Photographers in residence

Six artists, selected via open call, are currently undertaking residencies at six high street locations across England (Prescot, Chester, Coventry, Stoke, Leicester, Tower Hamlets). To host each residency, Photoworks and Historic England have partnered with photography organisations including Open Eye Gallery, GRAIN Projects, QUAD/FORMAT and Photofusion.

Each of the six photographers will also benefit from mentoring support by Impressions Gallery, PARC (Photography and the Archive Research Centre), Redeye The Photography Network, ReFramed and The Photographers’ Gallery.

You can see selected photos from the resident high street photographers on the @picturinghighstreets Instagram channel in the run-up to the launch for public submissions in September.

Get involved

Starting on Wednesday 28 September 2022 and continuing for 12 months, you’re invited to join in with a fortnightly challenge on Instagram using #PicturingHighStreets. Your photos will contribute to an unofficial photographic archive of the English high street; charting and celebrating the history and experiences of the people and places that make up an often-overlooked fixture in all our lives.

Your photos will have the chance to feature on the @picturinghighstreets Instagram channel and those submitted before 6 December 2022 could be displayed in a national outdoor exhibition in 2023.

The Photoworks commission is part of the High Streets Heritage Action Zones Cultural Programme, led by Historic England.