Paula Haverty is a mom of two, an active participant in her community, and an aspiring photographer. Paula participated in the femLENS workshops in the summer of 2015. Her photographs were exhibited around her neighbourhood, where she was taking the photos.

Garden and Bush Centre

The Garden and Bush Centre is a common green space where the residents of Balgaddy often come together to have social events, the children get their hands dirty and experiment with growing their own fruits and vegetables, as well as have a safe space to play as anti-social behaviour is a common occurrence in the neighbourhood . The space has been under threat, as the nearby church claims that the land belongs to it, and wants it to be turned into a parking lot. This series shows the use the community has made of a rare public-access green space.

 

“Broken” is a series by Paula Haverty about the state of much of the neighbourhood, neglected by the city council and the residents, who mostly can’t afford repairs.

“Tidy Town” is an optimistic project led by the women and children of Balgaddy, doing the work of the city council. At least once a month a group of women and children get together and clean the streets of their neighbourhood. Often the story has a sad ending though – after gathering the trash into bags it may be dispersed again by vandals as the council trucks fail to collect it when they should.