Facescape

A new community project aimed at giving the people of Stoke-on-Trent the chance to be heard needs your support to celebrate the diversity of the City through its people.

FaceScape is an ambitious, inclusive community arts project developed by a local artist to give the whole community an opportunity to represent itself at this pivotal moment in the City of Stoke-on-Trent’s story, requiring no more than a photograph of your face, and your personal reflections on the City you call home and the community around you.



The only part of the photograph that will be used will be the face itself – hence the name: a central square that shows the eyes nose and mouth. That is because it’s not about your hairstyle, fashion sense or your social status: it’s about you as a human being; as a member of this community. These cropped photographs will form part of a huge montage of faces that will build up into a massive image that will represent the wider community in all its diversity, which will go on display at the Burslem School of Art throughout June, before touring the contributing communities as smaller montages specific to that area, where you can rise to the challenge of finding your own image among your friends, family and neighbours. Still very much an individual, but an individual within a strong community of individuals.

There is only so much that a picture can say, though, and the second part of the project will be a series of journals where those people who have already contributed their image can contribute their thoughts, reflections and memories: a snapshot of life in the communities of the city in 2008. These could be copies of photographs, documents – in fact anything that can be pasted, written or drawn onto a sheet of paper, and assistance will be offered to those who need it to make sure that anyone who has something to say has the opportunity to say it, within the realms of common decency.

In addition, there will be a series of journals to which each participant will be encouraged to contribute: whether a written thought or a copy of a photograph, newspaper cutting, or indeed any memory that can be permanently pasted into the journals to create a more complete, more personal documentary record of the city.

Informal sittings are currently being arranged at both Port Vale and Stoke City Football Clubs, the Potteries Centre, Stoke-on-Trent Museum, The Burslem School of Art among others, and all are welcome so bring the whole family. And if you’re arranging a social event over April orearly May and think it’s something that FaceScape should be involved with, email Amanda Wright at facescape @ gmail.com.

For details of dates and events as they are finalised, or to show your support, visit www.facescape.co.uk, myspace.com/facescape or facescape2008.blogspot.com