In September 2022, Historic England launched a nationwide initiative encouraging residents to photograph their local high streets. Our retail environments are experiencing a transformative time as the nature of our shopping habits has changed considerably with the growth of out-of-town shopping centres and the rise of online shopping. It is often these, what appear to be. unremarkable environs that go unrecorded and overlooked; taken for granted until they disappear.
At the Southborough Society, we’d like to think we were ahead of the curve with our recent High Street project in collaboration with Southborough C of E Primary School. Testament to our interest in Southborough’s high street and the skill of our young artists, our calendar sold out and we were pleased to have raised almost five hundred pounds for the school.
Building on the theme of the high street, we would like to encourage you to participate in this national initiative to document, record and share images of our local shops and retailers. The project is a collaboration led by Photoworks with Historic England.
Here is some information from their website:
Starting from September 2022, we are inviting the public to submit their photos of the high street on Instagram so that we can document and celebrate the high street of today.
Over the next 12 months, we will post a new challenge every fortnight on a different high street theme: from celebrating local high street heroes that make our places so special, to capturing favourite hang outs and meeting places, to recording the hidden heritage of our high streets. Here’s how to take part:
1. Follow @PicturingHighStreets on Instagram and look out for the fortnightly challenges
2. Submit your photographs by posting them on Instagram using the hashtag #PicturingHighStreets and tagging @PicturingHighStreets (please note we will only be able to see your image if your profile is set to public)
3. Read the guidance here to check if you are following the requirements
To complete the challenges – fronted by photographers, celebrities and community leaders – you will need to visit your local high streets and discover the secret stories of these places of commerce, conversation and community.
The most evocative photographs will be featured on the Picturing High Streets Instagram channel. A selection of photographs submitted before 21 December 2022 will be displayed in a national outdoor exhibition opening in March 2023 filling advertising space, outdoor exhibition panels and shop windows on high streets across England. These photographs will also enter the Historic England Archive, the nation’s archive for England’s historic buildings, archaeology and social history.
Please make sure you have read the guidance on submission and consent on the website.
This fortnight’s challenge is ‘Hidden Histories’, ‘ghost’ writing reveals former fish shop on Stewart Road, High Brooms.
The Southborough Society runs an annual photographic competition and any images you capture of the high street we would love for you to enter! We have an adult and child category, with £50 for first prize and £30 for runner up. Please email your images to southsocphotocomp@gmail.com
Stay up to date with the fortnightly challenges by following @PicturingHighStreets which gives tips and examples on how to approach each challenge. If you don’t already, please follow us @southboroughsociety where will will repost each challenge too, tag your local photos with #sshighstreet to share your work!