Alice Mann: Covid Change Makers: Going the Extra Mile

The Covid Pandemic was a very difficult and challenging time for everyone, Leicester was hit particularly hard and faced significantly longer periods of lockdown and more infections than any other area of the UK. As we recover from the pandemic the University wanted to recognise through an artistic project the important contributions that its staff and students made during this period.

This exhibition at the Attenborough Arts Centre showcases the commissioned portrait photography from internationally renowned, South African photographer Alice Mann. Alice has captured staff and students from the University of Leicester who went the extra mile to support and help others during the Covid-19 pandemic. This series of insightful portraits aims to empower the subjects and allows for engaged and nuanced representations, a method which Alice uses in all of her work. Accompanying the portraits are first hand audio interviews from the sitters detailing their personal accounts during this challenging time

Over two weeks in October 2022 Alice documented the Covid Change Makers as nominated through an open call out across the university. Alice, who creates stunning and intimate portraiture, worked with over 40 of the nominees coming from all areas of the university, students, the Student Union, academics, professional services along with Estates and Campus Services. The portraits were all taken on campus with the locations reflecting the differing roles that the nominees undertake. Each sitter was also offered the opportunity to be recorded talking about their COVID experience, these recordings will not only be used to add another layer of context to the exhibition but are being accessioned into the local history archive, as a permanent record of the pandemic. The photographs themselves will also be added to the University Art Collection as a permanent reminder of the pandemic.