New pop up exhibition to celebrate Hartlepool people and places

A new photographic exhibition celebrating Hartlepool and its people opens this week.
The Northern School of Art HartlepoolThe Northern School of Art Hartlepool
The Northern School of Art Hartlepool

Called The Eclectic Spectacle, it is being staged in The ConTemporary new art gallery and creative space in Church Street by photography students and lecturers from the Northern School of Art.

The pop-up exhibition will feature a mix of portrait and location black and white photographs all taken in and around Hartlepool and produced in a traditional darkroom rather than digitally

Northern School of Art photography lecturer Antony ChambersNorthern School of Art photography lecturer Antony Chambers
Northern School of Art photography lecturer Antony Chambers
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It is part of a project by first year photography degree students studying at the college’s Hartlepool campus.

Dan Leng, 21, from Saltburn, is showing photos he took in two local Hartlepool pubs.

“They represent life in a place locals enjoy,” he said.

“People should come to the exhibition to see an excellent series of work from multiple photographers looking at people and places in the local area.” Paige Moorby, 19, originally from York, added: “My photographs are based on the side of Hartlepool that people don’t always see.

Photography student Paige MoorbyPhotography student Paige Moorby
Photography student Paige Moorby

“I captured them in a more minimal way and tried to incorporate a lot of textures and tones that are what I feel really build up Hartlepool.”

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This is the second year the photography course has staged an exhibition.

Lecturer Antony Chambers said: “It was a big success last year when the work was shown in the foyer space on Church Street and it is great to be able to make use of the innovative new gallery space at The ConTemporary this year.

“We’re now starting to build up an archive of photographs of the area and the people that live here.”

Photography student Daniel Leng.Photography student Daniel Leng.
Photography student Daniel Leng.

Photographs by Antony and some of his photography colleagues, Alyson Agar and Jamie MacDonald, will also be on show at the event.

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Eclectic Spectacle launches with an open-invitation preview party at The ConTemporary, 13-14 Church Street, tomorrow (May 2) from 5pm-8pm.

It is then open on Friday, May 3, and Saturday, May 4, from 12pm-4pm. Entry is free.