Being Inbetween

Saltaire Arts Trail 2016 - Saltaire-based photographer Carolyn Mendelsohn has a major exhibition in Salts Mill: Being Inbetween. She explores the complex and often confusing time for girls between the ages of 10 and 12: no longer a child but not yet a young adult, full of hopes and dreams but also bombarded with messages from society and often beset with anxieties, particularly about appearance. She said she wanted to take portraits that show how naturally beautiful the girls are and celebrate who they are at this point in their lives.

Each portrait has a few lines telling of the girl's hopes and dreams:

'I would like to be an author and get my book published; I have already started writing one.'

'I am scared of being in a room by myself when it is completely silent.'

'My ambition is to be a tri-athlete and my hope for the future is to stop wars.'

'I love it when I am acting on stage, and fudge and chocolate obviously.'

'My ambition is to go to Space.'

'My ambition is to save many people's lives.'

'I wish that everything was peaceful and that there were no tears or sadness.'

The portraits were compelling and very moving, well worth seeing, though sadly only there for the duration of the festival.