Four young photographers who took part in an exciting project to develop their skills will see their work go on show in Pontypridd from this week.
Corey-Leigh Jones, 16, from Clydach, James Bannister, 18, from Llantrisant, Liam Padfield, 16, and Sam Williams, 18, both from Pontypridd, took part in the 2009 Band and Live Performance Photography Project run by Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Youth Arts Project, which is part of the Council’s Arts Development Unit.
The young people were tutored by professional photographer Darren Warner and had the chance to take photos of a range of live music shows, including Sugababes and Only Men Aloud! at Ponty’s Big Weekend in July.
The students produced a series of photographs which will be included in an exhibition at the Muni Arts Centre, Pontypridd, from October 20 to November 7, 2009. The shots will also be published in PLUGGED IN – the Pontypridd-based music magazine, which is now available across Wales.
Darren Warner, chief photographer of PLUGGED IN who is also the official photographer for Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, said: “It’s a challenge to take young, inexperienced photographers and place them in an environment alien to them. The four students on this year’s project took to their performance photography tasks with relish, and this is reflected in the fantastic collection of pictures on the Muni Arts Centre walls.
“From the Sugababes at Ponty’s Big Weekend to rock gigs in Cardiff, they have learned to adapt to make a difficult situation work. I’m proud of the results and will be very happy to publish these pictures throughout the pages of the next edition of PLUGGED IN.”
Liz Driscoll, Rhondda Cynon Taf Youth Arts Coordinator, said: ”Following on from the success of PLUGGED IN magazine, we have teamed up for the second year with the publication to deliver this exciting project. It gives these young photographers such great experience and some fantastic shots for their portfolios, which will hopefully give them a head start if they choose to pursue a career within the creative industries.”
