Young Govanhill artists capture community through photos

The creatives worked alongside Simon Murphy on the project led by the National Galleries of Scotland.

The initiative drew inspiration from Thomas Annan, a historical photographer who immortalised Glasgow’s streets in the 1800s.

(Image: Simon Murphy – Annan Archive Outreach Project, a National Galleries of Scotland partnership with Sis) Simon, celebrated for his black-and-white style, has won numerous accolades, including the Scottish Portrait Awards and the Sony World Photography Prize.

He has spent 16 years chronicling the Govanhill community.

This time, he joined forces with the National Galleries of Scotland and Sistema Scotland to guide the Big Noise programme’s young participants in Govanhill.

(Image: Simon Murphy – Annan Archive Outreach Project, a National Galleries of Scotland partnership with Sis) He conducted a series of urban photography workshops, helping the group to capture images of their surroundings through their own perspective.

Rehan Azher, a 14-year-old oboe player from Govanhill, has been part of Big Noise for five years.

He said: “It was fun just exploring and photographing the local area.

(Image: Simon Murphy – Annan Archive Outreach Project, a National Galleries of Scotland partnership with Sis) “I’ve never really done photography or anything like that before, and even though I live in Govanhill, we were discovering places and things I’ve never noticed before.

“You look at things differently when you’re taking photos, it’s definitely made me more interested in photography, and going around with Simon was really cool because he does this a lot, he knew everyone, and he’s been taking photographs of Govanhill for a long time.”

He said: “Working with the young people of Govanhill, the National Galleries of Scotland and Big Noise is very special for me as it’s a chance to pass on my experiences and open young eyes to the possibility that art can play a part in shaping their futures.

(Image: Simon Murphy – Annan Archive Outreach Project, a National Galleries of Scotland partnership with Sis) “Seeing the reactions of the young people to their images of their own community being displayed, and the sense of pride it gave not only them but the community members too, was incredibly rewarding.”

Ailbhe Turley, outreach coordinator at National Galleries of Scotland, said: “In this project we explored different issues that impact young people across Scotland today.

“Using photography as a creative exploratory medium, we wanted to amplify the voices and perspectives of some of those young people.”

(Image: Simon Murphy – Annan Archive Outreach Project, a National Galleries of Scotland partnership with Sis) Paul Sullivan, director for children, young people, and communities at Sistema Scotland, said: “We were delighted to work with Simon Murphy and extremely proud of the way our young people responded to the project.

“Their pieces give us an insight into modern Govanhill and the places and people that matter to our young people.”