We are so excited about the therapeutic and creative potential of lockdown-friendly workshops for Liverpool City residents this Winter. We are keenly aware of the isolation that people are feeling right now - we feel it too.

Our big idea is to bring fun and creativity into people’s homes with a series of writing and photography workshops that will encourage participants to share their own stories, in their own words and images, in their own way.

During lockdown, we’ve been reflecting on 100 of Ian’s old black and white photographs of inner city Liverpool (1978-80), to be exhibited at Open Eye Gallery 5 Nov-1 Dec.

Rather than have this be a purely nostalgic endeavour, we are determined to use this wonderful opp as a springboard: to collate and share other people’s experiences of the city, and even more importantly, to co-create new work with others keen to connect, talk and make. And we haven't seen any other creative workshop like this on offer.

We’ve sounded it out to Liverpool audiences (via emails, on our social media accounts, including an Open Eye Insta takeover, and through a Liverpool Echo article written about Ian’s photographs) and the response has been overwhelmingly positive: people desperately want to take part but are unable to travel, meet in person or afford resources.

So! We are asking the Awesome Foundation two support steps 1 & 2 of our 3-step plan:

1) Reach out to isolated participants in a very analogue way, by posting them a parcel of disposable camera, notebook and pen.

2) Build trust and skills online over monthly Zoom meets, with creative exercises, tech advice, writing short texts and taking new photographs, and overall developing our storytelling skills.

3) Plan and produce a celebratory event, as a group, for next year to showcase all our new stories and creative skills.

We’ll be led by the group’s experiences and desires, without any pre-formed expectations. No previous expertise in photography or writing necessary, all welcome.