A national collection of 377 images that tell the stories behind the shopfronts on the English high street.
Picturing High Streets Through the Eyes of the Public
Picturing High Streets was a 3-year project to involve the public in creating a contemporary picture of England’s high streets.
Involving the public
The Picturing High Streets project had 2 parts:
- A mass public participation project inviting the public to submit their photos of the high street using the Instagram hashtag #PicturingHighStreets
- Nine photographers in residence across 6 high street locations, working with local communities to co-create snapshots of the high street
Over 370 photographs documenting and celebrating the high street were selected to create a new collection in the Historic England Archive.
The project partners were Historic England and photography champions Photoworks who worked with 9 regional partner photography organisations from 2020 to 2023.
The project was part of the High Streets Heritage Action Zones Cultural Programme. The cultural programme set out to create 4 years of cultural activity, engaging communities with, and celebrating, their local high streets.
Mass public participation
From September 2022 to September 2023, people across England responded to our call out to submit their photos of the high street on Instagram using the hashtag #PicturingHighStreets and tagging @PicturingHighStreets.
Through themed fortnightly challenges, the public were invited and inspired to share their high street images.
Over 10,000 photographs were posted on Instagram, from portraits to street photography to artistic interpretations to black and white scenes. For each theme Historic England, Photoworks and partners, selected their favourites to add to the Historic England Archive.
The collection presents a snapshot of a year in the life of the English high street, documenting and celebrating the people, places and stories it holds.
Gallery of highlights
Gallery
Please click on the gallery images to enlarge.
Local competitions
Alongside the fortnightly themed call outs, local Picturing High Streets competitions asked for images from the public that captured the unique character of their towns or specific high street features such as bus stops and ghost signs. Winning images from these local call outs were used in exhibitions and added into the Historic England Archive for:
National touring exhibition
An outdoor exhibition, featuring over 60 images collected from public submissions toured towns and cities across England from March to November 2023.
In 2023, a panel of judges chose a selection of more than 60 winning images from the thousands submitted by the public to the Instagram call outs. The panel included:
- Wayne Hemingway, designer and retail expert
- Camille Walala, artist
- Ben Hope, Clear Channel’s Marketing Director
- Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England
- Jonathan May, Interim Director, Photoworks
- Shoair Mavlian, Director, The Photographers' Gallery
These photographs were exhibited in different spaces and formats across England, including panels in Bristol, Derby, Norwich, Bradford and Walsall, window vinyls in Middlesbrough, Hastings, Prescot and Stoke-on-Trent, projections outside The Photographers' Gallery in London, and on Clear Channel UK advertising space across England.
Gallery
Please click on the gallery images to enlarge.
Photographers in residence
Nine photographers, selected via open call, undertook residencies at 6 high street locations across England. Resident artists in Bristol, Chester, Coventry, Leicester, Prescot, Stoke-on-Trent and London engaged with local communities to co-create snapshots of how the high street is used and who it is used by.
The images now in the Historic England Archive show what communities are proud of in their towns and the local customs and traditions linked to the high street in different parts of the country.
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Dreamlines: Picturing Bristol High Streets
Bristol Photo Festival commissioned local photographers to document the stories of Bristol high streets and the communities inhabiting them.
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Suzanne St Clare, Chester
During a 2-year residency, photographer Suzanne St Clare worked with independent business owners from the Rows in Chester, north-west England.
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Ciara Leeming, Chester
People who attend a Mental Health Crisis Space reimagined Chester’s historic city centre using archive images and collaging processes.
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Tim Mills, Coventry
For 12 months, Tim Mills was photographer in residence in Coventry. Tim worked with local communities to create a contemporary response to The Burges.
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Ayesha Jones, Coventry
Ayesha Jones documents the stories behind Coventry Market businesses and the impact of modern developments on their livelihoods.
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Khatun, Leicester
Emerging artist Khatun describes in her own words how she worked in her hometown of Leicester for a 2-year Picturing High Streets residency.
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Tony Mallon, Prescot
Photographic artist Tony Mallon spent 2 years working with Prescot residents to create a contemporary portrait of the area.
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Lucy Hunter, Prescot
In 2022, Lucy Hunter and students from Prescot Primary School explored their local area with a key focus on portraiture, high street and exploration.
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Natalie Willat, Stoke-on-Trent
For 2 years, Natalie Willatt recorded lives and communities behind closed doors, often hidden from the quiet and neglected high street.
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Rehan Jamil, Tower Hamlets
Rehan Jamil worked with residents, shopkeepers, and Tiger Class at Canon Barnett Primary School to co-produce a body of work on Tower Hamlets, London.
Residency highlights
Gallery
Please click on the gallery images to enlarge.
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