We are Wolverhampton - a portrait of a city.
This is a portrait of Wolverhampton through its people. It includes extracts of conversations about what the city means to different individuals.
The project is very much in its early stages, I am continuing to work on the project and aiming for an exhibition later in the year. I hope that in a small way it will encourage some more dialogue and understanding in the city.
What does Wolverhampton mean to you, and would like to be involved in this project? Please feel free to get in touch.
Kom
“What I love about Wolverhampton people is that everyone wears their heart on their sleeve, we’re not pretentious, we’re real and you can just connect with people straight away, I really love that.”
Simon
“Wolverhampton, it’s not perfect by any means but I think it’s more perfect than lots of other places I could think of, and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”
Moya
“It’s a lively city, people are very friendly, and there’s a lot of things going on, but sometimes they’re a bit under the surface, I love it’s diversity.”
Victoria
“It’s an interesting place, and there are places that you can go, and you meet interesting people as well.”
Nataliya
"My name is Nataliya, I came to Wolverhampton 20 years ago from the Ukraine.
Wolverhampton is the place where I become an artist. The Art Gallery is one of my favourite places to visit. I proudly call myself an artist from Wolverhampton.
I like my town and I can see there is a slow positive movement to make it a better place for everyone.
I still hope for the best for my town."
Debbie
Wolverhampton seems like a town that is "feeling a little bit sorry for itself".
Debbie is an artist who developed a passion for washing lines in art during the Covid lockdown, so we really had to include one in the photo!
Obaida
“We are a tight knit community, it’s a place where if you need some help someone will always be there for you, that’s the experience I’ve had.
I was born in Wolverhampton, lived here all my life. So my parents used to own a corner shop opposite the Molineaux, so we had a shop right in the heart of the community. We went to school locally, went to Mosque locally, everyone knew everyone, it was a really tight community."
Garry
“Newhampton Arts Centre is possibly now my favourite venue for taking music photographs, they have a good stage, good lighting, great sound, great people.”
Julia
"I've been a Wolves supporter all my life and there's no greater feeling than the city coming alive on match day.
I love how multi cultural the city is and its friendly people and as a photographer I love capturing its historical buildings.
I'm always delighted to say to people that Wolverhampton is a Proud Fairtrade Community."
Simon
"Wolverhampton is my birth place and what I call home and as the saying goes 'home is where the heart is'. I love our City for the history and heritage and the part we played in the industrial revolution forging the industries of today."
Graham
“Wolverhampton is my home. Since I moved here about ten years ago it’s become the source of inspiration for much of my creativity.”