Only the Lonely? was a wonderful collection of photographs that really captured moments of hope, resilience and the spirit of people, especially during difficult periods of time throughout 2020 and 2021.

The power and energy of the work really engaged the attention of the Art House’s audiences. The transformation of the gallery space was beautifully delicate and tranquil, and a perfect place to capture the essence and importance of the themes that Tony explores with this project – one which many people, more than ever, can relate to.

Coming out of the recent challenging times – and which is still the case for many people – the project was incredibly timely. The Art House was absolutely delighted to present the work of this ongoing and much-needed series, which really does celebrate the individual spirits of people and their communities. We are very grateful to Tony and his support team for bringing this project to Wakefield. It provided a great opportunity for the Art House and our audiences to get to know Tony’s practice, his own personal journey, and reflect on the moments of hope that we may have missed or forgotten about during the difficult periods of national lockdowns.

We realise the themes that Tony’s work explores are still prevalent and still one of the biggest crises people face today. The Art House’s work is all about connecting communities, breaking down barriers for those that need it and working with artists, especially those that experience their lived-experiences of barriers, to support their risk-taking ideas.

Therefore, we are thankful to Tony for continuing his important work, connecting communities and highlighting these important issues, and proud to have shown his work to many people. We are really looking forward to the project growing and seeing more and more people engage with it. It really is an important project. 

Damon Jackson-Waldock THE ART HOUSE WAKEFIELD MARCH 2022

Arts Council England funded