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 ‘High Days and Holidays (Street Parties)’. The brief for this theme was: 'It’s bank holiday season and this call out is dedicated to parades, parties and pageantry. From May Day celebrations to Coronation get togethers, capture the old and new traditions that mark the coming of spring.'
The photographer wrote the following text to explain how their image relates to this theme: "Some days after the coronation celebrations in May this skip appeared in the car park of a fitness centre to discreetly remove the decorations. Even in this setting the red, white and blue balloons seem to maintain some dignity and sense of occasion."
This is part of the Volume: HEC01/128/02/19 Picturing High Streets: Mass Participation Project - High Days and Holidays (Street Parties); 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
© Marcus Rattray
Photographer: Rattray, Marcus
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