AN exhibition of photography and poetry focused on the experience of living through the pandemic in West Kilbride is now open.

The display at the Barony Centre focusses on the work of photographer Mandy Edwards and poet Libbie Fisher, both pictured, who live in the village.

Mandy is a documentary photographer responsible for a string of projects and exhibitions across Scotland over the last 15 years while Libbie is a writer and former teacher who moved to West Kilbride just before lockdown began.

Together they have produced a body of work entitled ‘Another Time of Being’, that addresses their own experiences during the pandemic and the experiences of their fellow villagers.

Mandy believes that the exhibition can act as a historical document.

She said: “We are hoping our works will really capture the mood of the village during lockdown and show the experiences of life during the pandemic.

“There are a lot of portraits of residents during that time, documenting people and what they went through during the hardest parts of 2020 and 2021.

“These photos and poems could end up being a very important piece of history, and should be preserved for the future.

“I'm sure we will want to look back on these times in years to come."

Mandy says there is something for everyone at the exhibition and is encouraging residents to head along and take a look.

She said: “People can expect to find a mixture of different images, including street scenes, nature and portraits.

“I was able to document people on their doorsteps with their dogs, which was a really fun project to do.

“We also have Libbie’s poetry, and we have also filmed her reciting some of her work so that there is a visual element too.

“We are all really proud of how the exhibition has turned out, and I think it’s a really great portrait of West Kilbride during Covid-19.”

The exhibition is being produced by Ian Roberts, who ran the Gallery Sometimes exhibitions in the village, and now takes pop-up exhibitions around North Ayrshire.

It runs until Saturday October 23, and is open daily from 10am to 4pm, except Sundays.