An Afternoon Round my Nan’s is a photo essay exploring invisibility, aging and the cost of memory loss within modern Britain. My nan lived the most fabulous life as a singer and performer, always surrounded by colour, costume and stage lights. Today, she lives with dementia and is invisible to most. Whilst her memories of her former days are still so vivid and bright, her current reality is one of fragility, sadness, invisibility and a complete lack of support - a once vibrant star now sidelined.
This project contains a mixture of intimate analogue portraits and archival materials, showcasing the juxtaposition between her dazzling past and current isolated reality. My hope is that this project shines a light on that invisibility and asks how we can better support and remember those who once enriched our cultural and social life. By using my nan’s story as a lens, this work connects a deeply personal experience to a broader national issue, sparking reflection and dialogue around care, dignity, and memory.
This work is both a tribute to her incredible life, but also a commentary on how society overlooks those living with Dementia, particularly women, whose lives risk being so easily forgotten.
My project engages with the very urgent issue of dementia and elderly care in the UK. Nearly one million people in Britain are living with dementia, a number projected to rise to 1.4 million come 2040 - yet many remain undiagnosed - in England, about only 65% of people will receive an official diagnosis. Dementia is now the leading cause of death in the UK, and yet support is chronically underfunded. Families are often left to cope alone, whilst individuals like my nan, become completely invisible.
Beyond these statistics lies a deeper crisis; unfortunately elderly women are more prone to this disease; who are often left unsupported and isolated, despite having once stood centre stage - bringing colour, celebration and vibrancy to communities, even in the darkest of times.
This project shines a light on that invisibility and asks how we can better support, and remember those who once enriched our cultural and social life. By using my nan’s story as a lens - this work connects a deeply personal experience to a much broader national issue, sparking reflection and dialogue around care, dignity, and memory.
