A photo exhibition encouraging young girls to “reclaim their personal identity” was showcased in Bishop Auckland’s town hall on International Woman’s’ day in a special event titled ‘Unseen and Unheard’.

Award winning photographer Carolyn Mendelsohn is the mastermind behind the exhibition, displaying a series of  photographic portraits of young girls between the ages of ten and 12.

Driven by “personal experience” Ms Mendelsohn’s exhibition encourages a dialogue about young girls’ “ambitions, aspirations, hopes, and fears”.

Read more: Durham University celebrates International Women’s Day

The Northern Echo: Photos of the girls hang in Bishop Aukland Town Hall.Photos of the girls hang in Bishop Aukland Town Hall. (Image: Sarah Caldecott)

Councillor Elizabeth Scott, Cabinet member for economy and partnerships, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate women and girls and to mark International Women’s Day. It’s so important that all females are given a voice and encouraged to share their thoughts, feelings and hopes.

“We are really pleased to welcome the exhibition and to hear from some incredibly successful women in the arts as part of Unseen and Unheard. We hope these will prove thought-provoking and inspiring and we look forward to welcoming the work of many more inspiration women in the future.

On International Woman’s Day today (March 8), Lord Lieutenant Sue Snowdon hosted the ‘Unseen and Unheard’ talk that celebrated Ms Mendelsohn’s exhibition.

The Northern Echo: Lord Lieutenant Mrs Sue Snowdon hosts the ‘Unseen and Unheard’ talk, marking International Woman's Day.Lord Lieutenant Mrs Sue Snowdon hosts the ‘Unseen and Unheard’ talk, marking International Woman's Day. (Image: Sarah Caldecott)

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Also on display was the Missing Woman exhibition led by Durham County Council, Creative Youth Opportunities and The Auckland Project.

The project aims to give a voice to the women “whose lives go unrecorded” in biblical portraits by Francisco de Zuburban, whose original paintings hang in Auckland Castle.

Members of the public can view the exhibitions until Saturday, May 13, free of charge.