About the Project
This small project is about listening. Listening to ourselves and hearing other people.
Being alongside young and old, staff and volunteers, parents and visitors, 'A Piece of Me' features the people that visit Spring Lane Community Centre in Canterbury.
It was nothing complicated. I visited the centre, sometimes bringing my uncle Jimmy’s old suitcase filled with objects that had meaning in my life. I then booked some time for one-to-one conversations with people who brought along an object that demonstrated something about them, and then some photos were taken.
I wrote up and edited their words, checking in with all that took part that they were happy with the images and text. Webpages were designed.
I think this work is also about beauty. A beauty that we all have. We sometimes hide it, or it gets covered up, or ignored or abused. There are times though, when we can catch a glimpse of beauty, an insight into other people’s truth, their humanity, and our own.
Tom Andrews, September 2021