The Dyslexia Portrait – Photography Exhibition Celebrates Dyslexia

Former football manager Sam Allardyce, BBC antiques expert Jonty Hearnden and soprano singer Anna Devin are among the subjects of a photography exhibition celebrating dyslexia, launching in Hull next month.

The Dyslexia Portrait by Hull photographic artist Miranda Harr will open at Brynmor Jones Library, University of Hull, on 2 October to coincide with Dyslexia Awareness Week (2 – 8 October).

It is part of Artlink’s Square Peg, a diversity and disability arts programme funded by Hull UK City of Culture 2017 and backed by its Principal Partner Spirit of 2012.

Sam Allardyce, ex-England football manager said:

“I wanted to be a part of The Dyslexia Portrait, because I came from a time when no one knew what dyslexia was, and I really struggled at school. With my own determination, and working my way around it I became a successful manager. Dyslexia doesn’t have to hold you back. The most important things to focus on your strengths, whatever they are, and pursue your ambition to the highest level you possibly can.”

Speaking about the project, Miranda said:

“As someone with dyslexia, I personally understand the frustration of not being able to tell people how you see words, and what difficulties you have. People with dyslexia are often very visual, and it seemed like a perfect solution to me, to help people explain their dyslexia through art and photography. I really want help other people understand how diverse dyslexia is, and how incredible the dyslexic mind is.”

Martin Green, Director of Hull 2017, added:

“This is a fantastic project which explores and challenges our ideas about how people with dyslexia see the world and showcases the incredible skills, talent and diversity of people with the condition.”

The exhibition is the culmination of a year-long project, during which Miranda invited people with dyslexia from all over the UK, to speak to her about how they experience dyslexia.

From these interviews, Miranda created a series of images which represents the diversity of the dyslexic experience, and reflects the individual’s unique world view. The images are each paired with a portrait of the person, and are accompanied by a layered audio soundtrack of the interviews.

The exhibition shows the diversity of the dyslexic experience through the medium of photography. Although dyslexia affects approximately one in ten adults in the UK, not all dyslexic people experience it in the same way.