LONDON.- An exciting new project featuring young people from Clifton, Nottingham, has led to the National Portrait Gallery acquiring portraits of Nottingham icons Viv Anderson, Jake Bugg, Eric Irons and Vicky McClure.

Creative Connections: Nottingham has enabled students from Farnborough Academy in Clifton to work with artist and photographer, Katherine Green, to create new responses to the National Portrait Gallery’s Collection and explore people and perceptions of identity, pride and place.

22 GCSE Photography students were invited to the National Portrait Gallery in London to be inspired by and to research their Collection of portraits of Nottingham-based personalities such as D. H Lawrence, Laura Knight, Samantha Morton, Paul Smith and Becky Downie. The students noticed there were some Nottingham icons missing from the Collection and their recommendations led to the National Portrait Gallery acquiring four new photographs – all of which will be exhibited at Nottingham Contemporary alongside the students’ work.

The students were particularly keen for a portrait of the singer Jake Bugg to become part of the Gallery’s Collection, as he attended the Farnborough Academy and his family still live in Clifton. The newly acquired photograph of Bugg by Julian Broad will be on display alongside a portrait of actor Vicky McClure by Dieter Brandenburg. McClure, who found fame in the films by Nottingham Director Shane Meadows, A Room for Romeo Brass and This Is England, was born in Wollaton, attended Fernwood School and lives in Nottingham with the writer and director Johnny Owen. Nottingham Express Transit has named a tram after her.

A photograph of footballer Viv Anderson by Bob Thomas has also been acquired by the Gallery. Anderson who played for Nottingham Forest, was the first black footballer to represent England in a full international match in 1979. Anderson’s portrait will be displayed alongside a photograph of Nottingham Magistrate Eric Irons, (1921-2007), who became the first black magistrate in Britain and campaigned tirelessly for racial equality.

The Farnborough Academy students worked closely with London-based Katherine Green, who has been mentoring them and teaching them professional photography skills over the duration of the project. The students used these new skills to authentically capture the spirit of the people and places that make up their community. They visited key places and met local people in Clifton, including The Hope Centre, Lark Hill Retirement Village, Clifton Market and Central Park, finding out about the residents’ lives, backgrounds and histories. Their research informs their photography approach, using framing, lighting and technical camera skills, they have been capturing people’s interests and personalities, placing and signifying their role within their community.

As a finale to this project, the students’ work, alongside material from their research into Clifton history and images from the National Portrait Gallery’s Collection will be exhibited at both Nottingham Contemporary and the National Portrait Gallery – giving students the opportunity to see their work on display at two major international art galleries. Students, their families, local people from Clifton and local and national partners will also be invited to both launch events; culminating in a celebration of community spirit of Clifton and our city.

When students visited the National Portrait Gallery in London earlier this year, they were introduced to portraits of inspirational people connected to Nottingham. These included Jesse Boot, Thomas Cranmer, Ada Lovelace, Laura Knight, William Booth, Torville and Dean, Samantha Morton and Carl Froch, among many others. The students selected their favourite images. This provided the inspiration for their own work.

Artist Katherine Green is a social documentary photographer based in London. Her work often focuses on the idea of community and what makes or bonds communities. Her previous works have explored social environments such as sporting clubs, laundrettes and the home. Green has exhibited work at Kettle’s Yard, the National Portrait Gallery and The Lowry.

Creative Connections, devised by the National Portrait Gallery, was launched in 2012. So far, the project has taken place over four different London secondary schools from across four boroughs in east, west, north and south London. This is the first time the project has moved to a national platform outside of London. The project is designed to inspire young people, raise aspiration and pride of their local neighbourhood and support their creative skills development.

The exhibition at Nottingham Contemporary is on display from 19 July – 31 August, 11am-3pm.

The exhibition will then open at the National Portrait Gallery, London from 4 October 2017 – 25 February 2018