‘Us and Them’ - Phase 2 Update

Since our last update in October, the Us and Them collaboration with theatre troupe Freewheelers has completed its second round of portrait pairs (with a new enabling grant from the National Heritage Lottery Fund). It has been an absolute joy to work with over forty members of the group on a new series of portrait photographs, pairing members of the Freewheelers with patients recorded in the Epsom Cluster’s salvaged casebooks.

For this series of portraits, the Freewheelers attended several day-long sessions at the Surrey History Centre. Working directly with SHC public services and engagement manager Julian Pooley, part of the team that first recovered the Epsom records from dilapidated hospital buildings in 1995, the Freewheelers were able to explore the full range of patient casebooks in their own time. Julian also gave presentations on the broader historical context of the archives, homing in on particularly thought-provoking patient stories.

Julian remarked that, despite having worked with the materials for over thirty years, this collaboration has exposed him to new aspects of the historical records, as well as different approaches to archiving. Emma has also reflected on the impact of this project on her practice:

“This phase of Us and Them has reinforced my understanding that sustained, intensive portrait-making creates the conditions for trust, agency, and co-creation within the photographic encounter. Working with the same wet plate collodion process used in the historical records has underlined how radically different outcomes can emerge when people are afforded presence, care, and authorship in the making of their image”.

Taking time to thoroughly investigate the archives and learn more about the Cluster’s broader history has allowed the Freewheelers to find even stronger portrait pairings, matching specific aspects of their own lives, experiences, and struggles with those of the patients. Combining this deep dive with a greater number of participants and the creative range of portraits has been truly inspiring.

Horton Nine Thousand project lead Alana Harris was able to join many of the sessions, exploring the casebooks alongside the Freewheelers and getting a behind-the-scenes look at the new tranche of portrait making. Alana was particularly struck by how the Freewheelers have been navigating the problematic histories of the Epsom Cluster, especially the outdated language found in the casebooks. Us and Them has certainly brought several complex ethical questions to the surface, not only in terms of the language and treatment of the past, but how the members of Freewheelers can be empowered to co-produce with academics and artists as equal partners and in ways that foreground their diverse voices and experiences.

When working with a diverse group of people with a range of mental and physical disabilities, including people who are non-verbal, it is not only important to obtain consent, but to ensure that there is both mutual understanding and a genuine sense of investment and ownership. Fortunately, Freewheelers have been nothing less than welcoming and enthusiastic since the project began.