Angela Christofilou: Church Bingo

In 2019, photographer and actress Angela Christofilou made an unexpected trip to the St James Church Hall in Heywood with her nan for a simple game of bingo, but it turned into something far more meaningful when Angela, inspired by the sense of community and joy around her, picked up her camera to document the last days of this beloved tradition. What she didn’t realise at the time was that the pandemic would soon bring an end to these gatherings—and that her photos would become a powerful testament to the resilience and spirit of a tight-knit group of older people in Heywood, Lancashire.

Angela is best known for her acting and voice-over work, with credits in BBC’s Panorama and the video game Assassin’s Creed. But her photography career began almost by accident. While touring the U.S. for a play, she casually started taking photos with a compact camera. “A friend asked me if I was a street photographer; it hadn’t even occurred to me,” she says. By 2013, her work shifted to documenting activism, including women’s rights protests and many other causes, with her images now archived at the Bishopsgate Institute in London.

Still, Church Bingo wasn’t a planned project. It all started with a trip north from her home in London to visit her grandmother in Heywood. Her nan had bingo plans, and Angela decided to join in for a day of fun—and maybe even a chance to shout “Bingo!” herself. “When I arrived, I found this beautiful environment and community,” Angela recalls. “They had improvised a bingo hall using desks and brought along their own prizes. It demonstrated how strong the community is. I loved the joy I saw, I wanted to document that because I hadn’t seen anything like it.”

In an era where older people are often portrayed as fragile or isolated, Angela was struck by the vibrant energy of the bingo group. “In many images, older people are portrayed as sad or in pain, but it was nice to see them having fun like kids!”

Armed with her camera, Angela Christofilou set about capturing the moment as naturally as possible. “It was all really spontaneous. The setting looked so cinematic—like something from another era. I asked if I could just sneak around, and they all pretended I wasn’t there. I don’t use flash, so it was all natural light. Everybody was in a joyful moment. No one was posing.”

It helped that her nan was a regular in the group, which meant Angela wasn’t a complete outsider. “When you document communities, I think it’s very important to be part of them somehow or at least understand them. That way, you’re treating people with respect,” she says. “If you go in with the right attitude, people feel comfortable.”

Although the lively, action-packed scenes of protest that Angela typically documents might seem worlds apart from the quiet charm of a bingo hall, she sees similarities between the two. “When we protest, it’s about resistance. I think what my grandma was doing with the community was a kind of quiet resistance. She was saying, ‘I’m going to have fun. I’m going to go out, no matter how old I am, and no matter the weather.’ Committing to a weekly gathering, embracing joy, and having fun—that’s a form of resistance too. Both are about community coming together.”

Initially, Angela Christofilou had no grand plans for the photos she took that night. She simply posted a few on her website. But everything changed when one of the images won the Portrait of Britain award by the British Journal of Photography. The winning photo, of her nan and two friends making tea and biscuits for the bingo group, was soon displayed on enormous billboards across the UK.

The images caught the attention of Pendle Press, a publisher dedicated to celebrating northern culture and history, and the idea for a book was born.

“People rely on each other to create these events, and as people get older, that becomes harder.”

For Angela Christofilou, Church Bingo is more than just a collection of photographs; it’s a tribute to her grandmother and the community she loves. “My nan has lived in Heywood all her life. The book is a celebration of people who stay where they grew up and fight for their towns,” she says. “My nan is so stoic, I find her to be so strong. She’s always looking forward, even now at 98. She always says, ‘Take one day at a time.’ That’s what I take inspiration from—someone who is so mentally strong.”

Unfortunately, the weekly bingo nights never resumed after the pandemic, and the church hall, lacking in funding and in desperate need of repairs, has since closed. “Our society today isn’t focused on providing activities for older people,” Angela laments. “People rely on each other to create these events, and as people get older, that becomes harder. I hope with these images that they are not forgotten.”

Angela’s experience with Church Bingo has also shaped her approach to future projects. “I find it important to look at what’s around us rather than searching for something beyond. We’ve got so many different communities and people around us. It’s so diverse, we just need to look for these pockets and be more aware of the people in our surroundings.”

Building on this philosophy, Angela has returned to her roots in Heywood for her next project. She’s working on the town’s first outdoor exhibition, funded by Arts Council England. Despite the unpredictable Lancashire weather, Angela has been busy photographing local residents, capturing their stories and portraits. These images will be showcased in spring.

Through documenting life in this small Lancashire town, Angela’s work reminds us not to overlook the everyday joys of community, the connections we share and the simple pleasures that bring us together.

Church Bingo by Angela Christofilou is available for £12 from Pendle Press. Visit www.pendle-press.co.uk for more information.

NorthernLife Dec/Jan/Feb 24/25