"Renowned street photographer Niall McDiarmid to capture vibrant spirit of Far Gosford Street"

Foleshill Road will also be subject of UK City of Culture project, Tale of Two Streets



The cultural spirit of two of Coventry’s most diverse streets will be captured in a two-year photographic project commissioned for the UK City of Culture bid.

Tale of Two Streets will see renowned street photographer Niall McDiarmid explore Far Gosford Street, while ten emerging photographers – graduates from Coventry University – will cover the people and places of Foleshill Road.

Far Gosford Street and Foleshill Road are two of the city’s most historically diverse areas, home to many communities including Asian, Afro Caribbean, White British and Eastern European residents.

Niall McDiarmid said: “I’m really excited to be starting a major project documenting the Far Gosford Street area of Coventry over the year ahead.

“Having visited all the major cities in Britain over the past seven years, I am convinced that Coventry is one of the most visually diverse cities in the country.

“If you see me on the street with my camera over the coming months, come over and say hello.”

A specialist in portrait photography, McDiarmid will also be mentoring the new photographers working on Foleshill Road.

He has spent nearly a decade travelling across Britain to document its people and landscapes. His books include Crossing Paths, A Portrait of Britain – which features images taken in Coventry – and Via Vauxhall.

Dr Ben Kyneswood is from Photo Archive Miners, which will be curating the project. He said: “Tale of Two Streets will encourage photographers to immerse themselves in one of the UK’s most diverse and integrated cities.

“They will be collaborating with residents to understand local connections and tensions, and tell narratives of what diversity in the UK looks like today.”

The project comes as the city aims to boost access to the arts across all ethnic backgrounds and cultures.

Coventry City of Culture Trust, which is behind the 2021 bid , has announced plans to generate a 20 per cent increase in black, Asian, and minority ethnic audiences for the arts, and ensure that all local cultural organisations are programming events for diverse communities.

What a load of !

Yep a load of crap as asusual in this city. I think they mis spelt arts should nt that be rats as it over run by them.

City of culture? May God help us!