Picture This
Mentoring and more for new photographers in Castle Point! 
  
We’re looking for 10 photographers who want to gain new skills in photography, meet fellow creatives and help to document their local area.

All those who take part will be invited to group mentoring sessions with professional photographers Tessa Hallmann and Jack Delmonte. Each photographer will also receive £100 for expenses along the way, plus the chance to show their work in a public exhibition and within Castle Point’s Local Plan. 
  
From 17 May 24 – 31 March 25, we want to support your journey as a photographer, see Castle Point from your perspective and help you to find new creative inspiration. 
 
This offer is part of THIS IS US, a creative programme led by Estuary Festival and Metal commissioned by Castle Point Borough Council. By working with budding photographers, we will build a unique library of images which documents the diverse experiences, people and places of Castle Point Borough. 
 
How to apply: 
Fill in our short application form here  
Closing date is Monday 13 May 2024.  

Who can apply:  

• People who live in Benfleet, Canvey Island, Hadleigh, Thundersley or Daws Heath  
• People who are aged 16+  
• New or emerging photographers – phones, analogue or digital cameras are all welcome! 
• People who can commit to mentoring sessions and networking events (10 sessions max) across the course of a year, held either in Castle Point or online.  

Intellectual property (your images): 
You will retain intellectual rights to your images. Metal, Estuary Festival and Castle Point Borough Council reserve the right to reproduce your images (digitally or in print) and will always credit you when doing so.   

About our project THIS IS US:  
Estuary Festival and Metal are co-leading this 18-month creative engagement programme for Castle Point Borough Council (Canvey Island, Benfleet, Hadleigh, Thundersley).  

Artists who live/work in Castle Point will be commissioned to develop and deliver creative activities with local people to share experiences of living in the borough and aspirations for the future. There will be 6 projects working with a range of communities, art forms and artists. The creative outcomes will be as diverse as the people involved and capture a broad range of perspectives to address questions about what life is like and what it should be in Castle Point.  
  
Commissioned by Castle Point Borough Council, ‘This is Us’ will also provide an opportunity to support, nurture and grow creative networks, as well as making space for new, engaging conversations about life in Castle Point. The creative outcomes of this project, informed by local people, will feed directly into the development of the new Castle Point Local Plan* (CPP). This might be through assets such as print or digital sharings. If featured, the work you develop will be credited to you/your participants wherever possible.  

*A Local Plan guides decisions on future development proposals and addresses the needs and opportunities of a specific area. Local Plans tend to cover housing, employment, shops and areas of potential development.