Thank you to everyone who visited the When Lives Collide Photography Exhibition at the OXO Gallery earlier this month on the South Bank.
The exhibition marks the 30th anniversary of RoadPeace and takes an artistic approach to explore the impact of road harm from the point of view of those directly impacted by it. From an image of a crushed car, to a series of emotional hi-resolution portraits made under studio lighting, the exhibition documents the lives of crash victims and acts as a call to work together to end road death and injury, and achieve Vision Zero.
It is also an important event in terms of raising awareness of the devastating impact that road crashes have and the unique role that RoadPeace plays in supporting victims. The exhibition shows that out of tragedy there can be resilience, hope and a willingness to change the status quo. We were pleased to welcome senior representatives from Transport for London and the Road Safety Minister Richard Holden MP and we hope that their visits will strengthen their resolve and inspire them to work harder to reduce road danger and prevent road death and injuries.
A selection of the photographs from the exhibition can be seen below:
Nick Simmons RoadPeace CEO said:
Firstly I want to pay tribute to Professor Paul Wenham Clarke, the photographer who created the original “When Lives Collide” exhibition and who we were so grateful to when he agreed to revisit and do it again. His incredible pictures have had such an impact and he has worked so hard to deliver the amazing experience that so many have witnessed.
It was so good to see so many members, supporters, legal panel members and friends of RoadPeace visit the exhibition, including many who have been involved with RoadPeace right from the beginning. I’d like to acknowledge the courage and strength that all the participants involved have shown, initially in seeking support and then sharing their stories so openly alongside the powerful images that we see on display – thank you very much for being such an integral and important part of this exhibition.
I’d also like to pay tribute to our Founder and lifetime President Brigitte Chaudhry who was involved in the original idea of “When Lives Collide” 20 years ago and wanted to take this opportunity to thank her for all that she has done and especially her suggestion that, as part of our 3Oth Anniversary, it would be highly appropriate for RoadPeace to revisit the project.’
The exhibition was a fantastic team effort involving so many. We’d also like to thank:
- All the amazing volunteers without whom RoadPeace could not deliver the support that we do. Thank you also to the volunteers and staff who have been part of the team attending the gallery each day and managing this event.
- Our long-time friends and supporters at Brigade who have supported RoadPeace for many years for their generosity in sponsoring this exhibition.
- The team at the Arts University of Bournemouth for all of their help and support.
Paul Wenham Clarke, the photographer added:
‘The When Lives Collide 2023 exhibition was a huge success as it brought in 3000 visitors and was widely covered in the media. This included, The Telegraph, BBC London Television News and GB News.
The power of the stories profoundly affected those who read them and I had many conversations with visitors who wanted to talk about the issue. I think due to the interest shown we should be able to find backing to tour the work and create a new website for it.
I want to send a massive thank you to all those who took part. They were very brave to do so and I do think that the exhibition is really making a difference.’
We hope to tour the exhibition to reach a wider audience over the coming months and will share more information about these plans in due course.
Updated on: 26 January 2023