Adagio Edinburgh unveils charity photography exhibition, open to the public until 29 May

Adagio Edinburgh Royal Mile, has unveilled a special charity photo exhibition, The Hospitality of Edinburgh, in collaboration with local photographer Patrick Keast.

Patrick Keast is a local man and former alcoholic who got himself back on his feet with the support of Cyrenians and along the way Patrick picked up a camera to record the city and people around him. Patrick’s dramatic photos caught the eye of Trainspotting 2 assistant director, Garry Fraser, last year, their raw and honest view of the beauty and darkness of the city led Fraser to open Keast’s last exhibition in December.

Patrick, 47, suffered from alcohol addiction for many years, until he found the support of Cyrenians, a charity dedicated to supporting people excluded from family, home, work or community on their life journey. Patrick enrolled in a recovery programme and picked up a second-hand camera to photograph his journey to and from his rehab appointments.

A natural photo-journalist, Parick saw the city through fresh eyes, often capturing sights that many would walk by, including people living on the streets of Edinburgh. Other photos document his journey, the streets themselves and the views he enjoyed along the way. The resulting photos are an honest and raw portrayal of one man and his city.

Commenting on his photography, Patrick said: “Photography helped me get back on my feet after a very dffilcult time in my life. If my photos can help others who are going through a similar thing that would make me very proud.

“It’s been a wonderful experience and I’ve got to make many new friends as well as take some photos. It’s given me a fresh look at life in Edinburgh. Hopefully it will give others a different perspective as well. There’s an important element of changing perceptions about this exhibition, I hope people see that and see the city differently afterwards.

“I hope that the sale of my photos will help make a difference to the work that Cyrenians do in the city. They continue to support me and I’m delighted to be able to support them with this exhibition.”

Jose Gomez, general manager of Adagio Edinburgh Royal Mile, said: “Patrick’s photos are a wonderful portrait of this city and its great people. The photos are all for sale and Patrick is donating 50% of the sale of the prints to Cyrenians, the charity that supported him. We hope that guests and locals will take the time to visit Patrick’s exhibition and reflect on his story, photos and our great city.”

The Hospitality of Edinburgh is open to the public from 9am – 7pm until 29 May.