“We’ve got a good community” | Contact Darkroom
Even in the nooks and crannies of Totnes, Contact Darkroom is a centre of concentrated creativity. Almost idyllically just off the main road, in what could be seen as a semi-rural mews, the photographic hub hums with the heady magic of making real images with craft and focus.
Just doors away is the workshop of David Plagerson, who builds Noah’s Arks. There’s even a shot of him, taken by one of the Contact Darkroom crew and developed in the darkroom itself carrying one of his creations, surrounded by intricacies of his makings. It really is a creative environment.
It’s been a community activity, transforming the building from its former life as a butcher’s into a colour and black-and-white darkroom with the only public colour darkroom in the South West. It is also a gallery, a workshop and a workspace.
The darkroom is a desire to be both creative fuel and glue: fuel for imagination that feeds skill (and vice versa); glue to keep people in the area without having to go to Bristol or London.
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“One thing I learned about myself this year is I am not a builder,” says Jacob as we’re sitting in the communal gallery space. “It’s very gratifying seeing everybody using the space. Especially since we built it.”
The ‘we’ is Jacob Black, Ella Turner, and Milo and Finn Alexander-Travers.
“We grew up here”
“We grew up here,” says Jacob. “And we would have loved this resource when we were 18 and 19 – before we went to university. Seeing our friends leave for London or Bristol or further afield – especially ones who are creative – we felt it would be good to have a small part to play so we can stay in Devon and do this, so that we don’t have to leave to have access to these things.”
As soon as they first saw the abattoir, they knew it would be ideal for the darkroom. Which feels like a wonderfully realised visual imagination. Then the work began: stripping back walls, building new ceilings, fixing leaks, scrubbing walls, tidying them and even shouting at them. Jacob still has a bit of a frown when he looks at some of the walls. The ancient venue is no friend to straight lines or right angles. But what they have created is a wonderfully professional space.
They got the keys on 22 December and opened on 20 July. Since then, it’s been very active, with memberships rising, workshops buzzing and people coming in. It even attracts people to the area. When we were there, someone was in the midst of a fortnight from Kent.
Community
“We’ve got a good community,” says Jacob. “It includes friends, and there’s that sense of family here.” Jacob moved back to his home town and has not long become a father. There are days when people come through, uncles, aunties, younglings to create a space very much embedded in the community.
“We open up the big old fridge doors and the light comes in and it feels very welcoming,” says Jacob.
The only one in the South West
It’s that vibe combined with what the Contact Darkroom has to offer. There’s the knowledge resource, there’s the darkroom, and there’s the colour paper processor – which is the only one in the South West.
“There’s some people who wanted this, and some who didn’t realise they wanted it,” says Jacob. On top of that are the gold and silver memberships, offering chunks of time in the darkroom. Upstairs are workspaces for the creative minded. The one-on-one workshops have been popular. There are group workshops, including bespoke ones, like print your family archives, or when people bring favourite objects to make photographs out of. They’ve teamed with a Penzance gallery for one on book binding. And they are looking at running art residencies.
“We can run workshops, do talks, do some outings, go to some different galleries around the area,” enthuses Jacob. They are also keen to open up the area to new eyes, too: to the countryside; to the moor; to the towns. Plus, they have the added draw of their gallery space, which has exhibitions shining a light on varied photographic visions.
Being a creator in Devon
“I’m from Totnes, I loved art, and photography, and I had a career in London, Then we moved back a few years ago,” says Jacob. Contact Darkroom is part of navigating the job landscape in Devon, and how to be a creator in Devon. It’s even opened up a new creative outlet for him.
“Personally, I found the facilitation of art and creativity something I’ve been drawn to a bit more recently, and so I think building this space was something that came quite naturally,” he says.
Creative connection and ambition can traverse physical as well as imaginary borders. They have been involved with Fotohane Darkroom, which is a free analogue photography project for children and youth on the Turkish, Syrian and Iraqi borders.
Connection, investigation and activity
Focused and quietly intense with a sense of community, Contact Darkroom has already inspired connection, investigation and a friendly buzz of activity. It’s familiar enough to be friendly and a unique creative draw for Devon and the South West. As with a centre for photography, yes, you can bring your own negatives, but for us, it is all incredibly positive.
Contact Darkroom | web
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