A Sidmouth Folk Festival Portrait

Welcome to our latest photographic exhibition at Riverside Art Space, the sensory garden Sidmouth, the second exhibition of Your Town My Town project.

This collection by Brighton-based photographer JJ Waller with local photographer Kyle Baker presents some of the vibrant views that you may see during this enduring cultural event. A selection of images taken by the public are also on show.

JJ Waller

Photographer

JJ Waller is a celebrated British photographer known for his street photography in Brighton and capturing the vibrant life of other seaside towns. Originally a performer, Waller took up photography in the 1990s. He achieved acclaim for his portraits during the pandemic, capturing residents through their windows as a poignant reflection on lockdowns and social isolation.

Kyle Baker

Photographer

Kyle Baker is a Sidmouth-based lifestyle, sports and commercial photographer and videographer. His work is bold and brings a natural style to tell the stories of his subject matter whether events, people, land or seascapes. His passion for the sea extends through his creative vision and his to date, eight years’ service as a member of the Sidmouth Independent Lifeboat crew.

This new exhibition of folk festival images tells a story of the colourful, eclectic and often quirky nature of the Folk Festival in Sidmouth when performers and festival-goers fill our streets in August.

The work of JJ Waller, acclaimed Brighton-based photographer, from his Sidmouth residency 2024, 70^th Anniversary of the festival, is featured alongside Sidmouth-based photographer, Kyle Baker whose work is well-known locally.

Also on show is a selection of the photo responses to our open public call last year. The titles and subject of each image, through the lenses of local people and visitors, adds to the collective portrait. An insight into the funny, diverse, dramatic and sometimes surprising views that Sidmouth has to offer at Folk Festival time.

The exhibition is the second of the Your Town My Town project and follows A Community Portrait, a personal snapshot by JJ Waller of the many community groups that make up Sidmouth’s 'can do' town, full of 'can do' people." JJ Waller

As part of the visual celebration of the Folk Festival this year, Sidmouth’s Wallspace features an image from Kyle Baker from his folk festival work and a twin installations in the micro museum telephone box art spaces in Sidmouth's Market Square.