Peace, love and gender politics

Peace, love, and gender politics will be reflected in a thought-provoking window display at the Shrewsbury offices of Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin this spring.

Three new photographic portraits created during 2023 with the local older LGBT+ community will be on show at the Bellstone premises in conjunction with exhibitions at The Hive arts and wellbeing centre, Shrewsbury Library, Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery and Theatre Severn during the town’s LGBT+ Festival.

‘These new portraits are by artist Ming de Nasty and speak of the gender politics of today and how people have found their identity, peace, love and friendships,’ says Nicola Shipley, Director of GRAIN Projects, an organisation that champions photography and delivers activities with partners locally, regionally and internationally.

‘These photographs document childhood, adolescence, families, homes and special occasions, holidays, hidden lives and significant change. The exhibition reflects on age, identity, rights and representation within a community. The photographs serve as prompts to how we must continually consider care, social justice and the politics of recent history and now.’

The window display will run from 13 March to 14 April. A publication accompanies this series of exhibitions and can be found in Shrewsbury Library. This is a collaboration between SAND (Safe Ageing No Discrimination) and GRAIN Projects and has been supported by Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.