Attenborough Arts Centre with the University of Leicester Presents: ‘Covid Changemakers: The Extra Mile’

With the University of Leicester, Attenborough Arts Centre is proud to launch an exciting new exhibition.

Experience Covid Changemakers: The Extra Mile, an exhibition that brings together portraits of and audio interviews from University of Leicester students, academics and professional services staff who were nominated by colleagues in recognition of the significant contribution they made to University and public life during the pandemic.

Internationally-renowned South African photographer Alice Mann was commissioned to create portraits of the nominees and the result is an opportunity to engage with and reflect upon the hidden personal stories from the past three years. The series of insightful portraits aim to empower the subjects and allows for engaged and nuanced representations, a method which Alice uses in all of her work.

Over two weeks in October 2022 Alice worked with over 40 of the nominees coming from all areas of the university, students, the Student Union, academics, professional services along with Estates and Campus Services. The portraits were all taken on campus with the locations chosen to reflect the differing roles that the nominees undertake. Each sitter was also offered the opportunity to be recorded talking about their COVID experience, to add another layer of context to the exhibition. The recordings will be accessioned into the local history archive as a permanent record of the pandemic, while the photographs themselves will be added to the University Art Collection as a permanent reminder of the pandemic.

The exhibition will also showcase the work of diverse colleagues behind the University’s world-changing research undertaken during the pandemic, much of which continues to have an impact on the treatment and prevention of Covid today.

Covid Changemakers: The Extra Mile will open to the public from 13 July – 3 September in Gallery 1, with an exhibition launch on 12 July, 5pm – 7pm - a free event that is open to all. To learn more and attend, book your place here.