Founded in 1983 as a community photography initiative, Belfast Exposed Photography now functions as a gallery for contemporary photography with emphasis on commissioning and publication of new work. It holds a community photography archive and runs an extensive educational outreach network.

The production of socially and politically engaged work and dialogue is the driving force behind all aspects of the Belfast Exposed project. A policy of project origination and publication, the exhibition, screenings and talks programme and provision of photographic facilities and training all fuel this process.

Belfast Exposed has traditionally focused on the development and exhibition of community photography. Through training it continues to encourage local communities to use photography to record and understand their environment. It has compiled an archive of half a million images, a proportion of which are accessible online.

The Cathedral Quarter sees the opening of a brand new gallery when Belfast Exposed launches its second gallery space, Belfast Exchange, on Saturday May 1st.
 
Belfast Exchange will house and animate the Belfast Exposed photographic archive that dates from the late 1970’s. This unique collection of photographs presents Belfast’s recent history through the eyes and lenses of some of the key players - Northern Ireland’s communities.
 
Comprising of a social and political record of a turbulent period, there are half a million individual images on film and slide.  Over 2,000 images have been digitized and can be viewed via an interactive browsing system, available in the new gallery.
 
Following its launch Belfast Exchange will become a focus for a whole range of events and activities, designed to bring the photographic collection to life and will eventually show a permanent exhibition of archive images.

Run by local curators, Brown&Bri, the gallery will be hosting a series of events throughout the Cathedral Quarter festival and beyond.
 

‘We have built a welcoming space, and the programme we have designed is all about bringing locals and visitors together to enjoy the magic of photography and storytelling through images’.

Belfast Exposed Director Pauline Hadaway says, ‘Although many of the photographs are challenging and thought provoking, we want to combine serious conversation with hospitality and fun. ‘

Belfast Exchange will open on Saturday 1st May, from 6pm – 9pm.  The digitized archive will be available for people to browse, view a selection of photographs from the archive, and meet the curators to learn their plans for opening up the gallery and archive to the public, communities, and artists.