During Justice Week 2021, we wanted to give young people an opportunity to share how the pandemic has impacted on their lives.
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#1, Selection from Justice Week exhibition 2021
Image: Collage by Alice Mutasa
#2, I wanted to capture the perspective of a key worker during lockdown; my mum is a deputy head teacher and this image shows the contrast between normality and the life we are now living. Her isolation is alien, as her office usually has people visiting or meetings taking place.
Image: Charlotte Gunn
#3, The out-of-focus background shows the unclear nature of the damage lockdown has caused. The lack of colour shows how our lives have been drained of happiness and activities we normally enjoy. The key worker represents the resilience of people during these uncertain times.
Image: Charlotte Gunn
#4, A keyworker holding a card; the only colour in the photo that shows even in the most challenging times, we can still find ways to brighten the day. The mask shows how we are keeping our emotions to ourselves as there are fewer people to help comfort us due to isolation.
Image: Charlotte Gunn
#5, The dull colours show the boredom felt by the subject and the blurry figure contrasts with the poster on the wall, a reminder of what youth should be. The reflection in the glasses shows the alien nature of the lockdown, with college closed, increasing the feeling of isolation that younger generations feel.
Image: Eli Blake Stephenson
#6, The vibrant flowers show a glimpse of the happiness we should be enjoying during this time of year. There is a juxtaposition between the figure in the background doing a mundane task and the bright flowers; with happiness and tediousness accompanying each other.
Image: Eli Blake Stephenson
#7, The out-of-focus background shows the unobtainable nature of the outside world with contrast between the figure and the bright sky showing the difference between the life we are currently living and the one we are used to. The figure’s head is just above the shadow, and is looking upwards; perhaps a glimmer of hope in these darkened times.
Image: Eli Blake Stephenson
#8, My submission consists of four pieces of photography, documenting the different weather types seen throughout lockdown.
Image: Elsie Sophie Brianna Lonsdale
#9, The colour images symbolise the time I look forward to the most, the time the sun starts to set and I know that a new day is not far away. The beauty of a sun set is priceless.
Image: Elsie Sophie Brianna Lonsdale
#10, The two images in black and white accentuate the details often ignored with colour. Sunlight still shines despite the pandemic, showing a glimmer of hope, allowing us to leave these dark days behind as we step into a new day and new possibilities.
Image: Elsie Sophie Brianna Lonsdale
#11, The colour images symbolise the time I look forward to the most, the time the sun starts to set and I know that a new day is not far away. The beauty of a sunset is priceless.
Image: Elsie Sophie Brianna Lonsdale
#12, The two images in black and white accentuate the details often ignored with colour. Sunlight still shines despite the pandemic, showing a glimmer of hope, allowing us to leave these dark days behind as we step into a new day and new possibilities.
Image: Elsie Sophie Brianna Lonsdale
#13, A photo of my younger sister on an eerily foggy beach. Lockdown makes us feel isolated and lonely, and you can no longer visit places such as a beach with a group of friends.
Image: Emily Thompson
#14, A self-portrait with white flowers that represent hope and peace which are a contrast to the visible side of my face and how much of a struggle mental health problems can be when feeling isolated during lockdown.
Image: Emily Thompson
#15, A self-portrait representing hope and love with the red flowers, showing that even in dark times there can be light. Lockdown has been really hard for everyone, especially those battling mental health issues but I wanted to end my submission with hope and positivity.
Image: Emily Thompson
#16, Three images captured at Saltburn beach. They show the dullness and the loneliness of holidays during COVID, in contrast to how sociable and enjoyable the holidays would typically be for young people. Each photo is void of colour apart from the colour blue, to help portray the sadness and loneliness felt in these uncertain times.
Image: Eve Ovington
#17, Three images captured at Saltburn beach. They show the dullness and the loneliness of holidays during COVID, in contrast to how sociable and enjoyable the holidays would typically be for young people. Each photo is void of colour apart from the colour blue, to help portray the sadness and loneliness felt in these uncertain times.
Image: Eve Ovington
#18, Three images captured at Saltburn beach. They show the dullness and the loneliness of holidays during COVID, in contrast to how sociable and enjoyable the holidays would typically be for young people. Each photo is void of colour apart from the colour blue, to help portray the sadness and loneliness felt in these uncertain times.
Image: Eve Ovington
#19, These images represent the cold, isolated and lonely lockdown we all endured. Text from an interview about lockdown is used, and filters to present the lonely aura of lockdown.
Image: Farhan Zaheer
#20, In these landscape photographs, objects highlight the contrast in colours between the ground and sky, and between the lovely outdoors we can escape to, and hope for the future, against the cold reality of our harsh winter and the frosty lockdown we have all suffered.
Image: Farhan Zaheer
#21, These images represent the cold, isolated and lonely lockdown we all endured. An unfocused background shot from inside represents a frosty post-apocalyptic land and the outside world.
Image: Farhan Zaheer
#22, In these landscape photographs, objects highlight the contrast in colours between the ground and sky, and between the lovely outdoors we can escape to, and hope for the future, against the cold reality of our harsh winter and the frosty lockdown we have all suffered.
Image: Farhan Zaheer
#23, Collage of five images: These photos are about how unusual the lockdown experience has been; how suddenly it started and the feeling of being gambled with by the government's decisions. The abstract use of light and shadows, and the haze over the imagery conveys the sense of strangeness in going outside, and the feeling of time passing at a weirder pace than it used to.
Image: Holly Gibbons
#24, Young people have been hugely affected by the UK national lockdown. In this experimental photograph my aim was to communicate how many young people are feeling unable to escape online education to help their physical and mental health due to high pressures to not find themselves behind on their learning.
Image: Lana Joy
#25, This photograph is expressing how lockdown has separated me and others and how we almost feel like we are having an out of body experience. Happiness and hope is hard to keep hold of.
Image: Maria Unthank
#26, Holding on to patience mentally during lockdown whilst hearing things through social media and the internet.
Image: Maria Unthank
#27, Portraying the mental stress of being in a situation with unanswered questions. Many worries and stresses can affect people in a negative way.
Image: Maria Unthank
#28, People coming together to pick each other up; helping others that may be mentally struggling.
Image: Maria Unthank
#29, This picture is my local river in my hometown; it makes me feel relaxed.
Image: Mia Madden
#30, This picture is another local photograph of the colorful sunset; it makes me feel like there is hope coming.
Image: Mia Madden
#31, This picture was taken on a dog walk; it shows different weather conditions mixed together which can also relate to my emotions.
Image: Mia Madden
#32, My photos are focused on how lockdown is affecting mental health. The two black-and-white ones show the words that the person is hearing in their head and the tape is to portray the idea of the person feeling as though they can’t talk about it.
Image: Millie Charlton
#33, My photos are focused on how lockdown is affecting mental health. The two black-and-white ones show the words that the person is hearing in their head and the tape is to portray the idea of the person feeling as though they can’t talk about it.
Image: Millie Charlton
#34, The honey dripping down the face conveys the person feeling like they are melting away. I have edited this picture to a warmer tone to emphasise the mood, as I think heat relates to deep feelings such as anger and pain.
Image: Millie Charlton
#35, "A snapshot of a day in the life of a young person under lockdown rules": Image of my sewing machine. This shows how people, especially students, have a lot of extra time so are taking up new hobbies. This photo is also shot dramatically to heighten the feeling of being in lockdown, even the simplest of things are more dramatic.
Image: Ola Darby
#36, "A snapshot of a day in the life of a young person under lockdown rules: Image of high-heel shoe from beneath a blanket on my sofa. This depicts how different our lives are now, being a student, you want to be going out with your friends and family but now we are stuck inside, regularly on our sofa and under a blanket keeping cosy and warm in winter.
Image: Ola Darby
#37, “Burnt Out”: This shows how lockdown is causing people to burn out due to the stressful situation of the pandemic; worrying about getting or transmitting coronavirus as well as keeping up with our education. Nearly everything we do now is on screens, so a digital burn out is also likely. The flame and matches so close on the face represent how we’re being exposed to coronavirus daily.
Image: Tilly Wreford-Sinnott
#38, “Fragile”: The face mask is associated with the pandemic. They keep us safe but could actually impact us mentally because we are unable to portray our emotions freely. The mask helps to hide any mental health struggles we are having and cannot seek support from the people around us. ‘Fragile’ shows that our mental wellbeing is increasingly affected as the pandemic continues.
Image: Tilly Wreford-Sinnott
“Panic”: This picture highlights the negative effects of lockdown. ‘Panic’ conveys the idea of the constant unknown, and how having been in lockdown so long we have become uncomfortable in social settings and our worry about contracting coronavirus. The word written on his forehead also highlights how mental health struggles often go unknown and unseen.
Image: Tilly Wreford-Sinnott
We’re delighted that students from Prior Pursglove Sixth Form college in Guisborough, North Yorkshire took part by sending us photos featured in this online photography exhibition.
It's clear from the accompanying stories that the lockdowns and school closures have had an enormous impact on young people’s mental health as well as their families.
Yet despite the negativity, young people have shown strong resilience, and hope is just as much of a focus in this exhibition.
We encourage you to click on the photos, each personally taken by a student, and read the story behind the photograph.
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