Through the Lens of the Armed Forces Community: Real Stories 2024
In 2021, researchers from King’s Centre for Military Health Research embarked on a project to collect and showcase photographs from families within the UK Armed Forces community.
Real Stories 2021 was a virtual art gallery encapsulating the experiences, resilience, sacrifices, and defining moments of family life in the military. From candid snapshots to carefully composed photographs, this project allowed military-connected families tell personal stories in their own way, through their own lens.
Following the success of Real Stories 2021, we are excited to announce the launch of Real Stories 2024. This year, the theme is ‘Capturing Meaningful Life Events’. Meaningful life events might be pivotal milestones like moving house or welcoming a baby into the family. They may also be in the simplicity of everyday moments like sharing a cup of tea with a loved one. We hope to capture the diversity of experiences that weave the rich tapestry of military life, providing a unique insight into what life is like for the Armed Forces community.
We welcome anyone connected to the UK Armed Forces community to get involved and contribute to Real Stories 2024. To take part, simply submit one or more digital images (JPEG or PNG) that capture a meaningful life event to you. Optionally, you can include a written caption that will accompany your submission, explaining what the image means to you.
Your submissions will be presented in an online gallery and displayed at the King’s Centre for Military Health Research Veterans’ Mental Health Conference 2024.
To contribute to this year’s gallery and learn more about this project, visit Real Stories 2024.
If you would like to check out Real Stories 2021, the print album is available to see here and the digital gallery can be viewed here.