Central to my idea for this project is to record what we told the careers officer before we left school, and to show our individual journeys to where we are now. My aim is that the portraits will document the fishing community we grew up in and how this has changed and diversified within our lifetimes. My hope is that the project will reflect not only our local area of Mallaig, but also the West Highlands and Scotland as a whole, and, that it will be used educationally to reflect current opportunities.

What we'll deliver:

• A PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION TITLED MY CLASS @ 50 AT THE HERITAGE CENTRE, MALLAIG
• A RADIO SCOTLAND ARTS FEATURE WHEN THE PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION OPENS IN 2018
• AN INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY FILM ABOUT THE PROJECT ONLINE, OR ON BBC SCOTLAND

Why it's a great idea:

The project already has an agreed exhibition venue and launch date of Easter 2018 and by next month I will have photographed and interviewed 22 of my 29 classmates with all photography completed by the end of this year. Filming has already taken place for the documentary and a submission for this to be shown on BBC Scotland has been completed. The breadth of jobs and stories my former classmates have told me are amazing. There is a jet setting shepherdess, a guy who ran cross-county for Scotland, the youngest fishing boat skipper in the Scottish fleet, a classmate who went to prison for being a member of the Scottish National Liberation Army in the 1980’s and another is now the Deputy Head of our old school – and that’s just a few! I believe that we reflect Scottish society; all our industries and life. Tourism, the NHS, fishing, the oil industry, carers, finance, art, construction, travel, education, employed and self-employed. Most still live and work in Scotland.

Steps to get it done:

• Photographing a minimum of 24 out 29 former classmates

I am passionate about portraiture photography and have dedicated myself to undertaking projects I believe in. Since 1996 I have photographed and produced 4 exhibitions, 3 of which have been exhibited as solo exhibitions at the National Portrait Gallery in London. My first exhibition BLACK POWER, profiled leading Black professionals. The second exhibition featured Scottish Actors and Actress and was Exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery in London and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh. My third exhibition represented black actors and actresses and lastly my exhibition, The Pink Portrait, profiled many leading LGBT film creatives. All the exhibitions have been exhibited extensively in this county and abroad, and used as educational, social and cultural documents. Further information about my exhibitions can be found here: http://bygoshphoto.co.uk Or by searching for: Black Power Scottish Actors Black Actors The Pink Portrait