Three people and a dog walking past a building with Picturing High Streets images being exhibited in the windows.
Picturing High Streets in Hastings © John Cole
Picturing High Streets in Hastings © John Cole

Picturing High Streets Outdoor Exhibition

Historic England and Photoworks present the Picturing High Streets outdoor exhibition, touring towns and cities across England from March 2023.

Since September 2022, people across England have been sharing their high street photos with Historic England on Instagram as part of Picturing High Streets, a project to celebrate and document the high street of today.

In January this year, a panel of judges including designer and retail expert Wayne Hemingway, renowned artist Camille Walala, Ben Hope, Clear Channel’s Marketing Director, and Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England, chose a selection of more than 60 winning images from the thousands submitted by the public. These will be exhibited in different spaces and formats across England from March 2023, from panels in Bristol to window vinyls in Middlesbrough, to projections outside The Photographers' Gallery in London, and on Clear Channel advertising space across England.

The collection presents a snapshot of a year in the life of the English high street, documenting and celebrating the people, places and stories it holds. 

Visit the exhibition near you

Stoke-on-Trent

25 August to 5 November
Shop windows featuring a selection of winning images are on display at Level 5 at The Potteries Centre and Lamb Street in the city centre, opening as part of Appetite’s festival The Big Feast Festival.

The exhibition will also feature Natalie Willatt's images, developed with the local community as part of a photographic residency in Stoke.

Walsall

2 September to 1 October
An outdoor exhibition on Gallery Square in the city centre featuring a collection of photographs presenting a snapshot of a year in the life of the English high street.

The exhibition will feature three winning images from Picturing Walsall, celebrating what is special, unusual and unique about Walsall's high streets.

You can also see the winning images appearing on outdoor advertising screens across England from March 2023 onwards. 

Past exhibitions

  • Derby
    Outdoor exhibition in Derby City Centre as part of FORMAT23 International Photography Festival
  • London
    Projections at Soho Photography Quarter off Oxford Street, outside The Photographers’ Gallery
  • Bristol
    First stop of the touring exhibition featuring over 60 winning images comes to Merchant Street, Bristol
  • Norwich
    Second stop of the touring exhibition featuring over 60 winning images displayed outside The Forum, Norwich
  • Bradford
    The penultimate stop of the touring exhibition featuring 60 winning photographs alongside Picturing Bradford, animating windows in City Park, Darley Street, Godwin Street, and the Kirkgate Centre.
  • Middlesbrough
    Shop windows at 28 to 33 and 31 to 22 Albert Road, outside the Cleveland Centre and at Hillstreet Shopping Centre.
  • Hastings
    Shop windows at Holden & Co, 32 to 33 Robertson Street and Rock House, 49 to 51 Cambridge Road
  • Prescot
    An outdoor exhibition in the windows of Prescot Shopping Centre.

Please click on the gallery images to enlarge.

Take Part

Remember the project continues until 30 September 2023, so you can still submit your high street photos.

Find out more

Supported by

HM Government
Heritage Fund logo
Arts Council
Format Quad
Grain
Impressions Gallery
Open Eye Gallery
Photofusion
The Photographers' Gallery
The Photographic Collections Network
Photoworks
Redeye
ReFramed
University of the Arts London
Clear Channel logo