The Real Photography Company are a Bristol-based Community Interest Company incorporated in July 2017, managing Community Darkrooms at St Pauls Learning Centre, Bristol. We are now reopening the Darkrooms following Covid-19 closure, and request all Darkroom users attend a 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 the Summer School page, and our Resources for downloadable guides and video tutorials on all featured processes.
Summer School Online Workshop Participants said:
“This has been fantastic, thank you for a very inspiring and informative workshop- I can't wait to get started :)” Tracy
“Excellent, thank you, it was very interesting and fun!” Valeria
"Been really great today” 😊Jonas
“Thank you So much - Really informative, useful and fun!” Doreen
“Thanks for an informative and inspirational session. looking forward to the next one...” Wendy
"Thankyou, really informative and great to have artist references. Looking forward to trying these techniques with my students" 😊Emma
"Thanks guys! Lots of good ideas looking forward to trying out some these." Sue
"Thanks a lot! Super inspired." Francesca
We aim to revive and refresh traditional and alternative photography, and when our Darkrooms reopen we will continue to introduce new audiences to the wonders of optical science, silver and light. Our inspirational courses, workshops, events and exhibitions open to the public include Black and White Beginners Courses, Supported Darkroom Sessions, Cyanotype Printing and Pinhole Workshops. At present our workshops and courses have been cancelled, or postponed until September; our Workshop page has more details.
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. Now temporarily halted due to Covid-19.
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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
Our spacious, accessible and well-equipped darkrooms are located at St Pauls Learning Centre - currently closed to the public. We aim to reopen in September with new social distancing measures in place and Covid protection inductions. Find out more about our facilities on the Darkrooms page, or email us with any enquiries.
