“Through Our Lens”, a week-long exhibition by Photography students from New College Swindon, has transformed a unit near the main entrance into a gallery space showcasing work exploring identity, emotion, feminism, wildlife, grief and neurodiversity.
The exhibition places the work directly in front of thousands of shoppers and visitors, giving students a rare opportunity to publicly exhibit their photography in a real-world setting.
The exhibition, which runs for two more days until Sunday 17th May, has been created by students studying the BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Photography at the college’s Queens Drive campus.
Among the students exhibiting is Connor Tregear, whose series “Imperfect Portraits” explores individuality, emotion and identity through portrait photography.
Connor, who is autistic and has dyspraxia, said photography had become a powerful way to express himself creatively.
“I pick up the camera without expressing myself,” he said. “My work is about celebrating us as people, what makes us unique, our flaws and unique quirks and traits.”
He added:
“Because I’m neurodivergent, it allows me to see and think differently than other people can.”
Connor, who plans to continue studying photography at university later this year, said the course had given him confidence and opportunities he had not expected.
“You get a lot of opportunities, from trips, guest speakers and work experience,” he said. “Photography is open to adaptation. You can take pictures of just about anything or anyone.”
Fellow student Melodie Dart’s exhibition piece, “Into Your Surroundings”, focuses on wildlife photography and the calming presence of nature.
Inspired by wildlife documentaries and photographers she follows online, Melodie said photography had allowed her to experiment creatively while developing her own style.
“It’s really freeing to be able to experiment through a camera,” she said. “For many people, it’s a good way to process emotions.”
She added that legendary broadcaster Sir David Attenborough had been a major inspiration behind her passion for nature photography.
Student Sam Aspinall, whose work “Illuminated Identities” explores portraiture and expressive lighting techniques, said the exhibition demonstrated how personal photography can become.
“It’s showcasing our work with the theme of ‘Through Our Lens’,” she said. “Some people have channelled grief through their lens, or their love for animals through their lens.”
Sam said the course had helped students move beyond technical skills and develop their own creative voice.
“In the second year it’s about developing your work and creating a portfolio and social media,” she said. “Then for the exhibition we had to go and take photos of what the theme meant to us.”
The exhibition also highlights the growing role creative education is playing within Swindon, with increasing numbers of young people using photography, art and digital media as pathways into university and creative careers.
Matt Butcher, Vice Principal, Commercial Skills & Partnerships at New College Swindon, said public exhibitions like this were vital in giving students confidence and visibility.
“These students have worked incredibly hard over the last four months preparing for this exhibition,” he said. “From developing concepts and editing their work to curating and presenting it publicly, they’ve embraced the entire creative process.”
He added:
“Opportunities like this give students genuine experience of exhibiting professionally and engaging with the public, while helping showcase the creative talent we have here in Swindon.”
The exhibition is open daily from 10am to 6pm until Sunday 17th May at Swindon Designer Outlet, next to Sunglass Hut.
To find out more about Photography at New College Swindon you can visit their website.
