A workshop with Yasmina Hilal

Join Lebanese artist Yasmina Hilal for a hands-on workshop exploring analogue photography, memory and the preservation of photographic archives, hosted within the historic archives of Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

Participants are invited to bring their own photographic negatives, photographs and personal archives to explore techniques for scanning, digitising and preserving these materials for future generations.

Working alongside material from Portsmouth Historic Dockyard's archive, Yasmina will also share photographic negatives from Tripoli, Lebanon, bringing together images and memories from two historic port cities.

Through guided demonstrations and practical activities, participants will learn how to handle, clean and prepare photographic negatives for scanning, alongside an introduction to resolution, colour correction, digital file formats and long-term preservation.

The workshop offers an opportunity to explore the connections between personal and institutional archives, considering how photography captures everyday life, places and histories, and how digitisation can help us revisit, share and reinterpret these memories.

What you'll explore

Handling, cleaning and preparing photographic negatives

Scanning and digitising analogue photography

Working with personal archives and historical collections

Exploring photographic material from Portsmouth and Tripoli

Understanding resolution, colour correction and digital preservation

Considering the relationship between photography, place and collective memory

What to bring

Participants are encouraged to bring their own photographic negatives, old photographs or other small archival materials they would like to explore or digitise.

You don't need to bring anything to take part. Materials from the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard archive and Yasmina's collection from Tripoli will also form part of the workshop.

Who is it for?

Open to artists, photographers, local history enthusiasts and anyone interested in photography, archives and memory. No previous experience is required.

About the artist

Yasmina Hilal is an artist from Lebanon joining Memory Library's international programme. Her workshop brings together photographic histories from Tripoli and Portsmouth, exploring the role of archives in preserving and sharing the memories of people and places.

Find out more about Yasmina Hilal (https://memory-library.co.uk/artist.html?slug=yasmina-hilal)

Location

Play Office

The Old Pay Office

Portsmouth Historic Quarter, Victory Gate, HM Naval Base, Portsea, Portsmouth PO1 3LJ

Further arrival information will be shared with ticket holders.

Part of Memory Library, 13–21 November 2026.

Explore the full Memory Library programme (https://memory-library.co.uk/)

Description supplied by the event organiser.