Jaywick Sands Happy Club
by David J Shaw
Jaywick, Essex, is a village that sits within the constituency of the leader of Reform UK MP Nigel Farage, and will be heavily affected by climate change-related sea level rise. The village has an infamous reputation as ‘Britain’s most deprived area’ with many journalists and YouTuber content creators regularly coming to the village to continue this portrayal.
However, most Jaywikians refute this description and are fed up with the negative and damaging portrayal of their town by outsiders. Proud of their village, where a strong culture of care is present and even karaoke provides a form of social good, the community of Jaywick live by their own narrative whilst working to support their neighbours and home.
Made closely with the people the images represent, Jaywick Sands Happy Club aims to reframe the narrative of the village by providing a balanced view of a community in the UK that faces challenges that are echoed internationally.
Recently featured in The Guardian
About The Artist:
David J Shaw is a photographer and journalist based in the UK, working both at home and internationally. Shaw works on a range of assignments and long-term projects that explore community, identity and representation. He also conducts investigations and produces reportage on human rights and social issues.
After a career pivot working in the emergency services, Shaw returns to photography with new skills and motivations. He is focusing on work documenting the community in Jaywick, a documentary project about traditional upland farmers in Wales, a portrait project about LGBTQ+ football fans and an exhibition of testimonials from those living on indeterminate prison sentences in the UK..
