As a committee member of the RHUL Photography Society and an analogue enthusiast, getting a darkroom rebuilt on campus would be an incredible opportunity. With the resurgence of film and companies, such as Kodak, starting to reintroduce old film stocks, analogue photography is something which is not going to go away.

The old darkroom on campus has been demolished, but it was one of the things which attracted me to Royal Holloway. As a result of its demolition, many people - myself included - have been unable to do analogue photography easily. To have it rebuilt would allow us to teach and practice the art of film photography.

From developing to printing, it is a complex process but allows people to understand where many aspects of photography originated and allows for a new and deep understanding of the craft. Furthermore, it also allows for people to develop their photography skills further and create forms of art which are simply inaccessible to them otherwise.

With all the new construction on campus, if space for a permanent or semi-permanent darkroom could be found, it would be an incredible facility for university and I am certain it would be used by many students, now and in the future. 

- Matthew Phillips
VP, Events Leader and Darkroom Officer of the Photography Society