Photographic discussion workshop on the life and influence of Frederick Douglass.

Famed African-American abolitionist and social reformer Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) sailed to Ireland from Liverpool in 1845, witnessing at first hand the suffering caused by the Irish Famine. It is understood two Irishmen inspired Douglass to escape his enforced slavery in America, which remains celebrated in a mural on the Falls Road, Belfast. Before sailing to Ireland, it is understood that Frederick stayed in a temperance house in Liverpool, later speaking at Hope Place (where now stands the Liverpool Everyman, site of half of our workshops).

Frederick Douglass was a master at using early photography to aid representation. Always presenting as well-dressed, proud and educated, Douglass repeatedly used his image to speak about Black rights and break the visual culture of ‘Black exoticism’. He adopted Western styles of dress and hair styling, sitting in classic portrait poses to show himself as ‘like all others’.

Ruth McHugh invites you to have your image taken, amidst items you feel help to represent you. Ruth will develop these images and work them into a Daguerreotype-style and participants will receive these sepia portraits within a month of the workshop.

You will work with resources that highlight the struggles Douglass -and all people oppressed for their race- face. As the workshop develops, participants will talk through some of Douglass’s experiences; learn about his connections with Liverpool and Ireland and see what form his actions against racism took. In doing so, we can learn something about our image, what a selfie says about us and how we identify with our representation.

These workshops contribute to the Festival’s In:Visible Women, Family, Nook and Cranny Spaces and Heritage workstrands. ♀️❤️📍🔱

Pick your workshop carefully

There will be four workshops:

9.30am and 1pm, Thurs 27 Oct. International Slavery Museum (youth focussed)
9.30am and 1pm, Fri 28 Oct. Everyman Bistro (adult focussed).

When booking, please be sure to select and note the correct workshop time and location. See our location listing for each venue, using the links above.

Note on age and relevance:

This workshop focusses on ideas of representation, using Frederick Douglass’s life and use of photography. Our youth focussed sessions are geared for over-12s.

Please note – anyone under 16 must be accompanied by an adult and this requires 2 tickets (min), one the young person and one for the adult. If you have not booked these, please do so.

During the workshops with young people, we will ask that no social media is used.