Birmingham last stop for the 2010 SNAP! Active Photography Exhibition Tour

Friday 14 January 2011

Birmingham Lord Mayor, Councillor Len Gregory, will officially open Mencap's prestigious 2010 Snap! Active photography exhibition. The free exhibition will be displayed on giant cubes at Chamberlain Square from 17- 25 January, 2011. During the exhibition each of the winning images from the competition will also be shown on the BBC Big Screen at Victoria Square.

The inspirational collection, curated by learning disability charity Mencap, is a showcase of 22 award-winning photographs taken either by a person with a learning disability or of a person with a learning disability. In line with this year's theme ‘being active', entrants were asked to submit images and films showing what makes them happy, sad, angry, proud or excited about being active.

Four people with a learning disability from West Midlands won an award in the competition and Pamela Johnson, Mencap community development manager for West Midlands, said: "It is fantastic to see people with learning disability in our area embracing being active in these inspiring images and also that several were recognised for their efforts with an award. 

"Every year the images in Snap! offer a window into the world of the photographer and his or her experience of a learning disability. The ‘active' theme has clearly fuelled people's enthusiasm and creativity, and resulted in some really exceptional images. Birmingham is the last stop on the 2010 Snap Active! tour and I encourage everyone to come down and see this inspirational collection."

The ‘being active' theme was chosen to celebrate the fact that people with a learning disability will now be able to compete in the 2012 Paralympics, following the overturn of a ban that was brought into effect in November 2009.

Mark Goldring, Mencap's chief executive, said: "Mencap's Snap! exhibition has become a must-see event in people's calendars. The calibre of entries we received this year was phenomenal and the exhibition is both moving and technically impressive. What better celebration of the decision to include competitors with a learning disability in the 2012 Paralympics, than these photographs capturing so many people's passion for sport, leisure and the outdoors?"

The visit to Birmingham marks the final stop on the 2010 tour with the winning photographs and their accompanying stories having previously visited Bedford, Liverpool, Bath, Portsmouth and Belfast. The winning images and films from the 2009 tour were seen by over 9 million people.

To view the exhibition's photographs please go to http://www.mencap.org.uk/snap/snap_2010/photo_index.asp  

Snap! Active 2010 is sponsored by FUJIFILM UK Ltd and The Sorrell Foundation and supported by Proud Camden.

-ENDS-

For more information, interviews or request high-res photographs from the Snap! 2010 exhibition please contact Jessica Strudwick at Mencap on 020 7696 6950 or jessica.strudwick@mencap.org.uk.