Picturing High Streets was a three-year project delivered by Photoworks to create a contemporary picture of England’s high streets through artist residencies and a public call out. It was part of the High Streets Heritage Action Zones Cultural Programme, and produced in partnership with GRAIN Projects, Impressions Gallery, Open Eye Gallery, London College of Communications, Photofusion, QUAD/FORMAT, Redeye, ReFramed and The Photographers’ Gallery.
From September 2022 to September 2023, people across England responded to themed fortnightly challenges and submitted their photographs on Instagram under the hashtag #PicturingHighStreets. All entries created an unofficial archive documenting a year in the life of the English high street on Instagram, and a selection form this permanent collection in the Historic England Archive.
The photographs in this set were selected to represent the theme ‘Beats on the Street’. The brief for this theme was: ‘To mark International Women’s Day, we’re dedicating our call out to celebrating the women who make a difference, in front or behind the camera. Share your inspirational women, and their stories, with us.’
The photographer wrote the following text to explain how their image relates to this theme: "This photograph shows the everyday heroines of the high street. When visiting Liverpool I always stop for a chat with this Big Issue seller along Bold Street. She is always pleasant, remembers my name, and it makes my day feel better to stop and talk with her."
This is part of the Volume: HEC01/128/02/12 Picturing High Streets: Mass Participation Project - High Street Heroines; within the Sub Series: HEC01/128/02 Picturing High Streets: Mass Participation Project; within the Series: HEC01/128 Picturing High Streets; within the Collection: HEC01 Historic England
© Paul Stephen Hazlehurst
Photographer: Hazlehurst, Paul Stephen
People At Work, Women's History
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