Bio:
Kevin Ryan has been involved with community arts in the UK since 1976 and is currently the director of Charnwood Arts in Leicestershire. He has worked on a large number of community photography and film projects during this time as well as being an exhibiting photographer in his own right. His documentary work has been published in a range of newspapers, magazines and books.

Exhibition: Dances From Darkness
The photographs in this exhibition were taken during October 2005, all within a two mile radius of Loughborough.

"I was interested in a number of things happening in the town of Loughborough during this October period and wanted to capture the diversity of culture and international engagement occuring in one small East Midlands town.

The exhibition focuses on three dance events that took place within this period - the whole collection consists of around 100 images. Each event prominently features women and the experiences, stories, skills and attainment of women in different ways. I have called the exhibition 'Dancing Out of Darkness' to both represent the technical difficulties of these low lit live events (there are no rehearsal pictures) and also to represent the emergence from different forms of suppression/repression that each of these events seemed to represent.

The three events were:

Ace Dance from Birmingham - Loughborough Town Hall - in their words - "REAL explores what it is to be female, delving beneath projected images to find the real experience. It brings together ideas and inspirations from different times and different cultures, to create a celebration of female existence.

REAL is performed by six female dancers, using contemporary, African, Caribbean and African-American dance styles. The production is full with deep strings, inspiring vocals and manipulated Caribbean steel pan, complemented by live video projection."

You can read more about Ace Dance on the Web.

Loughborough Town Hall - Navatri Celebrations - the annual celebration of Navratri by Loughborough´s substantial Hindu community has always excited me. It is a real celebration of light over darkness and the central role of women in securing the salvation of the community and a better, brighter future. Nine aspects of the Goddess are emphasised.

More about Navratri can be found on this website.

Luizhou Performing Arts School Visit - Quorn - A cultural visit by performing arts students and their teachers to Rawlins Community College in Quorn. A real cultural feast exploring both traditional Chinese forms and embracing more western orientated style entertainment. Out of the history of the darkness (from a Western perspective) of the Cultural Revolution and isolationism comes the most remarkable outburst of creative energy and skill.

Most of these images work better as larger scale prints and were not really taken for web distribution. My aim was to stretch the capabilities of the camera - I currently use a Canon 10D - as far as possible in these low light conditions. I rarely use flash or a tripod and these are limitations I set myself with 99% of my photography. I find it interesting to make images in performances as the task of remaining unobtrusive is as important as making the image - no flash, inappropriate noise or movement.....sometimes a demanding set of restraints!"

Kevin is an active member of www.trekearth.com

Visit Kevin at kaparu2