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Blog

Annual Schools Photography Exhibition

We The Curious coordinated the “What You Can’t See, You Don’t Know” project, created by GCSE photography students from Bristol Brunel Academy and local photographer Ilayda Akarca.

Published: 27/05/2025

The Annual Schools Photography Exhibition has been generously funded by Bristol City Centre BID, Life With Art and Marks & Spencer for the past few years.

  • Year 11 photography students from Bristol Brunel Academy explored the theme "identity"

  • 28 of the students' photographs were displayed in a free public exhibition on Millennium Square

  • The exhibition showcased how yesterday's surroundings can inspire conversations about who we are today

  • The Year 11 students chose to base the projects on thoughtful and creative explorations of the theme “identity” and attended a workshop at Kings Weston House, capturing representations of themselves as part of their GCSE coursework using the house, grounds, arts and objects of the historic location, as well as photos of themselves as children.
  • The students produced 28 photographs to be used in a free public exhibition on Millennium Square between October 2023 and January 2024.
  • The exhibition offered audiences a unique opportunity to consider how yesterday’s surroundings can inspire conversations about who we are today.
  • As part of the project, the students were welcomed as visitors to The Royal Photographic Society and The Martin Parr Foundation and attended a tour of Pervasive Media Studio to highlight what it can be like to work in a creative industry in Bristol.
  • The exhibition received the interest of the press with online articles and supporting social media.
  • The exhibition was displayed along hoarding facing out into Millennium Square, which worked well as a walkway and space for the public to view the artwork.

 

Student photography piece

Our students' confidence and independence has grown exponentially since working with We the Curious. They have much more belief in their work and themselves, which will benefit them both in school and beyond.
Becky, Bristol Brunel Academy Teacher

This project enabled young people from underrepresented communities to develop their creative talents and share their voice, stimulating curiosity, reignite an interest in learning and foster a sense of community connection. Students saw themselves as photographers, more closely linked to their city and as contributors to the cultural life of Bristol. 

“I felt trusted to produce my own work and explore my ideas.” - Student

The project enabled us to grow relationships with students who might otherwise not engage with We The Curious and science. Through effective engagement we have started to tackle the huge attainment gap between disadvantaged young people and their peers which is starkly clear between different wards in Bristol.

The project was an amazing experience and really taught me loads of different skills in photography. It also gave me many different artists to explore in my work and will give me many different opportunities in my future.
Student

The exhibition was aligned with Bristol City Centre BID’s key goals around driving business in the district but also supported our collective goals to ensure Millenium Square was a welcoming and family friendly space despite our closure.

The process of engaging with our priority schools, professionals and community partners has already had a long-term impact on our partner development and understanding some of the challenges we face in engaging with young people. It will support multiple projects in the future and has focused our thinking on our engagement programs.