Interactive story-telling exhibition launches
A multi-sensory exhibition has officially launched as part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival.
The Chapters of Our Lives, produced by Janet Douglas, founder and CEO of the social enterprise Feed My Creative, is an interactive tactile textile project capturing the stories of 10 Birmingham-based artists, musicians, creatives, and influential people in the entrepreneur 's life.
The installation features photographs printed onto conductive material and threaded with wires that, when touched, play the story behind the photograph through a speaker.
At the launch event, Janet opened the exhibition saying: “The dash between the year we are born and the year that we die are the chapters of our lives. ”
“It 's all about having a photograph that tells a story. ”
She went on to speak about one of the most important photos of the entire exhibition: the photo of her late father.
She said: “I look at that [photo] as an iconic photograph; it 's my favourite photograph. We regurgitate it every birthday, every Father 's Day, on the anniversary of his passing - he died in 1994. ”
Janet encouraged guests to contemplate their own iconic photos and said: “It 's all about getting those photographs out of those boxes that we have hidden in the loft, in the cupboard under the stairs, wherever.
“Take those photos out and have a look at them, have a reminisce, talk to the people that are in them, talk about the family members who have passed on - let 's get these stories back.
“We 've all got chapters; we 've all got a story to tell; we 've all got a book. ”
Among the exhibitors are Jay Blades MBE, a modern furniture restorer and eco designer notable for the BBC One programme The Repair Shop and Annalize Butler, an aquatic tutor and director helping the black community into swimming.
Annalize 's work aims to break down the barriers that isolate black people from access spaces and whose successful take-up in London has allowed her to branch-out to the West Midlands.
Guests were also encouraged to contribute their own story to the exhibition by answering questions such as: 'is there anything you would have done differently while you were growing up? ' to a postcard wall.
Speaking about the process in the lead up to the launch Janet said that it had been a challenging six months.
She said: “I know every single day that I 'm doing that much more than I did yesterday. ”
“Even the journey that I 've been on with Feed My Creative, it 's never been just about the sewing.
“I love textiles and tech. You 've got negatives and you 've got positives. The negatives aren 't going to work without the positives and the positives aren 't going to work without the negatives. To have a positive outcome we need to have a negative.
The Chapters of Our Lives is a highlight of Janet 's career, she added: “This is the biggest thing that I 've done to date.
“This is one of the chapters I can tell; I did my first exhibition when I was 49 years old. ”
The exhibition is open 11am - 7pm until Sunday at Iron House, 174 Great Hampton Row, B19 3JP.
Find out more about The Chapter of Our Lives here.
For more information about Feed My Creative, visit: https://www.feedmycreative.com/
Pictured: Janet Douglas at the launch event of The Chapters of Our Lives