Adastral – an exhibition by photographer Noel Bowler

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Adastral – an exhibition by photographer Noel Bowler

The latest exhibition by University of Suffolk, Senior Photography Lecturer, Noel Bowler, featured BT’s Adastral Park.

Adastral was an ongoing collaboration between the University and BT that explored the history of Adastral Park as a place of work and cultural significance for the telecoms industry and the region.

For the past two years, Noel Bowler has worked with Meral Bence, BT Adastral Park Vision and Strategy Manager, with the full backing of BT, to access this famous site looking at the office spaces, the people, the history and the innovations that occurred there.

Noel said, “We tend to remember the people that brought innovation to our workplace but over time we slowly erase the very spaces that allowed these innovations to flourish. Adastral is a visual record of these spaces, a celebration of British technological innovation and a workforce that has spanned over five decades. These workspaces, desks, labs and workshops belonged to the thousands of ordinary women and men whose tireless efforts and years of service have contributed to today’s legacy of innovation.” “In the ever‑changing face of the work and the workforce, these spaces and locations are evolving, and in a post‑COVID world this has only been accelerated. Adastral is one small part of a much broader project that aims to create a permanent visual archive of these workspaces before they change forever. This archive will not only be a lasting legacy of our achievements but will represent a cross‑section of how we worked throughout the late 20th Century.”

Meral said, “Supporting Noel in his vision to capture workspaces has been an amazing journey and at Adastral Park with its many ‘workspaces’‑ from traditional office spaces, to labs, network equipment and showcases, it is no wonder that it has taken many visits, spanning over two years to capture these places. This project has given me personally a new perspective on how I see the Park and what is important to capture and archive for future generations to look back on and see how we worked, innovated, researched, and tested.”

Adastral was on display at Adastral Park in 2021, open to Park visitors.

Find out about studying Photography at the University of Suffolk.