This Is Me: New photography exhibition celebrates the people of North Devon

The Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon’s annual Documentary Photography Open exhibition opens this April featuring works submitted by members of the public in response to the theme, ‘This Is Me’.

The exhibition provides a fascinating insight into who the people of North Devon are today. Alongside contemporary photographs, the museum will display a collection of historic portraits by acclaimed photographer and documenter of North Devon life, James Ravilious.

The museum’s long-standing annual Documentary Photography Open is open to both amateur and professional photographers. This year’s open introduced a dedicated category for 14-18 year olds for the first time, aiming to capture the voices and perspectives of younger people in North Devon.

The exhibition also features photographs taken by GCSE students from Pilton Community College. These images were created as part of a ‘Selfies to Self-Aware Portrait Project', facilitated by a local artist and funded by the Richard and Siobhan Coward Foundation Fund.

Alison Mills, Director of the Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon, said: “Our annual Documentary Photography Open is an exhibition truly shaped by local people and a highlight of our year! This year’s theme, This Is Me, asked people to explore their own identity and place in a fast-moving world – it asked them to share their own personal story through the medium of photography.

“Museums are storehouses for stories past and present, and part of our mission is to tell as many of those stories as possible. We also welcome the opportunity to share photographs by James Ravilious from our collection. They capture the spirit of our region from a not-so-distant past and never fail to move and delight.”

The Documentary Photography Open exhibition will open on 25 April and runs until 20 June 2026.

The Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon is open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 4.30pm. Entrance is free.