INVISIBLE BRITAIN BOOK
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Invisible Britain: Portraits of Hope and Resilience reveals untold stories from people who have been left out of the media narrative and left behind by government policy. Featuring the work of some of the country's most accomplished documentary photographers, the book presents people speaking in their own words to create a narrative showing how an unprecedented world of austerity, deindustrialisation and social upheaval is affecting us all.
Invisible Britain is published by Policy Press and edited by Paul Sng, with a foreword by actor and activist Michael Sheen. The book features the work of a number of award-winning and accomplished photographers, as well as some talented newcomers:
Polly Alderton, Poem Baker, Bobby Beasley, Carl Bull, Robert Clayton, Joanne Coates, Inès Elsa Dalal, Laura Dicken, Kat Dlugosz, Amara Eno, Alessia Gammarota, Debbie Humphry, Andrew Jackson, Andrew Johnston, Chloe Juno, Jenny Lewis, Gina Lundy, Kirsty Mackay, James McCourt, Jo Metson Scott, Margaret Mitchell, Les Monaghan, J A Mortram, Nicola Muirhead, Joseph Murphy, Kate Nolan, Cian Oba Smith, Graeme Oxby, Laura Pannack, Jon Pountney, Louis Qual, Gordon Roland Peden, Cindy Sasha, David Severn, John Spinks, Duncan Stafford, Rebecca Thomas, Jon Tonks, Vivek Vadoliya, Dan Wood, Lisa Wormsley and Fiona Yaron-Field.
REVIEWS
“This book illustrates a truth we cannot ignore.”
— Ken Loach
“A beautiful collection – not bleak – a portrait of humour, resilience and endurance.”
— Kit de Waal
"A profoundly important human document, haunting for all the right reasons, and must be read.”
— Alan Moore
“The images in Invisible Britain, together with each personal testimony, document the reality faced by many today, and give honest representations of the people involved and their communities."
— Ella Murtha, The Tish Murtha Archive
“This book powerfully gives voice to the experiences and perspectives of people who we are used to being marginalised and silenced.”
— Jeremy Corbyn
"In an era when the media frequently fails to show the impacts of government policy this kind of book is particularly important."
— Caroline Lucas
“These aren’t portraits of despair. They’re stories of defiance, of fight and of faith that a better country awaits us all.”
— Aditya Chakrabortty, The Guardian
“A collection of tender, beautiful photographs that give dignified people their rightful voice."
— Ros Wynne-Jones, Daily Mirror
“What the eye does not see is what they don’t want you to see, or think over, or act on. Stunning.”
— Danny Dorling, Oxford University
“The portraits within this book offer a visual gateway to the stories of those unheard and invisible in Britain in this moment.”
— Tracy Marshall, Director of Northern Narratives
“These are moving and powerful portraits of people up and down the country whose lives have been blighted by social class inequalities.”
— Mike Savage, London School of Economics
"This project is an important reflection of the reality of austerity measures in the UK.”
— Julie Grahame, aCurator
“Invisible Britain celebrates Britain in all its diversity, but also puts social justice to the forefront.”
— Colin Pantall, Photographer
THE TEAM
Paul Sng | Editor & Project Director
Paul is a filmmaker and writer of dual British and Singaporean heritage whose work focuses on people who challenge the status quo. In 2015 he founded Velvet Joy Productions to explore the lives and work of individuals who have been neglected, marginalised or misrepresented by mainstream media. His first feature documentary, Sleaford Mods – Invisible Britain, is part band documentary, part state of the nation film that followed the band Sleaford Mods on a tour of the UK in the run-up to the 2015 General Election. His second feature, the critically-acclaimed Dispossession: The Great Social Housing Swindle, focuses on the failures and deception behind the social housing crisis, and was released in cinemas in June 2017. Paul’s upcoming projects include Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliché, a documentary celebrating the life and work of the X-Ray Spex punk icon.
Laura Dicken | Curator & Project Manager
Laura is an experienced Creative Producer and photographer. She is committed to social documentary projects that engage with individuals, groups and communities who would not necessarily have access to, or engage with, the arts. Throughout her career Laura has worked on several noteworthy projects that have brought internationally renowned artists to make work in Britain, as well as being involved with impactful regional and local projects. Laura has recently had her own photographic work shown at 'Unseen' in Amsterdam and in three British-based exhibitions in 2017.
Invisible Britain: Portraits of Hope and Resilience has been featured in The Mirror, The Guardian, The Observer, The Independent, Metro, New Statesman, The British Journal of Photography, Dazed, Huck, The Quietus, The Canary, LeftLion and Spectrum
Invisible Britain is published by Policy Press and edited by Paul Sng, with a foreword by actor and activist Michael Sheen. The book features the work of a number of award-winning and accomplished photographers, as well as some talented newcomers:
Polly Alderton, Poem Baker, Bobby Beasley, Carl Bull, Robert Clayton, Joanne Coates, Inès Elsa Dalal, Laura Dicken, Kat Dlugosz, Amara Eno, Alessia Gammarota, Debbie Humphry, Andrew Jackson, Andrew Johnston, Chloe Juno, Jenny Lewis, Gina Lundy, Kirsty Mackay, James McCourt, Jo Metson Scott, Margaret Mitchell, Les Monaghan, J A Mortram, Nicola Muirhead, Joseph Murphy, Kate Nolan, Cian Oba Smith, Graeme Oxby, Laura Pannack, Jon Pountney, Louis Qual, Gordon Roland Peden, Cindy Sasha, David Severn, John Spinks, Duncan Stafford, Rebecca Thomas, Jon Tonks, Vivek Vadoliya, Dan Wood, Lisa Wormsley and Fiona Yaron-Field.
REVIEWS
“This book illustrates a truth we cannot ignore.”
— Ken Loach
“A beautiful collection – not bleak – a portrait of humour, resilience and endurance.”
— Kit de Waal
"A profoundly important human document, haunting for all the right reasons, and must be read.”
— Alan Moore
“The images in Invisible Britain, together with each personal testimony, document the reality faced by many today, and give honest representations of the people involved and their communities."
— Ella Murtha, The Tish Murtha Archive
“This book powerfully gives voice to the experiences and perspectives of people who we are used to being marginalised and silenced.”
— Jeremy Corbyn
"In an era when the media frequently fails to show the impacts of government policy this kind of book is particularly important."
— Caroline Lucas
“These aren’t portraits of despair. They’re stories of defiance, of fight and of faith that a better country awaits us all.”
— Aditya Chakrabortty, The Guardian
“A collection of tender, beautiful photographs that give dignified people their rightful voice."
— Ros Wynne-Jones, Daily Mirror
“What the eye does not see is what they don’t want you to see, or think over, or act on. Stunning.”
— Danny Dorling, Oxford University
“The portraits within this book offer a visual gateway to the stories of those unheard and invisible in Britain in this moment.”
— Tracy Marshall, Director of Northern Narratives
“These are moving and powerful portraits of people up and down the country whose lives have been blighted by social class inequalities.”
— Mike Savage, London School of Economics
"This project is an important reflection of the reality of austerity measures in the UK.”
— Julie Grahame, aCurator
“Invisible Britain celebrates Britain in all its diversity, but also puts social justice to the forefront.”
— Colin Pantall, Photographer
THE TEAM
Paul Sng | Editor & Project Director
Paul is a filmmaker and writer of dual British and Singaporean heritage whose work focuses on people who challenge the status quo. In 2015 he founded Velvet Joy Productions to explore the lives and work of individuals who have been neglected, marginalised or misrepresented by mainstream media. His first feature documentary, Sleaford Mods – Invisible Britain, is part band documentary, part state of the nation film that followed the band Sleaford Mods on a tour of the UK in the run-up to the 2015 General Election. His second feature, the critically-acclaimed Dispossession: The Great Social Housing Swindle, focuses on the failures and deception behind the social housing crisis, and was released in cinemas in June 2017. Paul’s upcoming projects include Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliché, a documentary celebrating the life and work of the X-Ray Spex punk icon.
Laura Dicken | Curator & Project Manager
Laura is an experienced Creative Producer and photographer. She is committed to social documentary projects that engage with individuals, groups and communities who would not necessarily have access to, or engage with, the arts. Throughout her career Laura has worked on several noteworthy projects that have brought internationally renowned artists to make work in Britain, as well as being involved with impactful regional and local projects. Laura has recently had her own photographic work shown at 'Unseen' in Amsterdam and in three British-based exhibitions in 2017.
Invisible Britain: Portraits of Hope and Resilience has been featured in The Mirror, The Guardian, The Observer, The Independent, Metro, New Statesman, The British Journal of Photography, Dazed, Huck, The Quietus, The Canary, LeftLion and Spectrum
Organizer
Paul Sng
Organizer