A new photography project featuring a Salford garden has been launched.
Three socially engaged photographers have joined the Offshoot Salford photography project, a new creative partnership between the University of Salford, RHS Garden Bridgewater and Open Eye Gallery.
The project links creativity, wellbeing and nature, pairing artists with local communities to explore photography as a tool for connection and self-expression. The initiative is supported by Arts Council England through public funding from The National Lottery.
Anoosh Ariamehr, who is currently studying on the joint Socially Engaged Practice MA with Open Eye Gallery, has been working at RHS Garden Bridgewater since late summer 2025.
He said: “My work weaves together storytelling and visual practice, especially with refugee and displaced communities, to explore themes of identity, belonging, home and untold stories that often go unheard.
“Through the RHS Community Garden residency, I’m excited to explore how people’s relationships with nature can heal, connect and empower. Working alongside diverse community groups in the gardens, I believe photography becomes a means of both reflection and transformation – offering space for individuals to express their connection to the natural world.”
Liz Lock, a Greater Manchester-based photographer, was appointed in August 2025 following an open call. She will work with Salford Youth Service to deliver creative workshops.
“I’m a photographer who enjoys documenting the lives of people in and around the North West of England and the landscapes they inhabit,” she said. “I especially love working with portraiture and see it as a chance to spend a unique moment with someone.
“I’m very excited to be selected for this opportunity to work alongside young people in Salford. Much of my work already focuses on what it’s like to be a young person today, and I can’t wait to start running the photography and storytelling workshops.”
Fiona Robinson, who also studied on the joint MA, joined the project at RHS Garden Bridgewater in late summer 2025. She works with wellbeing and community groups, including participants attending socially prescribed programmes.
Robinson said: “After studying ecology and working in environmental conservation, community development and public health for about 30 years, I’m now concentrating on my socially engaged photography practice.
“I’m really excited to be part of the Ofshoot residency programme, as working with the wellbeing garden brings together all of the different strands of my varied career to date. It’s such a beautiful space, and the staff, volunteers and community members create such a calming atmosphere.”
The offshoot Salford photography project aims to nurture creativity, build new opportunities and strengthen community connections through art and storytelling.
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