Vive la différence
What’s the difference between Wealden and its twin district in France, Pays de Bray?
Two sets of photographers from either side of the Channel, Wealden’s Danehill Photography Group and Club Photographique de Pays de Bray set out to record their impressions of each other regions. With the fresh eye that only a stranger can bring, and a wealth of photographic talent, they have compiled a fascinating record of two distinct communities separated by less than 100 miles, but hundreds of years of history.
From a Volkswagen Beetle parked in the middle of a lake to young cricketers warming up for a game that no-one else in Europe seems to understand, the different groups of photographers have sought to capture the unique sense of place of the two twinned districts.
“When conceiving the project we envisaged pictures of a different scenery, styles of architecture and ways of life,” said David Wilson of the Danehill Photography Group. “What we did not anticipate was the different approach of the photographers, not only between the regions, but within the clubs themselves. We learnt a lot about ourselves as well as each other.”
The photographs resulting from this joint cultural projects have now been drawn together in a exhibition that will tour both Wealden and Pays de Bray, so local people have the opportunity to share the insight into each other’s homes…and their own.
The exhibition is being launched in England, at the Crowborough Civic Centre on Monday August 1, and will continue there until Sunday August 28.
It then moves to the Llama Farm, Wych Cross on the A22 from Tuesday August 30 to Tuesday September 6, and then on to Hailsham Leisure Centre until Friday September 23. That weekend, the exhibition transfers to Pays de Bray, in France.
The project has been funded by a cultural exchange grant from Wealden District Council. It can trace its roots back to 1999, when two Wealden residents , John and Eleanor Mangold, won a competition, jointly sponsored by Wealden & Pays de Bray, for the best idea for a cultural link. The photographs taken on their free weekend trip to Pays de Bray came to fruition in a joint cultural project involving photographers from both districts.
“I am very pleased that groups from two different countries have been able to work together to create this unique record of what is going on every day in the midst of our lives, “ said Councillor Mrs Margaret Kirkpatrick, Cabinet Member for Housing and Community Development.
“We seem to travel so far these days, we sometimes forget what a rich environment we can find on our own doorstep.”
