Epilepsy Action, the UK’s largest member-led epilepsy organisation, is hosting a photo exhibition called “Capturing emotions: snapshots of life with epilepsy”. It aims to raise public awareness and show that there is more to people with epilepsy than the condition itself.
The launch event will take place on Thursday 14 June 2012 at the Free Space Gallery, Kentish Town Health Centre, 2 Bartholomew Road, Kentish Town, from 6.00pm to 9.00pm. The exhibition is free and open to all. It will be on display until 20 June.
All photos exhibited were taken by local people with epilepsy as part of a series of workshops in April this year. These were coordinated by Epilepsy Action, and run by Tom Robinson, a photographer with epilepsy.
Tom was diagnosed at five years old and has witnessed first hand how ignorance of the condition has caused misunderstandings. Tom’s first exhibition ‘I am more than epilepsy’ has been displayed in Birmingham and Manchester, and is rapidly growing.
During the workshops, participants used photography as a medium to explore their feelings about living with the condition. The exhibition displays their photographs and tells stories of what the images mean to them.
Tom said: “The participants photos show that having epilepsy doesn’t stop you from having a full and active life but also highlights some of the areas in which change is still needed. By improving understanding of epilepsy, we hope to reduce needless fear of the condition and combat the stigma that is sadly sometimes still associated with it.
“We made every effort to ensure that workshop participants were as representative as possible of all individuals with epilepsy. We are very grateful to everyone who participated and shared details of their lives and experiences with us. If you feel that your story would add a new dimension to the project, we would be eager to hear from you.”
Marie Edgar, Epilepsy Action’s manager for south east England, said: “The launch event will give people chance to have a drink and explore the intimate portraits of many people with epilepsy. This exhibition has been a real success and we would like it to grow further. Tom’s photos are excellent. He will be on hand at the launch event to photograph anyone with epilepsy who would like to be included in the exhibition. We would like to say a huge thank you to the Free Space Gallery for their support.”
Epilepsy is often very misunderstood. This can cause social and employment issues. There are over 40 different types of seizures. What one person with epilepsy will experience, others may not. Epilepsy can happen to anyone at any time from any walk of life.
For further information about the work of Epilepsy Action, please visit www.epilepsy.org.uk or call the Epilepsy Helpline freephone 0808 800 5050.