Humans of the Walk exhibition captures the faces of Scotland’s everyday walkers
TWO Glaswegians will take centre stage in an outdoors photography exhibition that captures the faces and stories of Scotland’s everyday walkers to mark National Walking Month.
Organised by Scotland’s walking charity, Paths for All, the Humans of the Walk portrait exhibition will feature Paul Connor, 22, and Anne Marie Hunter, 56, whose stories serve as a testament to the joys and benefits of urban walking and active travel.
Celebrating the many ways in which walking improves physical, mental and social health, regardless of age or ability, the project aims to inspire people to fall in love with walking and to make time for it in their daily life.
Paul and Anne Marie will feature alongside nine other subjects of all ages and backgrounds from across the country who have shared their inspirational stories.
Paul, from Rutherglen, said: “I’m quite claustrophobic so I prefer to be outside. I enjoy the two-hour walk to university every day – I’d rather walk than commute or get a car. I use walking to problem solve. It’s my time to think.
“I’m excited to be a part of the project and help others be more mindful about their daily travel. You don’t need to be in the countryside to enjoy walking – exploring your own city can be just as fulfilling.”
Anne Marie, added: “Living about six miles outside the centre of Glasgow and have an hour’s commute into the city every day. I could cut my journey in half if I took the car, but I never do.
“I get the train in and choose to walk to the station furthest away from home to get in some extra steps. Walking is my simple, daily pleasure.
“It’s been wonderful to share my story through Humans of the Walk and help others see just how transformative regular walks can be.”
Humans of the Walk has been created in collaboration with an eight-strong group of female photographers from Edinburgh College of Art, CollectiveF8.
Inspired by the famous digital photography project, Humans of New York, the exhibition brings to life individual stories of love, strength, friendship and age – and are all connected by one thing: walking.
Ian Findlay, Chief Officer at Paths for All, said: “The stories behind the Scots who champion everyday walking are bold – they demonstrate how walking can do so much for our health and wellbeing.
“Humans of the Walk puts across just how walking can help prevent ill health, build communities and create a happier, healthier, greener Scotland.
“We want to revolutionise the way people use their cities, and stop our spaces from being dominated by cars. Scotland’s towns and cities should be a backdrop for people walking, scooting, cycling or simply spending time enjoying cleaner, quieter, calmer streets.”
Amber Brown, member of CollectiveF8, said: “Working on Humans of the Walk has been a perfect project for us, as we aim to address social issues and incite change through photography.
“We formed the collective after bonding over our shared experience of being female artists and realising that we could push each other to do better in collaborating and supporting one another’s work.”
Paths for All’s aim is to significantly increase the number of people who choose to walk in Scotland, whether it’s walking for leisure or walking to work, school or to the shops.
The charity works to create more opportunities and better environments not just for walking, but also for cycling and other activities to help make Scotland a more active, more prosperous and greener country.
Open to the public for free, Humans of the Walk will be on display at the Museum of Edinburgh’s courtyard from 5 May – 12 May 2019.
To keep the celebration of walking going, Paths for All is giving everyone a chance to win a Nikon B500 Coolpix camera. To enter the competition, members of the public should post a portrait photo celebrating walking in some way, on Twitter or Instagram, using the hashtag #HumansOfTheWalk.
The competition runs from 1st May – 31st May 2019 – the dates of National Walking Month and multiple entries are allowed.
For more information on Humans of the Walk and the competition, please visit: https://www.pathsforall.org.uk/humans
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