regeneration needs in a region that is generally seen as fairly affluent, and also to demonstrate how the arts can contribute to the generation agenda. The Arts Council worked with five local authorities with significant regeneration issues: as well as Thurrock, these were Great Yarmouth, Southend, Luton and Dunstable. Arts Generate in Thurrock focused mainly on social regeneration - with the imminent increase in population due to the Thames Gateway developments.
The project was aimed directly at changing perceptions of the Borough - trying to move away from what Jonathan Glancey called the “cockney Siberia” image of Thurrock. The original idea was to commission a photographer to create a body of work to show what Thurrock is like now, poised on the edge of change, showing it in a different light but not trying to edit out its faults. On receiving the commission Richard Heeps chose to take the concept of a different light as an artistic brief as well as a philosophical one. The influence of the Thames on the Borough was a major theme within the work. The photographs became the inspirational starting point for a parallel performance poetry project, managed by the national performance poetry agency Apples & Snakes. Five poets worked with five socially excluded groups - challenging young people, older people, learning disabled adults, ethnic minorities and refugees and asylum seekers - whose voices and opinions are not often heard.
Initially the photographic work was framed and exhibited widely in the borough, while the poetry was performed in the local theatre. Then additional funding from the National Lottery through a 'Grants for the Arts' award enabled the council to fund the publication of a high quality paperback version of the book, bringing together much of the poetry and the photographs, indeed including more images than were originally exhibited. This Lottery support has enabled the book to be sold at a much lower price than would otherwise have been possible.
A Different Light is available directly through Thurrock Council for £10 plus £1.50 postage and packing, or from Borders bookstore in Lakeside Retail Park. Contact Nicky Adamson nadamson@thurrock.gov.uk if you wish to order a copy. Cheques made payable to Thurrock Council must be sent with the order.
A Different Light, photographs by Richard Heeps with poems from the community, published by Thurrock Council, paperback, £10 (plus postage), ISBN 0-9506141-5-7.
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