Your Town My Town is a selection of work by JJ Waller, invited by Sidmouth School of Art to make a portrait of this coastal community during a very special time as it plays host to Sidmouth Folk Festival.

The images here are part of a wider reflection on what he discovered; a townspeople that are eclectic and energetic. Community groups are the fabric which hold the people and their wellbeing, together they are connected by pride in their place 'Your Town'.

The Patchers and Quilters, Sidmouth Science Festival, Girls Junior Vikings, Town Band, Lifeguards, Independent Living, River Sid Catchment Group, Street Scene, Sidmouth In Bloom, Photographic Club, local groups alongside Folk Festival photos, an event on the cultural scene for 70 years, all are part of Sidmouth's common ground.

"Sidmouth is a unique can do town full of can do people. I hope locals will enjoy my pictures as an original, colourful, quirky and affectionate portrayal of your dynamic sometimes eccentric ‘Small Quiet English Seaside Town." JJ Waller, Aug'24.

Sidmouth School of Art's mission is to increase participation in arts and culture through opportunities to collaborate, create and make art.

We inspire and engage through a kaleidoscope of art, creativity and imagination – open to everyone. Our vision is to make Sidmouth the artwork.

The artist is JJ Waller - a celebrated British photographer known for his evocative street photography in Brighton and other seaside towns.
Originally a performer, he transitioned to photography in the 1990s.

Sidmouth School of Art invited JJ to take a portrait of Sidmouth with his lens, a kind eye for quirky, funny and sometimes theatrical everyday scenes.