Have You Ever Kicked A Dandelion?

This free exhibition at Peckham Levels shares a collaborative photographic series from Hayley Jay whose practice is concerned with the aesthetics of youth and the spaces they occupy. During her residency at Millside school in Slough, Hayley captured the character and energy of the everyday while also passing her camera onto the students. The exhibition blends students’ imagery and art work with Hayley’s in an uplifting showcase challenging the pervasive negative stigma and complex obstacles  faced by special needs and provisional schools today. 

On Wednesday 19th June there will be a private view and Scanning Social hosted by the Museum of Youth Culture where visitors are encouraged to bring personal photos, objects and ephemera to be scanned into the museum’s ever growing archive of public submissions documenting 100 years of youth culture in Britain. 

‘Have you ever kicked a dandelion?’

Millside school is an ever changing, lively environment with character and light. Hayley captured this character and energy of the everyday while also passing her camera onto the students and staff. The series of photographs in collaborative and is a braided work of collages, drawing, voice recordings and quotes.

According to a 2011 study by the Intergenerational Foundation, British people have the most negative perception of their youth compared to other European nations. With a concerning decrease in school funding and attainment across the country, Hayley’s imagery is an uplifting showcase of the styles and personas of the next generation against obstacles they face in special needs and provisional schools.