Creative opportunity for 16-21 year olds:
Against the Tide is a project which has been travelling across the country to coastal areas to report on the lives of young people, understanding how you feel about the places you live, and some of the challenges you may face.
Led by photojournalist Polly Braden, the project has worked with young people in places as diverse as Blackpool, Portsmouth, Ramsgate and right here in Whitehaven.
The project hopes to shine a light on the kind of changes you need to build a better future. You can have a look at some of the work of the project so far, here, which has been published in The Guardian newspaper.
Against the Tide: Whitehaven is a photography project for young people (16-21 years old). This workshop series places young people at the heart of the project, using photography and conversation to both challenge and celebrate life in Whitehaven, and to meaningfully explore the differences between coastal and inland communities.
Rosehill is proud to be a partner of Cumbria Arts & Culture Network's 'See It To Be It' project, supporting young people to develop creative careers in Cumbria. This project is part of our ongoing commitment to creating more opportunities for young people.
Take Part
We’re looking for ten young people from Whitehaven to:
Celebrate Whitehaven’s landscape, people and places through the eyes of its young people.
Explore and highlight the differences and similarities between coastal and inland communities, delving into the extremely niche aspects that feel very local and only relevant to YOU and YOUR town.
Develop creative skills in photography and storytelling to take forward.
Foster pride, understanding, and ambition within the community.
No previous photography experience or equipment required – you bring your creativity, and we’ll provide everything else!
This project is made possible thanks to:
More information and how to apply
The project involves four workshops, which will take place in Whitehaven.
They will cover:
Dialogue, Discovery, and Documentation;
Portraits – Learning Photography and Self Expression;
Reflection & Fieldwork – Deepening the Narrative;
Exhibition & Reflection – Sharing Our Stories.
All materials will be provided.
A chance to have your work exhibited alongside photography by Polly Braden. The photography exhibition will be presented at the Beacon Portal in Whitehaven in late summer 2026.
Attending the launch of the national Against the Tide exhibition at the Arnolfini in Bristol on 26-27 June 2026 (travel, accommodation and subsistence paid for).
Workshops will take place on the following dates:
Saturday 21 March 2026
Saturday 18 April 2026
Saturday 16 May 2026
Saturday 13 June 2026
All workshops will run from 10:00-13:00.
The location will be Whitehaven town centre, venue TBC.
Zoe Forster is a West Cumbrian Artist whose work celebrates the people and places of Cumbria. She aims to share knowledge and skills with the people she creates work for, championing her community above all else. The importance of providing quality access to the arts for the people she works with is as important to her as creating work itself.
Having studied in London, at Chelsea College of Arts and then The Slade School of Fine Art, Zoe became increasingly aware of the disproportionate lack of working class Artists studying alongside her. This led Zoe back to her community in an attempt to share working-class stories and experiences in a primarily middle to upper-class setting. Many years down the line, Zoe now prioritises projects in which an entire community may benefit, seeing the expanse to which a work can grow and take root, and the good this can do.
Please complete this short form if you’re interested in taking part:
Deadline for applications: Wednesday 04 March, Noon
We have 10 spaces available, so we'll be in touch 7-10 days after the deadline to let you know if we're able to offer you a place.
Project starts: 21 March 2026
Have more questions?
Get in touch with us by phone or email, and we'll be happy to help with anything you need, including support to submit an application.
