Declaration of Dumbiedykes 2023

The Declaration of Dumbiedykes (April 2023) was produced as part of an ongoing body of photographic work documenting the exterior spaces and façades of the Dumbiedykes housing estate in Edinburgh. The project brought together images made while moving through the neighbourhood, focusing on overlooked details, surfaces, and moments of quiet presence within the built environment.

The work emerged from an awareness of the strong sense of community within Dumbiedykes, set against the negative stigma attached to the estate through media representation and long term underinvestment. Rather than reinforcing these narratives, the photographs paid attention to how the area is lived in and represented, revealing resilience and intimacy within a space often reduced to its reputation.

Central to the series were the colours Coral Green and Viking Blue, used in the repainting of the tower block façades. While presented as a gesture of regeneration, this surface level intervention stood in contrast to the broader social realities of the estate. The work reflected on whether these visual changes were intended to serve the community itself or to soften the estate’s appearance for those passing through the surrounding, highly gentrified parliamentary district.

The project also acknowledged the emotional weight of the site at the time it was photographed, following the death of Lewis McCartney, an eighteen year old local resident, weeks before the images were made. This context shaped the tone of the work, grounding it in sensitivity and reflection rather than critique alone. Looking back, The Declaration of Dumbiedykes marked a point in my practice where photography became a means of holding space for lived experience, loss, and visibility within contested urban environments.