England’s New Lenses

England’s New Lenses is a photography programme delivered in partnership with Photoworks.

Family sharing their stories and reflecting on photos of ancestors

England’s New Lenses is your chance to explore your heritage through photography, to tell the stories that get left out of the history books, and to help us discover alternative narratives of our history.

We want you to explore your heritage and the ‘heritage of the future’, documenting the people, places, and communities that have shaped you and your life, and the heritage you want to hand down to future generations.

There are two parts to the program and although part one #UntoldHeritage has now completed, we are about to open applications for our Residency programme – so keep your eyes peeled.

stair way leading to daylight

England's New Lenses: Commissions

England’s New Lenses Commission applications are now live!

This is an amazing new opportunity for emerging photographers between the ages of 18 and 25. Four photographers selected for a PAID commission and using an English Heritage site as a creative springboard create a new body of photographic work exploring alternative narratives and new voices of England. We are interested in presenting a diversity of perspectives on heritage, and the notion of heritage sites as places of significance and meaning, where past and present can interact.

Check out the full information about this opportunity here and then apply, you need to sign up to a Picter account (which is free) where you can submit your proposal. A panel of judges including Stuart Lawrence of the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation and artist Mahtab Hussain will look at artwork submissions, and select the four photographers.

The residency will take place from March to May 2021, including research, development, site visits, contact time with a mentor, and production of the artwork.

Apply now!
Grandma sitting on her sofa looking out

England's New Lenses: Untold Heritage

Over the summer we asked you to explore Untold Heritage, thought a number of sub-themes, from your family history (from your immediate family to ancestry and traditions) or more broadly share the untold heritage of your communities (work, industries, places of significance, movements, etc.). To ‘future heritage’, using your camera to explore the current big issues like climate change, lockdown, unemployment, equality and housing.

Through a series of workshops and an open competition, we received hundreds of photos – entries were judged by our panel, with the best being selected for a place in the digital Photoworks Festival in October 2020 and receiving a range of prizes.

We were blown away by the work submitted if you haven’t yet had a look at the winners check them out now.

#UntoldHeritage The Winners

You can still get involved

Every two weeks over summer 2020 we released a new set of resources to help you explore your untold heritage. These resources are still available for you to use to learn and develop your photography skills.

You only need a camera phone – no fancy high-res cameras required. Although the competition is now closed we still want to see your perspective on the heritage that is meaningful to you, so post it on your social media and don’t forget to tag us @eh_shoutoutloud.

View Resources>

Shout Out Loud is partnering with Photoworks to deliver the England’s New Lenses ‘Untold Heritage’ project.

Photoworks champions photography for everyone. We are an international platform, global in reach, and have provided opportunities for artists and audiences since 1995. We do not have a physical venue, but our online channels are always open. Our programme brings new experiences to audiences and opens up new ways to encounter photography.
Photoworks is a registered charity and the only organisation with a national remit for photography in England. Our work is supported by public funding through Arts Council England’s National Portfolio.

Untold Heritage and England’s New Lenses are part of Shout Out Loud, English Heritage’s national youth engagement programme. Shout Out Loud is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Kick The Dust programme. Untold Heritage and England’s New Lenses are additional Kick The Dust activity funded by DCMS through the Youth Accelerator Fund.