I Am by Allie Crewe

Maja Lorkowska, Exhibitions Editor
I AM by Allie Crewe
Image courtesy of SICK! Festival

1 — 31 May 2022 Entrance is free — Visit now

SICK! Festival’s brand new commission I Am from photographer Allie Crewe grace Greater Manchester’s Metrolink stops as well as St Peter’s Square in a powerful new photography project.

Sadly, domestic abuse is much more common than many of us could expect, and it is crucial that this issue continues to gain visibility in order to stay in the public consciousness. Leaving a controlling, abusive relationship can result in feeling lost, as if a person’s core identity has been shattered but it can also mean a fresh start. Allie Crewe’s I Am project puts this sense of possibility and transformation into focus through a series of photographic portraits of people who have survived and escaped domestic abuse.

The powerful portraits range from defiant to delicate yet what they all have in common is strength

Having won the BJP Portrait of Britain award in 2019, Crewe’s portraits are sincere, with few props and all of the focus on her sitters.  Using a research-based approach, her work often focuses on people who are in the process of overcoming challenges while working through some kind of transformation. The series consists of 12 images with the sitters posing in the light, captured with a gaze of empathy and tenderness. The powerful portraits range from defiant to delicate yet what they all have in common is the strength and vulnerability that was required to take part in the project. This is what the I Am series celebrates in the Manchester’s public spaces.

The project challenges the accepted narratives about domestic abuse

Just as you may have unknowingly met people affected by abuse in the past without any idea of what they’ve been through, you may come across these portraits on your daily commute. The project challenges the accepted narratives about domestic abuse, changing perceptions about the ways in which traumatic experiences can affect us. It highlights the opportunities to transform, to start again, and look towards the future with hope.

Allie Crewe has been an artist in residence with the charity SafeLives throughout the development of I Am, a UK charity dedicated to ending domestic abuse.

1 — 31 May 2022 Entrance is free Visit now

Where to go near I Am by Allie Crewe

Cumbria
Theatre
The Coro

Nestled in the heart of Ulverston, a rural market town on the fringes of the Lake District, stands The Coro —an esteemed historic hub for arts, culture, and entertainment

Cumbria
Shop
Sam Read Bookseller

Award-winning small bookshop in the Lake District. Est. by Sam Read in 1887. Run by Will Smith and Polly Atkin.

Restaurant
Capri

Capri serves up homely, family-style Italian food in North Yorkshire.

Manchester
Restaurant
Manchester Wine Tours

Manchester Wine Tours is a relaxed, fun wine tour, taking in four or five venues across three hours, plus six high-quality glasses of wine.

Sheffield
Shop
Juno Books

Friendly local queer and intersectional feminist bookshop in Sheffield. Visit for interesting fiction and non fiction books.

Restaurant
The Dusty Miller

Family friendly pub situated in the beautiful village of Mytholmroyd.

Winckley Square
Lancashire
Park
Winckley Square

Hosting a variety of year-round events, from guided walks to jazz evenings, Winckley Square is a Georgian square packed with history in Preston city centre.

Friargate
Lancashire
Shop
Friargate

With an array of independent shops and places to eat and drink, including a number of contemporary pubs and bars, you’ll be spoilt for choice.

Avenham and Miller Parks
Lancashire
Park
Avenham and Miller Parks

Located in the heart of Preston, Avenham and Miller Parks are among the finest examples of traditional Victorian parkland in the North West.

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