EarthSonic Live at Manchester Museum: Documentary Event Photography by David Oates
Documentary, Event David Oates Documentary, Event David Oates

EarthSonic Live at Manchester Museum: Documentary Event Photography by David Oates

EarthSonic Live at Manchester Museum

EarthSonic Live at Manchester Museum was a full-day and evening programme of talks, workshops, performances and installations exploring the relationship between music, nature and climate. The event brought together artists, scientists, activists and audiences in a shared space, combining cultural programming with environmental themes.

The event was part of the wider EarthSonic project, which focuses on using sound and music as a way to engage people with biodiversity and climate issues.

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Photographing Manchester Museum for Art Fund
Documentary, Event David Oates Documentary, Event David Oates

Photographing Manchester Museum for Art Fund

The newly remodelled Manchester Museum has officially opened its doors, and as a professional photographer, I had the pleasure of capturing the energy, excitement, and intricate details of this incredible space. Commissioned by Art Fund, I spent several hours documenting the museum’s refreshed galleries and exhibits, and I left inspired by both the design and the crowds.

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Event Photography -  Adidas and Versus at Manchester United
Documentary, Commercial, Event David Oates Documentary, Commercial, Event David Oates

Event Photography - Adidas and Versus at Manchester United

VERSUS is the platform championing the future of football and its rising influence on new music and culture. Adidas is well, Adidas. On commission for the wonderful TO Events, I photographed the launch of a collaboration between the two brands on the occasion of a games between Manchester United and Aston Villa’s women’s teams.

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Suzanne Lacy at Whitworth Art Gallery
Documentary, Artists David Oates Documentary, Artists David Oates

Suzanne Lacy at Whitworth Art Gallery

Suzanne Lacy

What kind of city?
A manual for social change

The Whitworth presents the first major UK presentation of multiple works of US artist Suzanne Lacy, a pioneer of social practice and community organising for almost five decades. In the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, What kind of city? has been conceived with the artist as a project that is more than an exhibition, one that takes key works with relevance to our current context and uses them to convene people in order to start new initiatives that will actively help rebuild our city. Working around fundamental themes such as youth agency, borders, social cohesion, and work prospects for older women, the exhibition is designed to operate as an evolving manual for how we create equitable transformation. This underpins a new direction of travel for the Whitworth, as an institution that actively works for and with people across the city, one that begins with the question: after Covid, what kind of city can we make together?

Thanks again to my friends at the Whitworth for asking me to document the event opening and associated artist’s talk.

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Langfields
Documentary, Commercial, Editorial, Industrial, Website David Oates Documentary, Commercial, Editorial, Industrial, Website David Oates

Langfields

Langfields are specialist fabricators of process plant for the Pharmaceutical, Chemical, Offshore, Oil & Gas, Marine, Defence, Nuclear and other process industries. Based only one mile from Deansgate they demonstrate that there is still some manufacturing industry in the post-industrial city.

As a former engineer, I love visiting these places and finding out what’s being made and the techniques used.

The fabricators at Langfields receive giant 18mm Aluminium plates and within the space of only 20 metres, cut, bend and weld it into complex, water-jacketed vessels according to the exacting specifications of high tech industries.

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Photography of High Street Task Force
Conference, Documentary, Event David Oates Conference, Documentary, Event David Oates

Photography of High Street Task Force

The High Streets Task Force was established to England's high streets and town centres to thrive - providing expert training, guidance data to the people who make them. Local leaders and partnerships are be able to access the latest data and evidence to inform their investment and regeneration decisions.

I was pleased to photograph the latest meeting of experts and representatives from the chosen towns at Manchester Metropolitan University business school. I was also able to photograph some portraits of the university staff at the conclusion of the meeting.

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Vietnam
Documentary, Editorial, Portraits David Oates Documentary, Editorial, Portraits David Oates

Vietnam

In October I made my first trip to Vietnam, a country that I’ve been wanting to visit for as long as I can remember. I was attracted by the culture, the cuisine and the thought of getting away from this year’s dismally dreary ‘summer’ to a country that while it has its fair share of rainfall also has its fair share of heat. Oh and scooters…

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