New exhibition shines a light on Sunderland RNLI volunteers beyond the pager
RNLI volunteers from Sunderland are the focus of a new photography exhibition opening at the University of Sunderland on Friday 5 June.
Between Shouts, created by Sunderland RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer Claire Louise Bird, explores the lives of Sunderland RNLI crew members beyond emergency callouts, capturing them in the places and environments that shape their lives away from the lifeboat station.
The exhibition opens from 5pm–8pm at the Priestman Building, University of Sunderland, and runs from 8–12 June, 10am–3pm daily.
The RNLI project focuses entirely on Sunderland RNLI volunteers and aims to give a deeper understanding of the people behind the rescue service. Through environmental portraiture and personal storytelling, Between Shouts highlights the balance between ordinary daily life and the extraordinary responsibility carried by volunteer crew members responding to emergencies at sea.
Alongside the photographic exhibition, Claire has created a book featuring the Sunderland RNLI volunteers who took part in the project, allowing visitors to learn more about the individuals behind the portraits and their experiences volunteering with the RNLI.
One of the Sunderland RNLI volunteers featured in the exhibition, Lloyd, is also currently featured in the Photo Portrait Now exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in London. Claire’s portrait of Lloyd is on display there until 18 September.
Claire said: ‘Sunderland RNLI volunteers are often seen during rescues or emergency incidents, but rarely do people get to see who they are outside of those moments. Between Shouts is about the quieter spaces in between the callouts - the lives, pressures, responsibilities and personalities that exist beyond the kit and the lifeboat station. I wanted the project to feel honest, personal and entirely centred around the Sunderland crew.’
The exhibition forms part of the University of Sunderland Degree Show and will be displayed at the Priestman Building on the university’s city campus.
The exhibition will take place at:
Priestman Building
University of Sunderland
Green Terrace
Sunderland
SR1 3PZ
RNLI Media Contacts
For further information, please contact:
Claire Bird, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for Sunderland RNLI, [email protected]
Clare Hopps, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for North East and East England, 07824 518641, [email protected]
Richard Grange, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for North East and East England, 07483 112015, [email protected]
RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789, [email protected]
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,700 lives.
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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
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