Emmerdale stars to appear at launch of Leeds mental health exhibition

Life Through Lenses opens on Thursday, to coincide with National Mental Health Awareness Week.

Leeds-based mental health charity Community Links is launching the exhibition which brings together service users and volunteers from the charity with a professional documentary photographer and students from Leeds College of Art.

The exhibition will be opened by special guest speakers from Emmerdale; Zoe Henry, who plays Rhona, and Eden Taylor-Draper, who portrays Belle.

The ITV series has highlighted mental health in several key storylines recently, and the pair will be at the Shine Business Centre in Leeds for Thursday’s 5pm launch.

Award-winning photographer Karen Rangeley was commissioned by Community Links to photograph the unique relationship between five service users and their community support volunteers.

However, it soon became clear that the project would benefit hugely from the participants getting directly involved in making images.

Karen said: “I felt that it was important that the participants had the opportunity to convey their point of view, rather than me simply documenting their relationships.

“We provided them with disposable black and white film cameras for them to take out on their weekly meetings.”

Life through Lenses runs from May 19 until June 17 at Shine, Harehills Road, Leeds.

Opening hours are 9am until 5pm weekdays.

For more information email [email protected] or ring either 07736 611726 or 0113 2009187.