Photographer hoping to 'ignite social connections'

9 hours ago

Sarah TurnnidgeWest of England

Arran Patel Arran Patel looks at the camera on a beach, with large hills and cliffs and a small town behind him. He has dark hair, a beard and wears a red rain coat and black rolltop backpack. — Arran Patel spent four weeks over the summer photographing more than 30 residents past and present

A photographer is hoping to "ignite cross-generational social connections" through telling the untold stories of a village's residents in a new exhibition.

Originally from Leicester, Arran Patel, 30, has photographed 30 past and present residents over the age of 50 who live in Great Bedwyn near Marlborough in Wiltshire for his project.

Patel was inspired after watching a play focused on learning from older generations.

"I hope the untold stories of the people that form the heart and soul of the community may ignite new social connections, new friendships and memories will be made," he said.

Arran Patel Jigna smiles in front of a garden next to her Londis shop. She has dark hair tied back and wears a white top with pink flowers embroidered on it, a long gold chain and a dark red scarf over one shoulder. — Jigna, who runs the local shop in the village, shared her story of moving to the area for the exhibition

Having spent the past several years visiting the village to see his partner, Patel used 35mm film for his project called Our Neighbours, Our Stories.

"I feel like it's very interesting because social history is interesting, but also it's a way for all these people to reconnect," he said. "The whole point of the project was to ignite cross-generational social connections."

His hopes to reconnect older generations with younger people which is also reflected in his choice to shoot on 35mm film.

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"I think it's a medium that is seen [by] young people as aesthetic for Instagram, but older people will remember it as the texture of their memory of their wedding or their kids growing up," he said.

Shirley Hansen, 69, left Great Bedwyn for Swindon at 16, but returns to the village every week to visit an elderly relative.

She was contacted by Patel online through a local community page and asked if she would consider being photographed.

Arran Patel Shirley smiles as she leans on a wooden gate behind two garages. She has short, light blonde hair and wears a sheer shirts with a black wiggly pattern on it. — Shirley said getting involved in the project "brought back a lot of memories"

"I was a bit wary at first, I thought, 'why does some stranger want to take a picture of me?'" she said.

But after meeting, and showing Patel the house she grew up in and the housing estate that was once the farmland she spent her childhood on, she said the experience "brought back a lot of memories".

"It's nice to see a younger generation interested in a neighbourhood because most of them aren't really," she added. "He's obviously very passionate about it."

The exhibition is open to the public from Friday until Monday during opening hours at Bedwyn Baristas.

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