16/07/2026
It was a pleasure to present at Kent Arts Conference yesterday. Spending the day in a room full of people who are passionate about the arts. It was a brilliant opportunity to share ideas, and connect with like minded people from across Kent and beyond.
During my presentation, I spoke about my creative practice and how conversation sits at the heart of everything I do. I explored the idea that a photograph can never tell the whole story on its own, and why listening should be recognised as a creative practice in its own right. Every image captures a moment, but it is the conversations around it that reveal people’s experiences and emotions beyond the frame.
One photo I shared was “The Alley Way Kings”, taken last year near Luton Road in Chatham. At first glance, it’s a photograph of three people sat on mobility scooters in a back alley. Without context, it would be easy to make assumptions.
The story, however, is very different.
The photo is of a grandfather, father and son working side by side. Three generations of one family, spending time together while earning a living together. They call themselves the alley way kings, and called me over when they saw I had a camera and insisted I took a photo of them together. Suddenly, the image becomes less about an alleyway and far more about family, pride, connection and community.
That story perfectly reflects what I believe about places like Medway. We don’t ignore the challenges our towns face, because they are real. But equally, we shouldn’t allow those challenges to become the only story that is told.
Across Medway there are countless stories of kindness, and community that deserve to be heard. Sometimes they are found on our high streets, sometimes in community centres, and sometimes in the back streets of Luton Road. If we take the time to stop, and have a conversation, we often discover something far richer than we expected.
A huge thank you to everyone who came along, listened, asked questions and shared their own experiences. Conversations like these remind me why I continue to use photography not simply to document people, but to start conversations that help us see one another differently.
