This is a rare opportunity to celebrate the photographic activism that came out of Birmingham in the latter part of the 20th Century. Ten.8 became one of the few magazines that had real impact in those times and from being a local publication it grew into an international quarterly that had worldwide impact.
In this talk, Derek Bishton will take us on a visual journey into a key period of photographic activity in Birmingham. Ten.8 magazine started life as an attempt to create a photographic community in the city, to bring together those who were interested in the politics of image-making. The founding group comprised a diverse group of community activists, alternative publishers, academics, documentary photographers and teachers.
Working from a small community design and publishing studio in Handsworth run by Derek Bishton and Brian Homer, the group produced a magazine that grew from a local publication with a West Midlands focus into an international quarterly journal, attracting contributors from around the world and influencing the way photography was taught at degree level in universities and colleges everywhere. Like so many things produced in Birmingham, it is something of a hidden gem.
Next year, Tate Britain is hosting an exhibition called The Critical Decade which has been inspired by the work published in Ten.8, so perhaps it’s time to celebrate.
Derek Bishton, is a Birmingham-born writer and former journalist, community activist, photographer, publisher and internet pioneer. He was one of the founders of Ten.8 magazine in Birmingham. He edited many issues and was a member of the editorial group throughout the life of the publication (1978-1993). He is the author of several books including Black Heart Man and Home Front (with John Reardon). He was director of the Triangle Gallery (1985-87) and in 1994 led the team who developed and launched electronic telegraph, the UK’s first internet newspaper. From 1999-2012 he was Group Consultant Editor at Telegraph Media Group. He is currently working on a book about his work in Handsworth during the 1970s and 80s.
There will be a Q and A after the presentation chaired by Richard Short from Centrala. The bar will be open for refreshments.
Ten.8 and the Critical Decade (1978-1992)
Talk by Derek Bushton
Hosted by Prism, the new photography network for Birmingham and the West Midlands
Tuesday, 11 July 2023 from 1830-2100
Tickets: £3-£5
Centrala, 158 Fazeley Street Birmingham B5 5RT
Book: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ten8-and-the-critical-decade-1978-1992-a-talk-by-derek-bishton-tickets-650063085187
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