HEREFORDSHIRE LIFE THROUGH A LENS

Sparked by the photographic archive of Derek Evans, Herefordshire Life Through a Lens is a 4-year project that teems with photographs and fascinating stories which record the social history of Herefordshire and includes our two feature-length documentary films: Stories from the Hop Yards and Carousel as well as a major photographic retrospective across six venues.

“Wonderfully ambitious and beautifully realised too.” Daniel Meadows, renowned photographer.

The project set out to explore and make accessible the huge collection of photographs and negatives of Herefordshire photographer Derek Evans. At the core of all the project’s activities was the work to digitise as much of the archive as possible, and to create a brand new set of oral history videos from Herefordshire people about the memories the images in the archive evoked.

The collection consists of 200,000+ negatives, 790 exhibition images, hundreds of prints, scrapbooks full of newspaper cuttings, photo journals, and daily log books of the studio’s activities.

The project involved volunteers, trainees and internships, which offered career pathway opportunities to people from the county. The wider Herefordshire community were involved in the project, including targeted groups: disadvantaged young people, migrant workers, showmen, Romany travellers, students and older people.

Head over to the project website to see the full-scale of this ambitious project. Funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

3 paid internships roles & 20 core project volunteers roles
253 one-off volunteers
112 video oral history interviews recorded and made available online
2 feature-length documentaries
34 school groups visited the county archive & made heritage films
906 pupils at school film screenings
4,738 people at 54 screenings of 2 feature-length heritage films
1500 DVDs distributed
180 DVDs, 120 postcard packs and 15 A3 workshop cards distributed free to dementia groups
6,104 Derek Evans images digitised, and scanning still continues
36,320 exhibition visitors to 17 photographic exhibitions.
Social media stats 1.6K Facebook followers with posts frequently reaching 2-4k people
£51,000 ‘in-kind support’ and £54,560 worth of volunteer input.

"Wonderfully ambitious and beautifully realised too"

Daniel Meadows, renowned photographer
“Catcher’s approach to heritage is outstanding; the quality, accessibility and beauty of their work means that the community are drawn to their projects”

Hannah McSherry, Herefordshire Council
"As well as working with a wide range of Herefordshire heritage, arts and community organisations, Catcher Media has been committed to boosting skills, employment and economic development within the county."

Jenni Waugh Consulting Ltd.
"We have worked with Catcher Media for many years on several diverse cultural and heritage projects including large heritage projects of regional and national importance and we have come to rely on their expertise"

Jan Nesaratnam, Senior Librarian at Herefordshire Library Service
Our collaborations with Catcher Media have been hugely valuable in the cultural life of Herefordshire and the wider region."

Jon Chedgzoy, Museums, Libraries & Archives Manager at Herefordshire Council
"Catcher Media have made a vital contribution, not just in our county but to the heritage, culture and arts of this country as a whole"

Rt Hon Jesse Norman MP, Member of Parliament for Hereford & South Herefordshire
"The powerful and beautifully produced films reached huge, enthusiastic audiences that crossed generations and brought the past to life"

Rhys Griffith, Senior Archivist at Herefordshire Archive and Records Centre
"Catcher Media's oral history projects just get better and better."

Audience member 
"We often have people coming here with cameras but you are interested in us, and what we are actually doing."

Marcin Lisowski, Polish migrant worker
"I firmly believe that to honour our ancestors is a very special thing, to bring them to life."

Raine Geoghegan, Romani poet

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