Photographer Tom Oldham has released a new powerful photo series titled ‘The Hopefuls’. Having debuted on 12 June, this self-funded project seeks to tackle political disillusionment among first-time voters across the UK and encourage them to vote.
According to research, more than half of first-time voters (56%) do not think there is a party that truly represents them and only 18% know their local MP. Moreover, only 28% feel there is a party that aligns with their views.
Aiming to combat voter apathy, ‘The Hopefuls’ features portraits of political candidates such as Faiza Shaheen (Independent), Gina Miller (True & Fair Party), Lois Perry (UKIP), and Arthur Pendragon (Independent) in their potential future constituencies.
As part of the project, the candidates are asked a series of identical questions to help viewers get a deeper understanding of who they are. By ‘getting under their skin’, Oldham wants to humanise the candidates who are often faceless and engage first-time voters.
Oldham commented on ‘The Hopefuls’, saying:
It’s clear to see that trust in politics and politicians is at an all time low which is making many disengage entirely. Part of the issue is that first time voters don’t think that any of the parties represent them and a lot of that seems to be because they don’t know who their representatives are. I hope this series can showcase the many faces of British politics and encourage first time voters to register to vote and get to the polls.
The project’s strategy and narrative were developed by Shape History and Braver, who conducted research with Censuswide.
View ‘The Hopefuls’ photo series here.
Featured image: The Hopefuls
