23/06/2026
Congratulations to Michael MacDonald for winning the 2026 PKB Prize at the BA Photography degree shows at London College of Communication
His impressive project The Rooms put him firmly on our radar. Michael came up to see us for his consultation prize and it was a joy to talk through his work and ideas for future projects in publishing.
More about The Rooms below
‘This project is a constructed documentary series exploring the overlooked spaces where Alcoholics Anonymous meetings take place, including church halls, community centres, and side rooms that hold the potential for transformation. These environments appear ordinary, even mundane, yet function as sites of ritual, struggle, and renewal.
Rather than documenting meetings directly, the work stages scenes with actors and individuals with lived experience of addiction, positioning the images between truth and fiction. This approach responds to the ethical limits of documentary while engaging with its emotional and social realities. Through symbolism, lighting, and stillness, the series examines how space can hold collective vulnerability, seeking to visualise recovery while challenging the stigma and shame surrounding addiction.’