The treasured memories of Newcastle-under-Lyme's older residents have been recreated for a special photograph exhibition at Newcastle's Belong Heritage Gallery.

The gallery, on Lower Street, is showcasing the artistic efforts of residents of the Belong care village who have been getting to grips with learning a new skill for the project thanks to the tuition of visual artist Ruby Nixon.

Happy life moments from childhoods, weddings, and even wartime camaraderie have been brought to life using cyanotype photography, a camera-less technique involving laying an object on paper coated with a solution of iron salts before exposing it to ultraviolet (UV) light and washing with water. It is a common method for creating blueprints and technical drawings.  

Josephine Mollison, general manager at Belong Newcastle-under-Lyme, commented: "Our village doors are always open to the community, though this week we're placing an extra special focus on welcoming those who are interested in finding out more about our dementia support.

"The focus of Dementia Action Week is to raise awareness of the importance of an early diagnosis for people affected by dementia and we're here to say you don't have to go it alone – it might be you, your partner, or a parent who has had a diagnosis. Or, you might be thinking a diagnosis is needed but not sure how to go about it.

"As a dementia specialist, we have a number of services available to the community at no cost, and you don't have to be a resident here to access them. So, this Thursday, drop in to the village, say hello and we'll be ready to offer a helping hand."

The free exhibition is open to the public, alongside other exhibitions documenting the area's rich cultural history, including modern circus and the building's history as the town's only pottery, and more recently, Maxims nightclub.   

Emma Palin, experience coordinator at Belong Newcastle-under-Lyme, said: "Our residents really enjoyed sharing their personal memories and reminiscing – they got a lot out of it.  

"Discovering a new type of photography also proved a hit, learning about the process and ultimately, they gained a new skill and revelled in expressing their creativity. 

"We invite everyone to pop in to see the fruits of their labour and meet with our residents to find out more."  

A stunning 30-piece white and Prussian blue collection of images takes pride of place in the landmark heritage gallery, integrated within the main care village. 

Facilitated by GRAIN Projects, an arts organisation specialising in socially engaged photography, the wider project brings together Staffordshire people and artists with the goal to both support and promote better health and wellbeing and inspire its participants and audience, culminating in a series of pop-up exhibitions across the county and a project magazine.  

John Yarwood, Belong Newcastle-under-Lyme customer, said: "I really enjoyed the project. It was exciting to try something different and to it all come together in the form of an exhibition is wonderful."

The project is funded by The Community Foundation for Staffordshire, Staffordshire County Council, and Better Health Staffordshire, with other artistic endeavours including photo-walks, crafting, lumen printing, photography, memory conversations and collage. 

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