Picturing High Streets was a three-year project delivered by Photoworks to create a contemporary picture of England’s high streets through artist residencies and a public call out. It was part of the High Streets Heritage Action Zones Cultural Programme, and produced in partnership with GRAIN Projects, Impressions Gallery, Open Eye Gallery, London College of Communications, Photofusion, QUAD/FORMAT, Redeye, ReFramed and The Photographers’ Gallery.
From September 2022 to September 2023, people across England responded to themed fortnightly challenges and submitted their photographs on Instagram under the hashtag #PicturingHighStreets. All entries created an unofficial archive documenting a year in the life of the English high street on Instagram, and a selection form this permanent collection in the Historic England Archive.
From March to September 2023, Bristol Photo Festival commissioned leading Bristol-based and international photographers to draw out the stories of Bristol’s high streets and co-create work with the communities who inhabit them. The project, DREAMLINES: Picturing Bristol High Streets, was jointly funded by Historic England and Bristol City Council, and was part of the West of England Combined Authority’s Love our High Streets project.
Mohamed has been collaborating with communities along Stapleton Road, creating a contemporary portrait of the neighbourhood. His process has involved both street portraiture - conducted during Eid celebrations - as well as organised sittings, which offered a space for reflection. In some instances, participants have annotated their images, adding an additional voice to the process.
Mohamed Hassan photographed various celebrations taken place in Stapleton Road during Eid. Hagey jangawel (literally, ‘egg fighting’) is a very famous and popular game played in Afghanistan and Pakistan, especially on Eid days. It is a game played with hard-boiled eggs by two players. One hits the other’s egg with his own; the winner is the player whose egg remains whole and unbroken.
This is part of the Volume: HEC01/128/02/31 Picturing High Streets: Mass Participation Project - Bristol; within the Sub Series: HEC01/128/02 Picturing High Streets: Mass Participation Project; within the Series: HEC01/128 Picturing High Streets; within the Collection: HEC01 Historic England
© Mohamed Hassan
Photographer: Hassan, Mohamed
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