Neil Cooper Biography


An early interest in photography, prompted by winning a camera at the age of 12, led Neil to a full-time photographic course at Plymouth College of Arts, Devon. UK. He then spent 11 years working in education at Exeter University and Dartington College of Arts, UK - teaching, photographing campus activities (particularly the 'Arts') and managing the photographic department. 1980 saw a change in direction when he spent 2 years travelling the world, visiting Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, the South Pacific and the Americas, taking pictures along the way. During his time in India, meetings with Tibetan refugees led to a chain of events that completely changed his working life. In 1983 Neil was commissioned to spend one year visiting 23 Tibetan settlements, documenting refugee life in India & Nepal after 25 years in exile. From this he produced an exhibition "Remember Tibet" which was shown in the UK and Europe. In Switzerland the exhibition was opened & blessed by H.H. the Dalai Lama. Through exhibitions funds were raised to completely re-roof a Himalayan settlement, refurbish and staff a home for elderly Tibetans and to start the building of a boarding school for the children of poor road workers in a remote area near Darjeeling. His commitment to promoting awareness of the social problems of refugees and the political situation in Tibet continues to this day. The 'Neil Cooper Picture Library' contains a comprehensive collection of images of everyday Tibetan life from over 30 refugee settlements in India & Nepal. Since 1985 Neil has undertaken photographic commissions overseas and in the UK for British Aid Agencies, covering development work in 35 countries world-wide. Neil's photographs are lodged with commercial libraries - Panos Pictures (London), Alamy (worldwide), Lineair (Holland) and The Royal Commonwealth Society Occasional lectures on his work at Plymouth College of Art have inspired many students to follow in his footsteps and he has taken photography/film students on overseas work experience trips to Mozambique, Bangladesh, Nepal & Belize. Two of them subsequently winning a National TV award for a film shot during their trip to Central America. Neils' photographs and articles have been published in most major newspapers, reproduced in hundreds of books, educational DVD's & countless magazines world-wide, he continues to travel and work overseas.

An early interest in photography, prompted by winning a camera at the age of 12, led Neil to a full-time photographic course at Plymouth College of Arts, Devon. UK. He then spent 11 years working in education at Exeter University and Dartington College of Arts, UK - teaching, photographing campus activities (particularly the 'Arts') and managing the photographic department.

1980 saw a change in direction when he spent 2 years travelling the world, visiting Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, the South Pacific and the Americas, taking pictures along the way.

During his time in India, meetings with Tibetan refugees led to a chain of events that completely changed his working life. In 1983 Neil was commissioned to spend one year visiting 23 Tibetan settlements, documenting refugee life in India & Nepal after 25 years in exile. From this he produced an exhibition "Remember Tibet" which was shown in the UK and Europe. In Switzerland the exhibition was opened & blessed by H.H. the Dalai Lama.

Through exhibitions funds were raised to completely re-roof a Himalayan settlement, refurbish and staff a home for elderly Tibetans and to start the building of a boarding school for the children of poor road workers in a remote area near Darjeeling. His commitment to promoting awareness of the social problems of refugees and the political situation in Tibet continues to this day.

The 'Neil Cooper Picture Library' contains a comprehensive collection of images of everyday Tibetan life from over 30 refugee settlements in India & Nepal.

Since 1985 Neil has undertaken photographic commissions overseas and in the UK for British Aid Agencies, covering development work in 35 countries world-wide.

Neil's photographs are lodged with commercial libraries - Panos Pictures (London), Alamy (worldwide), Lineair (Holland) and The Royal Commonwealth Society

Occasional lectures on his work at Plymouth College of Art have inspired many students to follow in his footsteps and he has taken photography/film students on overseas work experience trips to Mozambique, Bangladesh, Nepal & Belize. Two of them subsequently winning a National TV award for a film shot during their trip to Central America.

Neils' photographs and articles have been published in most major newspapers, reproduced in hundreds of books, educational DVD's & countless magazines world-wide, he continues to travel and work overseas.