‘Inspiring’ community art project will celebrate local women

10 women were nominated by friends and family to take part in artist Luca Rutherford’s ‘You Heard Us’ project that invites participants across the UK to celebrate 'becoming their own canvas and medium for expression'.

The 'You Heard Us' project features portraits of 10 women from Cambridge. (Image: Credit: Camilla Greenwell)

Following conversations about the women’s voice and sense of power, Luca worked with local photographers in locations such as Stockton, Deptford (London), Bradford and now Cambridge to take women’s portraits and display them on buildings around each locality.

In each of the four locations, 10 women were nominated to take part, meaning 40 individuals will have had their portraits showcased to thousands by the end of the project.

In Cambridge, local photographer Camilla Greenwell worked with each of the 10 women to take their portraits.

The 'You Heard Us' project features portraits of 10 women from Cambridge. (Image: Credit: Camilla Greenwell)

From Saturday (April 23) the portraits will be plastered onto iconic buildings in the city such as the Grand Arcade, St John’s College and Cambridge Junction.

Each image will be accompanied by a QR code, directing members of the public to a link where they can read more about each woman and their story.

Luca hopes that the ‘incredible and interactive’ photographs will create a platform for local women to take up space, be honoured and be listened to.

“I came up with the idea of ‘You Heard Us’ because with portraits in public spaces, you can make a lot of noise in a very quiet way,” she said.

The 'You Heard Us' project features portraits of 10 women from Cambridge. (Image: Credit: Camilla Greenwell)

“I often find that we listen to the people who shout the loudest, but I want this project to make space for anyone who feels quiet as well as loud.”

Luca is inviting the Cambridge community and its artistic collaborators to contribute to taking up public space, ultimately asking the public to harness them and their power, and question whether we are listening and being listened to.

The 'You Heard Us' project features portraits of 10 women from Cambridge. (Image: Credit: Camilla Greenwell)

She added: “Participants become their own canvas and their own medium for expression, empowering them to find strength in their quietness, to advance the quality of their daily lives across whole communities.

“These small ripples of change become the inspiration for wider impact.”

The ‘You Heard Us’ public photography installation opens on Saturday, April 23 and runs until Wednesday, June 1.

The 'You Heard Us' project features portraits of 10 women from Cambridge. (Image: Credit: Camilla Greenwell)

The 'You Heard Us' project features portraits of 10 women from Cambridge. (Image: Credit: Camilla Greenwell)

The 'You Heard Us' project features portraits of 10 women from Cambridge. (Image: Credit: Camilla Greenwell)