Your Town My Town
Sidmouth School of Art in association with Sidmouth Folk Festival welcomed JJ Waller, Artist Photographer in Residence in August and November, to create a personalised "snapshot in time" during the Festival. JJ's A Community Portrait work opens in our new photographic exhibition at the Riverside Art Space, 25 February 2025.
We were delighted to open the Your Town My Town exhibition with a preview event. Great to welcome supporters and many who had taken part and hear their feedback ....
Brilliant. Fantastic celebration of all the wonderful groups that make Sidmouth what it is.Chris Lockyear, Chair of Sidmouth Town Council
Congratulations to the team on creating a beckoning display of Sidmouth’s strong community life and pooled kindness and knowledge. Thanks for transforming The Ham area into a great destination place!Jackie Green
Superb display which captures the true essence of Sidmouth. Love it!Lou Davey, Sidmouth College
Amazing project, lovely to see Sidmouth from all these amazing angles!Henry, Sidmouth Life Boat
Your Town My Town @ Sidmouth Wallspace
One of JJ's photos taken during his August 24 residency was recently featured on the billboard. You can also watch our short timelapse documenting its installation on our Wallspace page.
JJ Waller Presents Your Town My Town - A Sidmouth Portrait
In November JJ was back to present the Sidmouth Collection.
We welcomed people to join us at the Arts Centre, Manor Pavilion, 7pm-9pm for an evening with JJ who presented a special preview of the Sidmouth Collection.
Plus JJ had a busy 2nd residency with our extended opportunity to add many more community groups, local services, Sidmouth characters and shops to our "My Town" portrait.
JJ photographed a range of local groups, clubs, shops and societies - an integral aspect of this special place - the My Town part of this portrait.
Photo Fringe 24 Digital Exhibition - Common Ground - Your Town My Town
Sidmouth School of Art is proud to be part of this festival all about Developing new ways of seeing together whose approach is "We invite everyone to work with us to create a fairer, safer, greener, anti-racist world together through photography."
A selection of 15 of JJ's Sidmouth images are currently on view View the exhibition here
A superb first ever visit to Sidmouth that certainly won’t be my last. A unique can-do town full of can-do people. I was massively impressed by the professionalism and scale of the Folk festival it was a great time to experience Sidmouth. For a photographer being here was like striking photographic gold. What really was the icing on the cake was the superb efforts my hosts Sidmouth School of Art made to introduce me to so many amazing community groups and organisations who invited me to make their portrait. I’m definitely going to return and show my pictures that I hope locals will enjoy as an original, colourful, quirky and affectionate portrayal of your dynamic sometimes eccentric ‘Small Quiet English Seaside Town.JJ Waller, August '24
Your Town My Town - a snapshot in time
Sidmouth School of Art working in association with Sidmouth Folk Festival Your Town My Town
This project has a few moving parts...
It started with JJ Waller - Artist Photographer in Residence during Sidmouth Folk Festival from 2-9 August. This is the Festival's 70th anniversary and we were thrilled to welcome JJ's inimitable style of street photography.
During his stay, JJ captured a series of images that conjure a sense of place - Your Town. JJ photographed individuals, festival goers and contributors, residents and visitors during to capture this moment in time.
This is JJ's personalised snapshot in time - and it's only the start of the project.
Q & A with JJ Waller at the Arts Centre - Manor Pavilion, 6th Aug 2024
JJ presented some of his work from Brighton, Benidorm and Blackpool, sharing what motivates him to discover and create a "good" photo! The audience responded to his images which are sometimes funny, surprising, theatrical, poignant and always compassionate and respectful. A relaxed conversation between JJ and the audience about his approach, what inspires his work and how to find inspiration in your photography was fascinating, leaving us all with a renewed sense of the surreal often found in the everyday.
Your Town My Town aims to explore our sense of place, encourage people's curiosity, and inspire them to get creative with a camera."David Shrigley OBE
We knew that we had an interesting and vibrant place to live in but these highlights of Sidmouth really reinforced that.Colin Trussell, Local Liaison, Sidmouth Folk Festival
Your Town My Town... an exhibition in the making.
Open Call Deadline: NOW CLOSED
An invitation to submit a single photograph to create a body of work for the Your Town My Town exhibition.
Anyone could submit an image to the project. From Sidmouth residents and Festival visitors of any age - we positively welcome younger generations to take part. No experience, expertise, or special camera equipment required!
Here's the brief... an image taken during the Folk Festival 2024 that best describes Sidmouth, Your Town My Town.
In the autumn, JJ returned to Sidmouth continuing his community portrait and review the public submissions.
A variety of sites will feature Your Town My Town Folk Festival images including bus shelters, telephone boxes and the Wallspace billboard by the Ham. A photo book will be created for the town as a legacy of the project.
Starting a new career in my 40s was hugely exciting and over time I have developed a working style that combines humour with my street encounters and observations.JJ Waller
JJ Waller
Artist Photographer in ResidenceAbout JJ Waller
JJ Waller is a celebrated British photographer known for his evocative street photography in Brighton and other seaside towns. Originally a performer, he transitioned to photography in the 1990s. His notable works include documenting Whitehawk Football Club, Brighton Pride, and the Sussex coast. Waller gained significant acclaim for his portraits during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, capturing residents through their windows. His book, "JJ Waller's Lockdown," edited by Martin Parr, is a poignant reflection of the pandemic. Parr commented, "When we look back at the spring and summer of 2020, I think this suite of images will be an iconic memory of this strange time we have all lived through."
Waller's journey began in performance art, winning an Edinburgh Perrier Award with Pookiesnackenburger, the originators of STOMP. He later joined the French circus Archaos, where he started his first photo documentation project. JJ Waller has produced over ten photography books and sold over 14,000 copies. He is currently working on a new book of his Benidorm work and will partner with Martin Parr on a major public show in May 2025.
The Royal Glen supports our local community’s art events. We believe that creativity in all its forms enriches us all, at any age, whether we are at school, work, retired or on holiday here.Hilary Caldwell, Proprietor, The Royal Glen Hotel
Sidmouth Folk Festival
In association with Sidmouth Folk Festival
The Royal Glen Hotel
We are grateful to the Royal Glen Hotel for sponsoring the Your Town My Town project
Devon County Council
Thanks to Cllr. Stuart Hughes for supporting this project through Locality Funding
Creative East Devon Fund
Thanks to East Devon District Council for their support via the Creative East Devon Fund funded by UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund.