In a vibrant celebration of youth creativity, Southampton charity In Focus Education & Development showcased two photographic exhibitions on Wednesday 26th February, highlighting the transformative power of arts-based learning among young people in collaboration with GO! Southampton, the Business Improvement District (BID) for Southampton City Centre.
The evening’s programme featured a unique re-imagining of ‘They Will Not Take You Seriously,’ originally exhibited at God’s House Tower in August 2024. The re-envisioning of this work has been curated and installed by a young volunteer of the charity, Gazelle Goode, pictured top, in their creative space at Network Eagle Lab. The gallery captures themes of identity through photography, creative writing and mixed media, all made by LGBTQIA+ young people aged 16 to 25 years old. The work featured was created during In Focus’ Develop Skills, Learn and Reflect 16-25 programme, funded by Arts Council England and The National Lottery, which offers young people weekly open sessions to explore their creativity in photography and arts based workshops. More information on these sessions can be found here.
After They Will Not Take You Seriously, guests were invited to witness the transformation of the historic Winkle Street telephone boxes. Restored to their original glory through a joint project with Go! Southampton and In Focus Education & Development, the boxes now serve as an innovative exhibition space showcasing photographic work produced by more participants of the DSLR 16-25 programme. Now, the cherished local landmark offers a dynamic platform for young artists to display their skilled artwork, free to view at any time.
Gemma Pratt, Director of Placemaking at GO! Southampton said: “Working with the fantastic team at In Focus has enabled us to transform these telephone boxes not only into a much needed tourist spot but also a place for young people to see their work displayed. There has been a lot of local support from electricians, creatives and historians, making it a great example of what the city can achieve when we work together.”
Since 2015, In Focus Education & Development have offered arts-based personal development. The charity works primarily with young, vulnerable individuals—especially those considered at risk or not engaged in education, employment, or training—empowering them through photography and visual arts.
The celebration concluded with a panel discussion at God’s House Tower with Go! Southampton, where attendees had the chance to meet some of the young artists behind both exhibitions. The young participants will have their work featured at God’s House Tower again this summer, in a final exhibition of the DSLR 16-25 programme, with dates to be announced soon.
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