It has been 40 years since 30,000 women protested against nuclear weapons being placed at an RAF site in Greenham Common, Berkshire. To mark the occasion, and also today’s International Women’s Day (Wednesday 8 March), an online exhibition has been launched which celebrates the work of female and non-binary photographers.
The exhibition was put together by f22, a group set up by Association of Photographers members to highlight stunning photos and videos produced by women and non-binary people. Work by 15 members of the group are all included in the exhibition. The images all have the theme of community and all it encompasses and includes the Black Girls’ Space at Cambridge University, the East London Rugby Club’s ‘Vixens’ women’s section and the Aldermaston Women’s Peace Camp.
AOP CEO Isabelle Doran said: “We’re immensely proud to be supporting our female photographer members in developing their inspired approach to work together and support each other for this collaborative project. The results are a wonderful and sensitive visual translation of the focus they chose, showing a mixed visual tapestry of still and moving images, which, in essence, represents the female gaze.”
The curators of the online exhibition include Andy Greenacre, Photography Director of the Telegraph magazine, Jennie Ricketts, former Picture Editor of the Observer Magazine, Fiona Shields, Head of Photography at the Guardian, and Jane Sherwood, News Editor, EMEA at Getty Images.
Jane Sherwood said: “It was a privilege to be asked to be one of the curators for the f22
Community and Connection project. Championing women photographers is a necessary part of the journey to equal representation in the field of editorial photography. I was really keen to see the various interpretations of community and connection in the projects undertaken.”
Take a look through the gallery below to see some of the stunning images included in the exhibition.
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9. ‘Black Girl’s Space at Cambridge’ by Lesley Lau
Black Girl’s Space is a society that was created in summer 2022 for black women and non-binary people at Cambridge University. It provides a space where members can connect with one another and celebrate their individuality. The students sitting for this portrait are members of the committee (pictured left to right): Zoe, Michelle, Gloria, Zia and Iqra. Photo by Lesley Lau. | Lesley Lau
10. ‘Civil Disobedients’ by Nicola Tree
Nicola Tree wanted to take images of members of a community, called JSO, that has been outcast by the establishment for having incompatible values and actions. Pictured is a member called Phoebe Plummer, who is a 21-year-old climate activist. She said: “Being a part of JSO means having hope again. Being 21, and a climate activist can sometimes feel alienating. Now I’m on a curfew tag, pub trips are completely out of the question. But my JSO friends call me after 7pm to make sure I don’t get lonely in the evenings. The people in JSO are more than my friends, we are a family. An ever growing, ever evolving, ever loving family.” Photo by Nicola Tree. | Nicola Tree
11. Atticus by Jenny Lewis
Jenny Lewis took a number of photographs of a man called Atticus who stopped going to school when he was 14-years-old, and at the age of 17 is now trying to understand why. He said: “When I stopped going to school, I was stressed a lot of this time, I wouldn’t really do anything. It was the loneliest time. It’s the same now, I spend a lot of time on my own. I wake up and there’s no one home. I make myself breakfast, lunch and then I don’t know. I feel like I’m so scared of being sad. I have to protect myself. I want to just be like everyone else and not think so much.” Photo by Jenny Lewis. | Jenny Lewis
12. Shine on Saturday by Fiona Freund
Shine is an organisation that offers 50 underprivileged children a weekly opportunity to enjoy creative activities, with the hope of improving their confidence. Photographer Fiona Freund said: “I wanted to celebrate their powerful personalities and connections, their diversity and youthful energy. Like Shine, this image is chaotic and complicated yet unifying and strong.” Photo by Fiona Freund. | Fiona Freund