Arts Council England: Research and Development for Individuals Application
Project Name: Developing my Practice Through A Research-Based Photographic Project
In your own words, give a short, clear overview of your project. I want to use a R&D grant for the exploration and testing of a photographic project around melancholy. This will benefit my practice moving forward in my future in the creative arts as well as for the delivery of this project. The primary theory that will attract my focus is the "Punctum" Theory that suggests an audience focuses on one very specific part of an image rather than the whole photograph itself. I will also consider the importance of semiotics in the context of mental health.
If you had to explain the focus of your project to someone, what single words or short phrase would you use? Developing a photography project by showing melancholy through semiotics and the "Punctum" Theory.
Give us a more detailed description of your project: what you want to do and why you want to do it. I want this project to help me understand my workflow further and how I approach a research project moving forwards. The only experience I have had with such a project to date is when I was studying at university which is a much different experience to now - there is no space for mistakes due to being marked on the work and there comes a time where experimentation is not an option at uni. The grant provides me with an opportunity to explore an important subject in my personal life that has influenced my creative career to date for a longer period of time. The project will look to explore all kinds of photography such as studio, location, product, portraiture, and landscape photography so it's important that I represent melancholy properly. In order to do this, I need the time and resources to research the subject so people don't feel disillusioned with the results, even though my response will be tailored to my personal experiences with melancholy. The creative idea behind this is to prove that not all mental health projects have to conform to the traditional affiliations we have with such photography. Roland Bathes' "Punctum" Theory focuses on the specific more than the general, which is especially relevant when responding in such a personal way. Everyone's experience with mental health is different and many would argue that the "head in hands" mental health image that is frequently circulated is far from representative of what they're going through. I want to bring new ideas to how we as creatives can use the camera as a form of therapy. I know from experience that some people can't go to traditional counselling or therapy - anxiety, fear, finances and waiting lists all play a part. The beauty of photography is that anyone can do it. Most people at the bare minimum have a smart phone that takes photos and when you're struggling you often see the world in a different way. I want to emphasise through my own project that this isn't a bad thing - it's your brain responding to trauma and helping other people understand without words. By making my work reach out to wider audiences I hope that I can inspire and open up creativity in others which has the potential to improve their mental state of mind. Exposure of the project will mainly be online and in-person. A wider outreach is more easily achieved online through social media and photographic journals whereas the creative scene where I'm from is expanding at a massive rate. The South West is gradually becoming a creative hub with more exhibitions and showcases every week. This also provides me with a further opportunity to understand the impact of presenting projects in the future in both proposed ways and will allow me to compare them side by side. There is still so much value to be found in print form which I haven't had the financial capability to explore properly. This project will give me the chance to do that and to reach a wider social media audience with paid post boosting.
What's led you to do this project now? It was actually my most recent project that led me to pursue this new idea. For my Masters degree I did a project called Dystopia which was purely black and white landscape photography and had me exploring Dartmoor National Park as a post-apocalyptic setting that represented the depressed mind unravelling. Due to the narrative of this project it wasn't appropriate to focus on any other form of photography and, even though I did touch on semiotic theory, there wasn't much room for Barthes' specific Punctum theory. This theory is integral to the project because of how different people's experiences are with mental health so having something specific that is somehow also relevant to a wider audience's experience is how the project will become relatable. For example, I could present a photograph that looks at my personal gambling addiction but it could feature scar on my arm that many people who've had experience with self-harm can relate to. The project is helping me explore multiple forms of photography at the same time, something which I haven't done in my career so far. I have only ever done one type of photography at a time due to time restraints of a couple of months, never being able to properly research and sustain a meaningful project that ties several disciplines together at the same time. I want to prove my ability in juggling several research-based methods practically and provide a complete project that I feel is especially necessary and relevant in current times.
How will you know if you’ve achieved what you set out to do? I have a good network of photographers in the South-West that can help me reflect on my work who are in more advanced stages of their careers. Regular check-ins with these people should be seen as frequent occurrences to pick their brains, get opinions and, most importantly, make sure I am representing people correctly. Learning is compulsory for this project as there are multiple disciplines and shooting methodologies I will be attempting for the first time, as well as extending my research through events, journals, and groups. I will measure the difference the project has made by engagement. The ideal scenario will be increased exposure through further publication and this can primarily be achieved by initial exposure. I plan on doing an in-person showcase that will physically bring the project to an audience in print form. I want the people who engage with it this way to spend time at the pop-up exhibition to really think about these images and ask questions because this is the primary form of learning. Without curiosity we would never learn anything. As for the online platforms I plan on entering these images for future open calls for exhibitions as it's generally the best way for the work to be exposed further afield than the South West. Post Analytics compared to Post Engagement will also be a barometer of interest online as engagement suggests people have taken an interest in the content enough to like or comment.
Example of Project – Weblink: Daniel Regan — Insula
What steps are you taking to make sure your project benefits people and communities in the longer term? There are two audiences for this project: locals who will most likely see it in person and people further afield who will see it online. Locally, I am planning on doing a pop-up/mini exhibition which the public will be invited to attend. I have a very good relationship with Arts University Plymouth who invite artists to exhibit in their MIRROR Gallery and failing this I have an alternative location at Manor Street Galleries or to exhibit as part of The Artemis Collective in a group show. I will be reaching out to local newspapers, universities, and businesses in the area to help promote the exhibition in Devon and Cornwall. I am wanting to have the project in a place where it is completed and ready to exhibit rather than exhibit a work in progress, hence why I would present it outside of the project period. Online, I have a social media exposure plan to reach a wide audience. I have a marketing budget to promote 15 images on social media platforms Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok. These platforms attract the engagement I want for the project - Instagram is the primary photographic platform which hosts professional and amateur photographers as well as the general public, LinkedIn is an excellent place to attract the attention of more esteemed professionals and to gain interest from further afield and, even though TikTok primarily promotes video based content, there has been a noticeable peak in interest of carousel based content recently which would benefit the project.
What steps are you taking to make your project inclusive and relevant? Financially, I want to make this show accessible to my audience. I don't plan to charge for entry to the physical exhibition and posts online will not be hidden behind any kind of paywall or subscription based service. I will introduce a non-commitment donation option for a mental health charity though so people who feel like they want to donate to a good cause can do this in some form. One of the issues to solve that I am very aware of is people with anxiety disorder and how they might not feel comfortable coming to the exhibition or voicing their opinions about the project if it's an especially busy time and there is lots of conversation about the project. To counter this I had the idea of arranging a booking service where I can escort people personally and have a one to one discussion where they may feel more comfortable talking about how the images make them feel and to pass opinions on their own experiences. This can be conducted in person or over a video call for people with accessibility issues. On the subject of mobility issues, I have selected my potential locations with this in mind. The proposed galleries have easy access for parking as they are located in close proximity to Plymouth City Centre and they are both on ground level so stairs aren't required. There is also good wheelchair access to both spaces. I'm keen to invite groups for specific talks about the work and melancholy in general. The main objective of these talks will be to educate people about the importance of creativity when it is linked to our mental health and these talks can be live streamed on TikTok and Instagram as well for increased exposure. Groups I might invite include university classes and mental health support groups. The data I have accessed related to mental health in the South West is courtesy of Zero Suicide Alliance. Suicide rates in the South West are the fourth highest in England and that's thanks to an increased difficulty in accessing mental health services in the region. The region also has the highest hospital admission rate for self harm for ages 10-24 which highlights a key reason for the necessity of this project. Most parents would appreciate a project like this to be educated about issues their children might have or develop as they grow which can lead to greater understanding of their situations and the correct care provided at the correct stage.
What are the main risks and challenges to the project? There are a few scenarios where the project may not go according to plan. The first is sharing my work with universities. The plan is to speak to a group of academic peers from a minimum of 2-3 universities from the list that are based in the South West but if they are unwilling to let me discuss the project then I will be forced to readjust. Unpredictable weather would cause issues when I am scheduled to shoot on location. If the weather is not how I was expecting it to be then it could damage my equipment or it could portray the wrong message in the results which I am keen to avoid with the concern of misrepresenting and alienating people to melancholy and mental health. With bad weather lies the issue of health and safety as well. There is every possibility that I could be shooting in good conditions and things take a turn for the worse, risking injury and potentially death depending on my position. My main concern lies from the location of the exhibition though. I have a good relationship with Arts University Plymouth so I am confident of being able to use the MIRROR Gallery to present my work and I also have Manor Street Galleries as a backup. If both cannot host an event due to certain circumstances then it will be solely down to me to do things differently.
What will you do to manage these risks? For the issue of universities not accepting talks from me there are several alternatives I can consider. For starters, I could expand my requests to further afield and try to reach out to universities beyond the South West. This would require more travel and less local influence on the project but it would still cater to the national audience I want to try to reach online with a more personal touch of speaking to people face to face. I could also present the work to online communities through my Royal Photographic Society membership who feature several professionals and academics as part of their community. I am also already a member of the Association of Photographers who could assist with this community outreach as well. They have done so in the past during my Masters project so I know this route is a proven concept. My concerns related to unpredictable weather conditions can mainly be addressed by adjusting my project schedule. There is nothing wrong with swapping a location day out for a studio or research day if I am unable to get outside. This was also tested during my Masters degree and I was always able to get out on location when things cleared up so this does not concern me. If weather conditions take a turn for the worse when I'm already on location, safety must be paramount. As soon as things even look like they might be getting dangerous, I must stop and find time to return another day. As for hosting the exhibition, I propose that I can do this in the studio of operations. It isn't as well placed as the other galleries in terms of being in the centre of Plymouth but it is big enough to host an exhibition of the size I want. I could also look at self-funding an exhibition in Exeter or Bristol if I decide to but additional costs such as travel will apply. I have not been in charge of an exhibition before so I don't have experience in this department but former lecturers at Arts University Plymouth can be utilised as peer support for this option.
