Lincolnshire photographers capture life with chronic illness

Images of bedside tables stacked with medication, days spent confined to bed and life connected to IV drips are among the photographs on display at a Lincolnshire photography festival exploring health and lived experience.

Lincoln photographer Poppy Bellamy is exhibiting her work as part of REMEDY, a festival bringing together projects focused on health, illness, identity and care.

Poppy, who is chronically ill herself, spent the past year documenting the experiences of young adults living with chronic illness and disability.

She said many of the realities she photographed are rarely seen or understood by people outside the community.

"Things like sitting down in shops because of dizziness and pain are normal for us, but not for able-bodied people," she said.

"On a bedside table, some people might have a phone and an alarm clock. My friends might have tablets and snacks because they're in so much pain they need everything close by."

The project is on display at Not Quite North in Lincoln until 30 June.

Poppy said some participants were initially nervous about being photographed during vulnerable moments, but she wanted to ensure their experiences were represented authentically.

"A lot of the time people are included because they fit the inclusivity thing, rather than being represented properly," she said.

"There's quite a lot of pressure to make sure it's represented well because many people seeing this work haven't seen things like this before."

REMEDY features exhibitions across Lincolnshire and the coast, with many closing this weekend

Among them are Anthony Luvera's exhibition at Lincoln Central Library, running until 27 June, Cheryl Newman's work at St Martins Gallery in Lincoln until 28 June, and JA Mortram's exhibition at the Embassy Theatre in Skegness until 25 June.

All exhibitions are free to visit.