Jade Vickers

Matthew Smith is a British documentary photographer who is based in Bristol. Matthew Smith studied in London College of Printing and began his photography career by taking images of British culture in the 80’s. Matt Smith has had many exhibitions including:, 'Vandalism - Graffiti, Censorship and Crime - Hereford Photography Festival 2002’  ‘Underground England - The Brewhouse Theatre & Arts Centre - Taunton 1997’ and the most recent exhibition in 2015; Lost in Music - The Print Space - Village Underground - London. Matt Smith is well known for his work photographing the protest and rave scene and attended many of the events including the poll tax demo in March 1990, Reclaim the Streets, The M11 link road protest, G20 protests and Freedom To Party. Matt Smith created a book named 'Exist To Resist' in 2017,  the book explores a social history of free parties and festivals and activism from 1989 to 1997. Matt Smith has gone through his old pictures, in a sense gone back i

Dave Swindells is a British photographer who captured the club scene throughout the 80s. Dave Swindells studied university in Sheffield.  Swindells then graduated and began working and living in London. At the club where he worked he was fired for not doing his job and using the time to take photographs. 1995 was the year that Dave Swindells began capturing people within clubs and started working for ‘Time Out as the nightlife editor ’ - “Time Out Group is a global media and entertainment company. Its digital and physical presence comprises websites, mobile editions, magazines, live events and markets. Time Out covers events, entertainment and culture in cities across the world”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_Out_Group and stayed working with the company from 1986 until 2009. I found many articles about Dave Swindells work, one article which was particularly interesting was on the Aperture website which was written by Sheryl Garrat in January 2020.  What interests me about Dave

  After coming to terms with the fact that there will be no more festivals during the summer of 2020 due to the current circumstances going on in the world I decided to take images of free parties and the party goers and my circle of friends, as they were becoming more and more popular. I have been going to them since I was very young so there is something quite nostalgic about attending such events.  To me it isn't just about the partying and the music its about the people, the people I go with and the people I meet, I am a very sociable person, occasionally shy but once I get to know people I am happy to open up with them, partying has often helped me do so. It is most definitely because of my upbringing that I love being around loads of people, talking and dancing the night away. I have suffered from anxiety since I was very young and being with my friends at parties and festivals has really helped me establish a sense of community and has almost been a remedy for me.  Here are