Shortcuts Often Opened: My Entry in the 2026 Ryedale Film & Photo Fest
I’m chuffed to share that one of my photographs, Shortcuts Often Opened, is on display at this year’s Ryedale Film & Photo Fest, showing at Norton Hive & Community Library as part of the 2026 festival.
About the shot
A busy day in the Lancashire town of Todmorden with morris dance performances and lots of typical Saturday morning activities. I was drawn to the spectacularly preserved facade of this building and its historical references to the revolutionary set of operational guidelines that prioritised fairness, community, and consumer rights for the poor, which was stated in nearby Rochdale in 1844.
Compare that to today, where the building serves the town as the Kindness Cafe, with yoga and all manner of community-focused events and your faith in humanity is restored.
The facade tells one story, and helps to frame that of the people inhabiting its space. I capture the building’s textures, with reflections of the sky in the windows framing the diners, fixed in conversation or thought, plus its ornate Victorian backdrop to the passersby. They are unconsciously frozen with a regulation backpack and a choreographed lifted foot, as if infected by the spirit of the Morris Dance.
Why I entered
I was excited to hear about the new festival that’s relatively local to me. Malton is a place I enjoy visiting regularly. Like many towns, I have seen it endure hard times, but it has evolved into a vibrant community once again.
Modern-day Todmorden, though touched more by the industrial revolution of the Victorian era, is on a similar evolutionary path. It seemed appropriate to me to bring the two places together and play a small part in support of that work.
About the festival
The Ryedale Film & Photo Fest 2026 runs from Saturday, 20th June, continuing over the summer with entries displayed at locations around the area, including Norton Hive & Community Library, where my piece is showing. It’s a brilliant celebration of creative talent across both film and photography, and well worth a visit if you’re in or around Malton & Norton over the summer.
You can find out more and see the full festival listings via their Instagram, @ryedalephotofest, or through Visit Malton’s event page.
If you’re local, I’d love for you to stop by and take a look in person; and if you do, send me your thoughts!