Create a new community space for photographers in Nottingham

Hello, I'm Daniel Wheeler – a photographer, educator and darkroom practitioner based in Nottingham.

Over the past decade, I’ve had the privilege of building a vibrant and inclusive community of photographers and creatives here in Nottingham, centred around my workspace: Make It Easy Lab (formerly known as The Photo Parlour).

Our lab has been more than just a place to develop film – it's been a hub for learning, collaboration, and community. Through our workshops, mentoring, and darkroom facilities, we've supported people at all stages of their creative journeys. But at the heart of everything we do is a deep belief in the power of socially engaged photographic practice – using photography not just as an art form, but as a tool to connect people, challenge perspectives, and create positive change.

We’ve worked with a range of community-led groups, including a women’s photography collective, mental health support initiatives using creative practice, maintained partnerships with charities and collaborated with universities and arts organisations – always with a focus on inclusion, accessibility, and impact.

Sadly, recent months have brought tough decisions. Our commercial services are no longer sustainable, and with the closure of our film lab, we can no longer maintain our current space. This means that, on the 30th April, the community we’ve nurtured for over ten years lost its physical home.

But there’s real hope.

We have been given the opportunity to occupy a new and exciting space in the heart of Nottingham city centre – one that offers the chance to rebuild, reimagine, and grow. This new home will allow us to offer improved facilities, greater accessibility, and fresh opportunities to support socially engaged photography and creative practice.

To make it happen, we need your help. We’re fundraising to cover the vital costs of moving and setting up the new space, including:

Our goal is to build a more sustainable, accessible, and empowering hub for photography in Nottingham and across the Midlands – a space where social practice, creativity, and community come together.

With your support, we can ensure that this vital work continues and that our creative community not only survives – but thrives.

Thank you x