Westbury and me
A community participation project
A celebration of the town and its people
Westbury and me is a participatory project providing local residents with photography skills to document their town and the people who make it special.
Local photography enthusiasts signed up for beginner photography courses, and took part in an exciting assignment. As well as learning to use their cameras effectively, participants were encouraged to seek out and document interesting features unique to their town.
Westbury has been seen with fresh eyes and photographed from new perspectives.
A selection of photographs taken by participants were displayed in an outdoor exhibition for three weeks in July. Images were displayed in the windows of shops, businesses and public buildings in the centre of town.
The outdoor exhibition coincided with Westbury Street Fair. The street fair is a popular community event to promote the wide range of groups, clubs and services active in the town. On the day of the fair, people were invited to enter a competition to find all the photographs displayed in the windows.
As well as photographing the town, some participants of Westbury and me signed up for a course to learn how to take better photographs of people. Participants were invited to nominate a Westbury resident who contributes to the life and identity of the town. Photographs and interviews of nominated residents were featured on posters displayed in the town during the street fair, and in the local paper.
A photography course at Matravers School involved a group of students in the project. They identified people in the community to interview and photograph and a selection of their portraits were included in the display.
An exhibition of all the posters was exhibited at the Leigh Park Community Centre as part of the Westbury Music and Arts Festival.
I am very grateful for the enthusiastic participation of Westbury residents in the project. Westbury and me has also benefitted from the support of many local shops and businesses, as well as:
Westbury Library
Westbury Heritage and Information Centre
Leigh Park Community Centre
All Saints Church
White Horse News
The Laverton
The Westbury Music and Arts Festival.
Westbury and me was commissioned by Wiltshire County Council and funded by Persimmon Homes.
