To celebrate Barnet’s first Pride in the Park on Sunday 20th August, award-winning photographer Chris Jepson took The Identity Project to Barnet and all members of the LGBTQ+ community were invited to participate.
With the aim of reducing stereotypes by challenging assumptions of what this marginalised community looks like, and give young queer people and those from marginalised backgrounds role models to look up to, The Identity Project is a portrait of the LGBTQ+ community and has already exhibited in Brighton, London and Paris as well as online.
In collaboration with Middlesex University, Barnet Council, Inkluder CIC and Barnet Pride, the first photo shoots have already taken place and the project is now recruiting for future sessions to create a collection of stories and portraits of the LGBTQ+ community of Barnet.
Barnet Council Leader, Cllr Barry Rawlings, said:
“We’re thrilled to be celebrating the LGBTQ+ community in Barnet with our first-ever Pride in the Park event and the wonderful photography exhibition led by Chris Jepson.
“We hope that by holding these events and exhibitions, it will help give visibility to LGBTQ+ people in the borough and help to promote Barnet’s diverse and inclusive communities.
“We are a council that cares, and we want to create a safe space for everyone to come together, celebrate their identity, and promote equality and acceptance for all.”
Portraiture is intrinsically intertwined with the concept of identity and the monochrome images encourage the viewer to look beyond the trappings of location and engage directly with the subjects.
Homophobic and transphobic hate crime continues to be a blight in our society. Hate is often motivated by the unknown, and by displaying this exhibition, the project will help improve community cohesion through making visible the depth and similarities in the identities we share.
All families have disagreements and moments of discord, and the rainbow family is no exception, but this project shows that our rich diversity is our greatest strength.