THE Lenadoon Photographic Exhibition Group are inviting the local community to participate in a new and exciting historical photographic exhibition which aims to tell the unique story of the Greater Lenadoon Community from 1970 to present day.
Working in partnership with Belfast Exposed Co-Founder and documentary photographer Sean McKernan, they hope to showcase the exhibition during the Lenadoon Community Festival in August.
Michael Doherty from the group said: “The core objective of the project will be to invite local residents, community groups, special interest projects and local businesses to contribute to the exhibition which will be held in the Glen Community Complex on the Suffolk Road.
“Contributors can bring their original photographs to the Complex where the images or negatives will be professionally scanned and copied together with information relating to each photograph."
The centre will accept photographs for the exhibition from 11am until 8pm on Monday the 7, Tuesday the 8 and Wednesday the 9 of June.
“Following this process all contributors will leave with original photographs following the copying process and will also receive a high quality resolution digital copy of any images used for final exhibition," adds Michael.
“We hope to collate, preserve and showcase the social, cultural and political history of Lenadoon with events such as The Battle of Lenadoon in July 1972 and the ending of the IRA ceasefire and how the demographics of the community changed following the start of the conflict which evolved into the current population of approximately 13,000."
Special attention will focus on local landmarks such as the Half Moon Lake and Lenadoon Community Park as well as old buildings such as the Suffolk House, the Pig Factory, Rodaí MacCorlaí House and the old Daily Mirror Building. Past festivals, cultural events and most importantly the personal photographic history/stories captured by the local community."
Michael stresses that, at this stage, the group is not seeking family snaps.
“We are confident the exhibition will demonstrate significant local support and act as a cohesive and inclusive project.
“It will provide a platform for the wider community to not only celebrate the diverse history of Lenadoon but also provide the opportunity to reflect on past challenges and celebrations and highlight current social issues which will contribute to a fresh debate on how to shape future local needs. The Exhibition will also be put on display in other venues."
As the community starts to bounce back from the Covid crisis, Michael Doherty says the exhibition will only speed that process.
“The project will play a pivotal role in assisting the community to recover, rebuild and harness social solidarity," he said. “This crisis has accelerated a movement of community power that has already taken shape, largely unseen and unreported and we are confident that this exhibition will help the Lenadoon community to rebuild, recover and reconnect.”
If you would like contribute to the exhibition you can email Michael Doherty or call 028-90 585 544.
