When Brighton solicitor Tim Andrews was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease he turned himself into an art project.

He invited Brighton photographers and artists with a national profile including Rankin and Jillian Edelstein to photograph his journey since his 2005 diagnosis.

A collection of the best shots will be shown in Over The Hill, which opens at Crate Gallery in New England House as part of Brighton Photo Fringe.

The fringe is a grassroots festival created by artists in 2003 to complement the international, curated Brighton Photo Biennial. Its open-access ethos makes it distinct from other photography festivals. The 50 photographs and films in Over The Hill present a “remarkably democratic project,” says Julia Horbaschk, photographer and co-curator of the show. “It allows the viewer to see one person portrayed in many different ways. A portrait, a self-portrait and perhaps an autobiographical account of the photographers themselves.”

Andrews, who is caught amid a range of emotions, says: “When people ask me if I could choose not to have Parkinson’s and have my old life back my answer is still ‘no thanks. I’m happy as l am doing this project’”.

Other highlights in the 80 exhibitions and events include the fringe’s one international open submission, The Unforgetting by Peter Watkins at The Regency Town House in Brunswick Square, Hove. Watkins uses sculptural techniques including casting, stacking and obscuring to create autobiographical photographs. (Thu to Sat, 11am to 6pm, Sun, noon to 5pm).

The Sum Of Our Parts is the latest show by the man who created the infamous Great Wall Of Vagina. Jamie McCartney has created portraits of body parts without using a camera and pieced them together “to explore beauty, sexuality and humanity”. (Ground Coffee House, Church Road, Hove, Mon to Sat 8pm to 4pm, Sun, 9am to 3pm) Photographers pick their favourite as yet unpublished shots in The Shot I Never Forgot (4th Floor, Vantage Point, New England Road, Brighton, Wed to Sat, 10am to 6pm, Sun, 11am to 5pm) while dancers are celebrated in We Love To Boogie, which will see 50 black and white photographs of dancing, from tango to pogo, on the Palace Pier. (Fri, Oct 3, to Mon, Oct 20, 10am to 6pm).

A few readers might recall prams being raced through Kemp Town in the 1970s and even feature in some of the 32 black and white images in Remembering The Great Kemp Town Pram Race, which will be shown in seven of the area’s pubs. (The Crown, The Hand In Hand, The Golden Cannon, The Ginger Dog, The Barley Mow, The Bristol, The Saint George Inn, Mon to Sun, noon to 11pm).

And anyone who has ever been to a wedding or a funeral will be interested in Four European Unions And A Funeral by Del Loewenthal, whose snaps compare the different rites of passage in England, France, Germany and Italy (Dolphin House Shop and Children’s Clinic, New Road, Brighton, Mon to Fri, 9.30am to 5.30pm, Sat 10am to 5.30pm).

Dominic Smith