Toynbee Hall– portraits and the blog

I spent some time last month working with the team at Toynbee Hall. The plan was that we would jointly publish a blog which will be used to keep all stakeholders informed about the regeneration process at Toynbee Hall. I will be providing the photographs and writing the texts will be a joint effort. At the end the idea is that we will stage a photographic exhibition…this will be in around 2 years time, so much work yet to do!

The photographs will be interior and architectural images and a series of portraits. The portraiture will include all those impacted by the regeneration – staff,  volunteers, service users, the construction team and so on. The idea is that the portraits will be accompanied by quotations from the subjects.

Graham Fisher, CEO of Toynbee Hall and Carole Macqueen, Director of Operations volunteered to be the first to have their portraits made.

Graham is pictured in the Ashbee Hall which was first decorated by Charles Ashbee, a contemporary of William Morris and leading figure in the English Arts and Crafts movement. Ashbee formed the Guild of Handicraft in 1888 at Toynbee Hall. The dark background is intended to invoke a sense of the past and to refer to the history of Toynbee Hall. Crests of Oxford and Cambridge colleges line the walls. Graduates from Oxbridge were the first volunteer residents.

Carole is pictured upstairs in the hall. From beginning in 1884 until around 15 years ago the upper floors housed the living accommodation for resident volunteers. The regeneration project includes the restoration of these rooms. Carole is situated on a landing part way up the stairs. One of the rooms can be glimpsed through the door the Carole’s right and behind her are stairs leading up the main living areas.

The blog is now live with the first posts up so have a look here.