The Real Photography Company are a Bristol-based Community Interest Company incorporated in July 2017, managing Community Darkrooms at St Pauls Learning Centre, Bristol. The Darkrooms are now open again, following Covid-19 closure, and we request all Darkroom users attend a short free Covid-Safe Induction session - booking via eventbrite.
Monthly Supported Darkroom Sessions are also returning, see our Workshop page for details.
Over the summer, we ran our popular Alternative Photography Summer School, funded by an Arts Council Emergency Grant. See our Resources for downloadable guides and video tutorials on all featured processes such as Room Obscuras, Anthotypes, Chlorophyll Printing, Cyanotypes, Chemigrams and Caffenol, Paper Negatives and more. It's not too late to try our Summer School activities and submit images to a new Online Gallery to be published in November.
Summer School Online Workshop Participants said:
"Thanks so much to you all for the inspiration, ideas and keeping us going over the summer through this weird time. Stay safe everyone!" Sue
"Fabulous workshops - thank you so much!" Sheila
"Thank you so much, enjoyed every minute! will definitely be trying some of this!" Lily
"Thank you to everyone for a great summer school series!" Keith
“Just brilliant, every single one of these workshops have been fabulous and inspirational! :)” Tracy
“Excellent, thank you, it was very interesting and fun!” Valeria
“Thank you So much - Really informative, useful and fun!” Doreen
"Thank you, really informative and great to have artist references. Looking forward to trying these techniques with my students" 😊Emma
"Thanks a lot! Super inspired." Francesca
We aim to revive and refresh traditional and alternative photography, and ensure affordable and accessible high quality Darkroom facilities are available 7 days a week for photographers in Bristol and beyond, with a low cost Membership scheme. Our inspirational workshops, events and exhibitions open to the public currently include Black History Month and Supported Darkroom Sessions. We are now in the process of programming new workshops to introduce participants to the wonders of optical science, silver and light, more details coming soon.
Recent funded community photography projects include:
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Chemistry Workshops with local schools, Cabot, Glenfrome, St Werburghs, St Barnabus and Evergreen, funded by the Royal School of Chemistry.
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Photo-Social Project 2019 - 20 bringing people together for a variety of workshops, talks, exhibitions and other events, funded by the Big Lottery,
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Photography course, workshops and exhibition in 2019 - 20 for the Over 50's Inner City Photographers funded by Bristol Ageing Better,
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School Science Project with five local primary schools 2018 - 19, funded by the Ogden Trust,
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My St Pauls Community Photography Project, 2018 - 19 funded by Bristol City Council, working with local groups including Over 50's, refugees and asylum seekers and people recovering from addictions.
More info in our Project Archive
Find out more about our facilities on the Darkrooms page, or email us with any enquiries.
