In June 2011 The National Autistic Society (NAS) hosted a spectacular evening which saw 400 guests enjoying a fascinating lecture about John Swannell's career at the Royal Geographical Society.
John's lecture charted his experiences and described a series of 'accidents of fortune' that propelled him on his way towards a prolific photographic career. John also gave an insight into the stories behind some of his most iconic photographs, such as his portrait of Sir Roy Strong (right).
After John's lecture, Mark Lever, Chief Executive of the NAS, introduced the guests, many of whom were new to The National Autistic Society, to the new fundraising campaign called Transforming Lives. The project has been developed by John and his wife Marianne with the support of the NAS and aims to make the transition between school to adulthood a bit easier by ensuring that the support structures are in place to equip young adults with autism and their families with the tools they need to manage this transition well.
The event has so far raised a fantastic £8,500 and John and Marianne, whose son Charlie has Asperger syndrome, were thrilled with the success of the event. We hope to work with them again on future projects.
The photographs of the evening's event were taken by Gareth Davies.
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More about John Swannell
John Swannell, world renowned fashion, beauty and royal photographer, also appeared on ITV Tonight to talk about the lecture beforehand. During the programme, John discussed his experiences raising his son, Charlie, who has Asperger syndrome, and some of the famous faces he has photographed through the course of a fascinating career.
See the John Swannell exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery until 2 January 2012.