Photography Review: Shoot Nations @ gallery@oxo

The Oxo Tower Gallery are currently showing some of the entries and winners to this year's global Shoot Nations photography project. Run by Shoot Experience for its 4th year in conjunction with Plan International the competition aims to raise awareness of issues affecting youths around the globe. Based around a specific theme each year, 11-25 year olds are invited to use pictures to show what matters to them, what's right or wrong with their world and how they can make a difference.

This year's theme Growing Up in the 21st Century contained the categories 'Because I am a Girl/Because I am a Boy', 'What's holding me back', and 'What could I be?' resulting in a wide variety of submissions reflecting the hopes, dreams and realities for children and young people across the world. The exhibit serves as a stark reminder that even at such a young age there is recognition that material wealth does not guarantee happiness, and that peace and a stable environment are more appropriately positioned on the agendas of the young than of their older generations.

The exhibit is also dotted with occasional drawings from those who do not have a camera or access to processing laboratories making the competition as inclusive as possible; this year entries have been received from 780 participants in 84 countries.

Shoot Nations, gallery@oxo from 23rd to 27th September, free entry. For more information visit the Shoot Nations website.