From hearing loss to homelessness

A series of collaborative projects by students from Plymouth University will be showcased to the public at an exhibition this month.

Twelve BA (Hons) Photography students are taking part in the PHOLAB exhibition at Studio 102, a recently opened gallery and studio space on Vauxhall Street in Plymouth.

The work on show will include pieces produced in conjunction with city-based charities, and cover topics from hearing loss to homelessness, sex education to dementia and mental health.

The PHOLAB exhibition, being supported by Plymouth University, will open on Saturday 23 January and run until Friday 29 January.

Second year student Rebecca Turpin, who is coordinating the exhibition, said: “All of us are involved in collaborative projects and we thought it would be a great idea to hold an exhibition at Studio 102, which is designed to promote emerging artists. There are a few of us who have displayed before, but this will be the first time I have shown my work outside the university. It is quite exciting and will hopefully give all of us a bit more exposure and some important critical feedback.”

Among the work on show will be Rachael Jones’ collaboration with Plymouth Deaf Children’s Society and Action on Hearing Loss, through which she has captured a collection of portraits and quotes that aim to provide a personal perspective on hearing loss.

Chloe Walker teamed up with students and teachers to create a book with photographs, poetry and drawings that depict young people’s experience of mental health issues from a personal and realistic viewpoint.

Tamara Yoxall has worked with the Shekinah Mission where she runs a series of photography workshops for people in recovery from homelessness, drug and alcohol abuse and mental health issues.

Eliza Naish has examined the effects of dementia within the family home, through the use of visual representations and a variety of mixed media including newly commissioned music.

Daniel Batt worked with graphics student Myles Fitzpatrick, creating double exposures that focus on the human effect and process of urbanisation on nature.

And Scarlett O’Flaherty has worked with writer Luke Mullane to create a reportage detailing the interesting stories of a group of people woven together through the love of their allotment.

Studio 102 founder Marcus Crandon, a Plymouth University graduate, has himself collaborated with Rebecca Turpin to produce a piece exploring how sex education is taught in schools and outside the classroom.

The former BA (Hons) Fine Art and MA Contemporary Art Practice student said: “This is the perfect inaugural exhibition for Studio 102, as it showcases a wealth of diverse and talented emerging artists and their collaborations. I learned a huge amount from publicly showing my work and the feedback I received continues to feed my own personal development as an artist. I hope the students taking part in the PHOLAB exhibition will enjoy similar experiences, and look forward to welcoming audiences to this exciting new element of Plymouth’s cultural scene.”

If you are interested in studying Photography at Plymouth University, visit https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/schools/artmedia/photography, and more detail about Studio 102 is available on the gallery’s Facebook page.