Super respect photos help bridge the generation gap
25 June 2008
An exhibition of photography of east Manchester by the over 60's and the under 21's is being showcased at Urbis.
The photographs have been taken as part of the super respect project to help two different generations from Clayton see the community from each other's perspective.
The exhibition, called East is East, shows how Clayton has changed over time, with memories of the area dating back over 60 years. Growing up in Clayton, the older residents talked of packed Sunday services at St Cross, thriving industry at the Wire Works and the celebration of the May Day walks. Both groups wanted to use their photography to examine the changes that have taken place in the area and the contrasting experience of Clayton's younger residents today.
The photography workshops were run with the help of Unity Radio and New East Manchester, the urban regeneration company that is transforming communities to the east of the city centre. The scheme was part of the super respect initiative aiming to embed respect across communities in East Manchester. The over 60's group was established with the help of funding from Eastlands Homes.
Under Super Respect, Manchester City Council and Greater Manchester Police, working with the community and other partners, cracked down hard on anti social behaviour and low level criminality whilst providing a range of youth activities. The scheme ran for six months from 15 September 2007 in Clayton and Newton Heath. During that period anti social behaviour was down by 12%, criminal damage down 33%, theft from motor vehicles down 5%, firework incidents down 18% and juvenile arson down 20% compared to the same six months the year before.
Manchester City Council deputy leader Councillor Jim Battle said: "This project has made huge in-roads in helping two generations understand each other. It's also helped to develop skills and has produced an excellent exhibition. The achievements of "Super Respect" show how effective the council, police and other partners can be when they work together alongside the community."
Sheila Doran, Chief Executive of Eastlands Homes said: "This is a really interesting exhibition. Just like other areas, Clayton has changed a lot over the past few decades and these photographs capture some very valuable memories. Our residents have really enjoyed working on this exhibition which reflects the different perspectives of Clayton people."
The exhibition is running at Urbis until 7 July 2008.
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