Picture This: Hope

Exhibition

PICTURE THIS: HOPE

A National Justice Museum Photography Exhibition
From Monday 18 November 2024 - Friday 7 March 2025

FREE

‘Picture This: Hope is’ an inspiring collection of black and white photographs, submitted by professional and amateur photographers from across the UK, that capture the essence of Hope.

We invited photographers from across the UK, whether professional or aspiring, to submit their black and white photographs that capture the essence of Hope.

What symbolises hope to you? Are you inspired by nature's resilience, acts of kindness, or the enduring human spirit? Maybe you want to explore what personal hope means to you, or what it means to society as a whole.

Whether it's the small, everyday moments or grand visions of the future, the exhibition shares multiple interpretations of Hope.

There are three amazing opportunities available to the entrants - The People’s Choice Award, open to everyone and selected by public vote; and two prizes awarded by a panel of prestigious judges - The Creative Residency Prize with a £1000 budget; and The Young Persons Award, open to people aged 10 to 18 years old at the point of entry, with a first prize of £100. The judging panel includes last year’s competition winner Francesca Hummler, London-based artist and writer Anthony Luvera, and ‘Godfather of Black British Photography’ Vanley Burke. Awards to be announced in February with the People’s Choice category open for voting by the public both in person and online through the duration of the exhibition.

"We are delighted by the exceptional quality and diverse interpretations of the submissions for this year's photography competition, all centred around the theme of 'hope.' The collection offers a powerful and emotional journey, with each artist presenting a unique perspective.
By focusing on black and white photography, we aimed to strip the images down to their essence, allowing light, shadow, and contrast to speak more deeply to the theme. The result is a stunning variety of interpretations, from personal stories of resilience to reflections on community and renewal, from the importance of family and nature to moments of found joy, all showcasing the universal importance of hope." Aimee Wilkinson, Head of Creative Programmes

Vote now for the People's Choice Award

The Judges

Anthony Luvera

Anthony Luvera is a socially engaged artist, writer and educator based in London. The long-term collaborative work he creates with individuals and communities has been exhibited widely in galleries, public spaces, and festivals, including Tate Liverpool, The Gallery at Foyles, British Museum, London Underground’s Art on the Underground, National Portrait Gallery London, Four Corners, and Landskrona Foto Festival.

Winner of last year’s Creative Residency Prize, Francesca Hummler is a German-American visual artist, writer, researcher, and curator working with photography currently based in London, England. She received her B.A. in Media Arts and B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of California at San Diego in 2019. She earned a Master's in Photography with distinction for her dissertation, "American Identity and Photographic Healing", from The Royal College of Art in London, England, in 2022.

Vanley Burke has lived and worked in Birmingham since 1965, when he moved as a child to the UK from St. Thomas, Jamaica. Often described as the ‘Godfather of Black British photography,’ Burke is one of Britain’s foremost photographers, renowned for creating powerful imagery that exhibits great empathy for his subjects and challenges negative stereotypes toward British Black communities.

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