Back in 1993, most photographic societies had one or two Audio Visual workers, often
working in semi-isolation. As sometimes these societies were run by Officers with
little or no interest in AV, if any AV material arrived at the club, the members
often didn't find out about events until after they had taken place.
It was decided
to create a group where like-minded photographers with an interest in AV from all
these different clubs, could meet to exchange ideas and pool expertise.
Space was found at an existing adult education centre and so the ‘Wilmslow Guild
Audio Visual Group’ came into being.
It was never intended to be an alternative to
photographic societies - in fact we positively encouraged all our members to join
their local photographic society to learn about photography. The Group concentrated
on aspects that photo societies don't normally cover, presented by both internal
and external speakers.
At the members' sequences evenings we showed and then discussed
constructively, work brought by members. This is an excellent and enjoyable way
for everyone to learn. You can get too close to your own work and new pairs of eyes
and ears notice things you didn't.
In the light of these comments you can consider
if you wish to adjust your sequence - or not. These discussions and the members'
willingness to take on board the comments made, are one of the reasons for the group's
success.
Today our on-line Zoom meetings form the backbone of our existence with many members
willing to help newcomers privately outside of our formal meetings - don't be afraid
to ask.
Doing this means that we can tailor the help given to the individual ... and
it keeps our Friday meetings for topics of wider interest.
We always encourage our members to attend the main stream AV events held elsewhere
such as the Great Northern Festival and the RPS Nationals and Internationals.
The
more quality AV you see, the better.
We have members ranging from people who are
completely new to AV, right through to members who compete, win and judge at National
and International level.
Maintaining a balanced programme which interests all is
a daunting task, however we would encourage you to try and be to all meetings. The
more advanced ones may not apply to your interests now, but can be useful in giving
you an insight of the kind of thing that can be achieved.
This year in 2023 we changed our name to the Wilmslow Audio Visual Group (WAVG)
We hope that this information has whetted your appetite and we look forward to seeing
you on-line at one of our meetings.
You are warmly invited to come along to your
first couple of meetings as our guest, to chat to all the members and see just what
goes on - then hopefully you too will come and join us!
The History of the Group