Marc Davenant Protest Photography Exhibition Comes to Birkenhead 2026

Key Points

• A free photography exhibition entitled Marc Davenant: REBELLION! will take place at Williamson Art Gallery & Museum in Birkenhead.
• The dates are Friday, 23 October 2026 – 20 February 2027.
• The exhibition is themed protest as part of the cultural identity of contemporary Britain in social documentary photography.
• The photographer Marc Davenant created the exhibition throughout 12 years.
• Images of those protesting and/or threatened by protest actions are exhibited.
• Portraits and stories related to causes for protests are also featured.
• The causes of protest include immigration among others.
• There are three photos awarded by Photographer of Britain competition.
• The travelling exhibition has been funded by Arts Council England.
• The gallery explains that the exhibition explores social cohesion in post-industrial communities and dissatisfaction with the current situation.

Birkenhead (Liverpool standard) October 13, 2026 – A new photography exhibition at Birkenhead’s Williamson Art Gallery & Museum will examine the place of protest in contemporary Britain, presenting 12 years of social documentary work by photographer Marc Davenant.

The exhibition, titled Marc Davenant: REBELLION!, opens on Friday, 23 October 2026 and runs until 20 February 2027. Admission is free.

As reported by Birkenhead News, the exhibition uses photography to explore “the cultural position of protest in contemporary Great Britain”. The Williamson Art Gallery describes REBELLION! as a social documentary photography exhibition that presents protest as “an essential part of the cultural identity of Great Britain”.

The show includes photographs and testimony from protesters, as well as from people who may have been targeted by protests. According to the gallery, it also considers the social issues surrounding protest, including what it describes as the fracturing of social cohesion in “blighted post-industrial communities”, which it says fuels dissatisfaction with the status quo.

Who is Marc Davenant?

Marc Davenant is a social documentary photographer whose work focuses on marginalised communities and social inequality. The Williamson Art Gallery states that his Outsiders project, which addressed homelessness and substandard housing, received critical acclaim.

Davenant is a two-time winner of the Portrait of Britain competition. His work has been exhibited across the UK, internationally and inside the Houses of Parliament, according to the gallery’s exhibition listing.

The REBELLION! project was completed by Davenant over a period of 12 years. It includes three of his winning photographs from the Portrait of Britain competition.

What will visitors see at REBELLION!?

The exhibition combines dynamic photography of actual protests with portraits and personal stories of people at the centre of issues that can generate protest, including immigration.

The gallery says the inclusion of these images and stories is intended to foster better understanding and appreciation that the people depicted are individuals rather than statistics. Its exhibition text states: “Everyone has a story.”

The exhibition also carries a quotation from Oscar Wilde: “Disobedience, in the eyes of anyone who has read history, is man’s original virtue. It is through disobedience that progress has been made, through disobedience and through rebellion.”

When and where can people visit the exhibition?

Marc Davenant: REBELLION! will be staged at Williamson Art Gallery & Museum on Slatey Road, Oxton, Birkenhead, Wirral.

The exhibition opens on Friday, 23 October 2026 and closes on 20 February 2027. It is free to enter.

The gallery lists its opening hours as Monday to Thursday, 10am to 5pm; Friday, 10am to 9pm; Saturday, 10am to 5pm; and Sunday, closed. Last entry is 30 minutes before closing.

How is the exhibition being supported?

The REBELLION! touring exhibition has been supported by a grant from Arts Council England, according to the Williamson Art Gallery.

The exhibition listing does not disclose the value of the grant. It identifies the show as a touring exhibition, although the available gallery information does not specify the other venues or dates on the tour.

Why does the exhibition focus on protest?

The gallery’s description frames protest not simply as a series of public demonstrations, but as a subject connected to wider social and economic conditions. It says the exhibition explores the social issues around protest, including dissatisfaction with the status quo in post-industrial communities.

By presenting both protesters and people who may have been affected by protests, the exhibition seeks to show multiple perspectives. The gallery says it includes testimony from both groups.

The inclusion of immigration-related portraits and stories is presented by the gallery as part of an effort to encourage understanding of the individuals behind broader public debates.

What does the exhibition add to Birkenhead’s cultural programme?

The Williamson Art Gallery & Museum is an established visual arts venue in Wirral, and REBELLION! forms part of its programme of free exhibitions and events.

The gallery’s wider programme includes Beyond the Brotherhood: The Legacies of the Pre-Raphaelites, running from 23 January to 24 October 2026, and Echoes of the Floating World, scheduled from 4 February 2026 to 6 February 2027.

The new exhibition follows the Williamson Open 2026, the gallery’s annual exhibition showcasing art and photography by artists from across the Liverpool City Region, which ran from 24 July to 10 October 2026.

Background of the development

The Williamson Art Gallery & Museum is located in Oxton, Birkenhead, and presents exhibitions drawn from its own collection as well as touring and contemporary projects. Its event listing positions REBELLION! within a broader programme of visual art, photography and community-facing exhibitions.

The exhibition’s subject reflects a wider tradition of social documentary photography in Britain, in which photographers have documented housing, homelessness, migration, industrial change and public dissent. Davenant’s prior Outsiders project, cited by the gallery, focused on homelessness and substandard housing.

Arts Council England’s support indicates public funding for a touring exhibition intended to reach audiences beyond a single venue. The gallery has not published further details about the tour route in the available information.

Prediction: How could the exhibition affect local audiences?

For Birkenhead and Wirral residents, the exhibition is likely to provide a free opportunity to encounter photography that addresses protest, social inequality and community change. Its four-month run and free admission may make it accessible to school groups, local photographers, students and residents interested in contemporary social issues.

For local photographers and art students, Davenant’s 12-year project may offer an example of long-form documentary practice, showing how a photographer can build a body of work around communities, testimony and social themes. The inclusion of Portrait of Britain-winning images may also draw attention to documentary portraiture as a career and exhibition pathway.

For community audiences, the exhibition’s combination of protest imagery and personal stories could prompt discussion about how national debates including immigration and post-industrial decline are experienced locally. The gallery’s stated aim is to encourage understanding of individuals rather than treating them as statistics, which may shape how visitors engage with the subjects shown.