Waiting Rooms by Abdullrhman Hassona

Socially engaged photographer Abdullrhman Hassona and members of Cafe Laziz have collaborated to show the diverse culture of St Helens through portraits of people with different immigration and residence statuses. Each image is an introduction to a resident of St Helens and the stories that make a town feel rich with history and experience.

This exhibition is about the places where people pass time, pass on knowledge and practice skills while waiting for the documents and decisions that will change their lives. These can appear at any time and will radically influence each person's relationship to place. Every day and every building has the potential to be monumental but until then, every day and every building is a waiting room. 

The photographs represent people from 13 countries and feature messages in 8 different languages.

Abdullrhman Hassona is an Egyptian visual artist based in St. Helens. A mixed-media social documentarian and educator, he is passionate about capturing people's stories and representing diverse cultures through photography and film.

Waiting Rooms  is part of Photo Here, a programme of socially engaged photographic residencies and exhibitions commissioned by Liverpool City Region Combined Authority as part of this year's Cultural Events Programme. Developed by Open Eye Gallery in collaboration with each of six local authorities: Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral.

Image by Abdullrhman Hassona

About Photo Here

LCR Cultural Events Programme explores life through the lens of diverse community groups in new photographic exhibitions

• 'Photo Here' project part of Combined Authority's 2025 Cultural Events Programme
• Exhibitions set to share the perspective of diverse groups including refugees, LGBTQI+ and D/deaf communities
• Summer exhibitions will coincide with the launch of LCR Photography Awards
• Open Eye Gallery delivering programme in collaboration with Local Authorities

The first of six photographic exhibitions has opened its doors to give a glimpse into life according to some of the Liverpool City Region's most diverse communities.

Delivered by Open Eye Gallery as part of this year's Combined Authority Cultural Events Programme, 'Photo Here' involves groups, including refugees and asylum seekers, members of the LGBTQI+ community and D/deaf and BSL users, telling their stories and the stories of the areas they live in, with the help of professional 'socially engaged photographers in residence'.

Workshops have been taking place across Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral over the last few months, photo collections have been curated and dates for the first three exhibitions have been revealed.

'Not All Who Wander Are Lost' by Stephanie Wynne and Crosby Camera Club was the first to open at Crosby Library today exploring the unique 'feel' of an area and how people respond to a location; the streets, fields, green spaces, coast and places frequented every day.

It will be followed by 'Waiting Rooms' by Abdullrhman Hassona and Cafe Laziz which opens at World of Glass in St Helens this weekend. The exhibition features portraits of people with different immigration and residence statuses with each image introducing a St Helens resident and the stories that make the town feel rich with history and experience.

'Communities of Welcome' by Anoosh Ariamehr and his Knowsley group of merged refugees and asylum seekers launches on 19 June bringing stories of connection, identity and place.

Councillor Mike Wharton, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Business, Investment and Trade said:

"This year's Cultural Events Programme is a conduit for helping create more cohesive communities across the Liverpool City Region.

"Giving the groups involved the opportunity to share their stories and experiences through photography - a medium that supersedes barriers like language - is unifying and can help to substantiate we have more similarities than differences, all of which should be celebrated.

"I hope everyone gets to visit at least one of the exhibitions as they take place across the city region this summer."

Stephanie Wynne, the Socially Engaged Photographer in Residence who worked with Crosby Camera Club in Sefton said:

"It's been a real journey of discovery for a lot of the community involved in the workshop and we have discovered so many aspects about the area we live in, as well as our feelings and connections with the area, that we didn't realise before. Hopefully this is what will be conveyed to people through the exhibition.

"I'd like to encourage everyone to come along, whether they're from Sefton or not, have a look and see what they think too."

Another three exhibitions in Wirral, Halton and Liverpool will get underway from July, along with the launch of the 2025 Liverpool City Region Photography Awards with both 'Photo Here' participants and the wider public invited to enter.

Sarah Fisher, Executive Director of the Open Eye Gallery said:

"We are anticipating some fabulous work to be featured in the exhibitions from our socially engaged photography groups and are delighted to have the opportunity to showcase them across the Liverpool City Region.

"We are also hoping that many of our community photographers will enter this year's LCR Photography Awards which we are working hard to launch in the next couple of weeks. It would be a great achievement, having witnessed the progress of the projects, to see their pictures included."

Upcoming 'Photo Here' exhibitions:

Sefton

Crosby Library
'Not All Who Wander Are Lost' by Stephanie Wynne and Crosby Camera Club
12 June - 24 July

St Helens

World of Glass
'Waiting Rooms' by Abdullrhman Hassona and Cafe Laziz
14 June - 26 July

Knowsley

Kirkby Gallery
'Communities of Welcome' by Anoosh Ariamehr and the Communities of Welcome community group
19 June - 29 August

Wirral

Williamson Art Gallery and Museum
'I'll Tell You Later' by Emma Case and Happy Snappers
16 July - 25 October

Halton

Victoria Park Butterfly House and Garden
Title to be confirmed by Anna Wijnhoven and VPET (Victoria Park Environmental Trust) volunteers
Opening between 4-10 August

Liverpool

MerseyRail Locations and Photography Stands in Open Eye Gallery Atrium
'Residents' by Ming de Nasty and Homotopia
Opening in November

Open Eye Gallery background:

Open Eye Gallery is an independent, not-for-profit photography gallery based in Liverpool. One of the UK's leading photography spaces, it is the only gallery dedicated to photography and related media in the North West of England. A registered charity, Open Eye Gallery believes photography is for everyone and can be meaningful, informing our present and inspiring positive futures. Open Eye Gallery works with people to explore photography's unique ability to connect, to tell stories, to inquire, to reflect on humanity's past and present, and to celebrate its diversity and creativity. Open Eye Gallery is open 10 am - 5 pm, Tuesday to Sunday, 19 Mann Island L3 1BP. Facebook / Instagram / Twitter: @OpenEyeGallery

Artists' bios:

Anoosh Ariamehr is a journalist and photographer. Anoosh received settled status in the UK in 2020 having spent time in refugee camps in Europe following his escape from Afghanistan. He began volunteering at Open Eye Gallery Liverpool in February 2023, where his personality and professional experience in Afghanistan as a journalist and editor combined with his passion for photography opened up a new career in socially-engaged photography. He is now studying part-time for his M.A. in Socially Engaged Photography at the University of Salford, which is delivered in partnership with Open Eye Gallery.

Emma Case is a socially engaged photographer working with local communities focusing on projects that often explore home, identity, memory and place. Emma is interested in building real relationships over time and working collectively, often looking at social issues and their impact but through the lens of changing the narrative through storytelling. Emma is fluent in British Sign Language and has worked with the Deaf community for over 20 years; from support worker with SignHealth to Actress with Deafinitely Theatre. Emma is extremely passionate about accessibility for Deaf audiences and artists within cultural spaces.

Abdullrhman Hassona is an Egyptian visual artist based in St. Helens. A mixed-media social documentarian and educator, he is passionate about capturing people's stories and representing diverse cultures through photography and film.

Ming De Nasty is a queer portrait and documentary photographer working on projects with local and national arts organisations, with work being exhibited widely in the UK. Ming has been a practicing photographer for the past 30 years, blending her work as an artist developed through numerous commissions and exhibitions with extensive work in social engagement, education and outreach. Queerness, nature and ecology are themes that run throughout her recent work.

Anna Wijnhoven is a photographer and creative producer. She currently works in Open Eye Gallery's Schools and Young People programme, ensuring that young people get a chance to creatively express themselves and start a career in photography. She does photography workshops, photowalks and curates exhibitions together with young people.

Stephanie Wynne has worked as a commissioned photographer for over 25 years.

She formed the partnership McCoy Wynne with Stephen McCoy and they collaborate on commercial assignments and personal projects. Stephanie's primary interest in photography is in the broad subject areas of landscape and the built environment, particularly the impacts of environmental change. She has enjoyed a varied career including teaching photography in both further and higher education. Her career has been informed and enriched by her innate interest in people and the environment. In recent years she has expanded her practise by drawing on skills and expertise to produce collaborative, socially engaged projects.