I have always had a passion for visual arts and photography has always remained at the forefront. Eclipse will occupy a small space inside The 88 which will benefit artists and photographers from Liverpool and the surrounding cities.

Technological advancements in photography had already cemented the evolution from analogue to digital by the time I was able to afford my own equipment. The reality of this is that unless you go to college or university to study the subject, finding access to a dark room is very difficult and costly.

To truly master the art of photography a good understanding of traditional photographic processes is essential. I fear that as we enter further in to a world of pixels and megabytes the physical processes that got us where we are today will be pushed further from reach.

Currently there are no other dark rooms available for hire in Liverpool, in fact I could only find one other dark room within a 30 mile radius of the city which is open to the public.

I have invested approximately £350 so far which has bought the majority of the equipment we need to open.

Eclipse will be housed at The 88. The 88 is a socially minded collective providing shared art, design and physical production space to creative freelancers, businesses and entrepreneurs. It is located within CONSTELLATIONS, a brand new space in Liverpool’s buzzing creative hub - The Baltic Triangle. Home to a cafe/bar, venue & gardens, The 88 will sit comfortably in between and will offer a whole host of physical design facilities including screen printing, risograph & dark room. www.facebook.com/the-eightyeight

While working on The Laboratory I launched Shutter Social. The event helped form community of photographers & film makers in the city that was otherwise lacking. We're now expanding on this by creating facilities that allow artists to move forward & develop without losing touch with traditional processes. We are doing this in an accessible and affordable way.