Positive and realistic images of older people in Greater Manchester are to be celebrated through a newly-launched photography competition.
The competition was launched on back on 1st October, which was International Day of Older Persons.
The Old Frame New Picture competition will challenge the negative and stereotyped ways that older people are represented as vulnerable or frail, which is something that has become even more prevalent during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Instead, the competition will celebrate the diversity of older people’s lives and their contributions to society.
Six winning entries will be featured in a digital billboard campaign across Greater Manchester next year, as well as appearing in an online exhibition, and featuring in a set of printed postcards.
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The best images will also form a new bank of photographs for use by local charities and other third-sector organisations in their marketing and communications, which will provide a positive alternative to stereotyped images often used.
There are also cash prizes up for grabs too.
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Professional and amateur photographers can take part by submitting their photograph of at least one person aged over 50, under one of six themes:
Activism
Supporting My Community
Old and proud
Friends and Family
Taking part
Self-Portraits (including selfies)
The judges for the competition include leading photographer Alex Rotas – who specialises in challenging ageing stereotypes through photography – Virginia Tandy, Director of CADA – the Creative Ageing Development Agency – Helen Wewiora – Director of the Castlefield Gallery – Mike Sweeney – BBC Radio Manchester broadcaster – and Jai Chuhan, who is a visual artist, winner of the bolder prize at the Manchester Open, and a member of the Greater Manchester Older People’s Network.
Old Frame New Picture is funded by the Arts Council, National Lottery Heritage Fund and Ambition for Ageing as part of a series of projects harnessing the arts and creativity to support Greater Manchester’s ambitions to be the best place in the UK to grow old.
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The competition was planned before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and organisers have taken measures to make it safe by, for example, encouraging selfies, ensuring photographs are taken at least two metres away from the subject, and encouraging the submission of photographs taken before social distancing measures began.
The competition is being organised by Greater Manchester Ageing Hub, voluntary and community sector support organisation MACC, and Greater Manchester Older People’s Network.
Brenda Warrington – Greater Manchester’s lead for age-friendly and equalities – said: “We want Greater Manchester to be the best place in the UK to grow old, but the last six months have been particularly difficult for older people. Many have struggled because of the disruption to their normal social and work lives have been disrupted. However, older people have also led volunteering efforts in their neighbourhoods, have remained active and resilient, and they have contributed so much to our communities.
“We want to celebrate the contribution of older people to our society and I hope this competition will show that in a positive and realistic way.”
Greater Manchester Older People’s Network member Pauline Smith – aged 72, from Bury – said: “Older people contribute greatly to society and their communities, whether they are still paid to work or if they are retired and are volunteering.
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“Yet they are often presented in stereotyped way – with wrinkly hands, or doddering around on a stick or a Zimmer frame. Of course some people need aids, but this lumps all older people together and it is not a fair representation.
“I hope this competition will produce a series of photographs that shows what older people are capable of, that we are still enjoying life and that we are active in so many ways.”
The deadline to enter by is Friday 13th November 2020, with a cash prize of £50 for third place, £100 for second place and a grand prize of £250 for the winner.
You can find more information about how to enter via the MACC website here.
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The player celebrations from Stockport County’s League Two trophy presentation are glorious
Danny Jones
If you’re a Stockport County fan, you’ve had a very good year as the Hatters have just been crowned League Two champions and will be back in the English third tier next season – safe to say they’ve been making most of the trophy celebrations.
Players and staff very much included.
Edgeley was filled with flares and even people climbing on rooftops when they officially secured promotion back to League One for the first time in 12 years – the second time they’ve managed to go up in three seasons – and there was a great attendance in Stockport town centre for the bus parade.
But it was last week’s trophy presentation back at the stadium that produced some of the most memorable scenes, with County topping off a season of impressive and often high-scoring performances on the pitch with plenty more pageantry. Cue the music.
We still haven’t stopped laughing at Kyle Knoyle.
From bringing Isaac Olaofe’s ‘Tanto’s on fire!’ chant to life to hammering home puns on names like Fraser Horsfall, no matter how obvious, these are the kind of deeply unserious celebrations we expect from a trophy presentation.
County fan or not, you’ve got to admit it looks like a good party.
It’s moments like these that players, fans and staff work hard all season for; to prat around like muppets in front of their adoring supporters. They even got assistant coach, Clint Hill, in the mix and, as it turns out, he proved to be one of the biggest ring-leaders.
We sincerely hope the Hatters keep trickling out more of these party scenes as we know there’s plenty more that fans would love to watch back.
We’re still yet to see captain Paddy Madden, who won Player of the Month for April, and the gaffer himself, Dave Challinor, who has comfortably secured his legacy as one of the club’s all-time greats.
Challinor and the club have made no secret of seriously eyeing up the Championship and who knows what else at County’s momentum continues to build, especially with a huge stadium redevelopment kicking off soon.
What do you reckon, Hatters – do you reckon a third promotion could be on the cards?
Liam Gallagher says he’ll ‘gig in Lidl’ if Co-op Live still isn’t ready – and they sound pretty game for it
Danny Jones
Following the ongoing palaver with Co-op Live, Liam Gallagher has joked that he’d happily play his scheduled gigs in a Lidl if the arena still isn’t ready – at least we think he’s joking…
With Liam Gallagher having been named as one of the first acts booked to play Co-op Live last year, many are now wondering whether the venue will even by June, with the former Oasis frontman set to play four Definitely Maybe 30th-anniversary sets. That being said, he’s come up with a solution if not.
Vintage LG, we’ll give him that.
Obviously a bit of a tongue-in-cheek quip at the venue being sponsored by a supermarket and convenience store chain, it could have been any other competitor that the ever-witty youngest Gallagher brother picked but it somehow made it extra funny that he chose a budget brand like Lidl.
However, with the 51-year-old already having fun with stunts like voicing the tannoys on the Metrolink last year, for instance, we wouldn’t put it past him to take this joke a little further.
Better still, not that we’re getting carried away or anything but Lidl themselves seem pretty keen on the idea too; they even spent the time to build an entire setlist for the fictional show. Fair play.
Can you imagine? Liam Gallagher swapping the occasional tambourine shake for beeps from a barcode scanner as he moves back and forth on the conveyor belt. We know it’s absolute nonsense and we definitely shouldn’t be even remotely considering it… BUT it’s the stuff of dreams and strange things have happened.
A lot of stranger things have happened this week alone. As for the latest with Co-op Live, the Chairman and CEO of key-backers Oak View Group, Tim Leiweke, issued a full statement sharing his “sincere apologies”and insisting that they understand “there is work to be done to rebuild your trust in us.”
With the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, Peter Kay, The Black Keys and more having their gigs pulled by the venue due to numerous issues, including an air conditioning unit falling from the ceiling, fans are understandably fearful that other upcoming events could face delays or general misfortune.
Much like the venue itself, we imagine we’ll be playing catch-up on this whole saga for the foreseeable, but here’s a recap of the story so far: