Able Voices Albania Local Exhibitions
For two weeks PhotoVoice have been running photography workshops with two groups of disabled young people in an under-developed area of Albania, in partnership with World Vision Albania. Disabled people - and particularly younger people - are too often overlooked and excluded from community decision making and activities in Albania and across Eastern Europe due to low expectations about what they are capable of, and a lack of projects aimed at enabling inclusion.
PhotoVoice’s Projects Support Clare Struthers and experienced PhotoVoice facilitator Glynis Shaw travelled out to Albania three weeks ago to liaise with World vision Albania, prepare their staff and volunteers from the local university to support the workshop process and learn more about participatory methodologies, and run the workshops with fourteen young people with varying requirements for inclusion. Nine workshops were ran for each group of seven young people, in two different villages in Elbasan.
There was almost 100% attendance and no drop outs, showing the enthusiasm, energy of these talented young people. The course included a local outshoot and a 2 day trip to the beach via some archaelogical ruins and a zoo described by PV Project Support and facilitator Clare as ‘the most horrifying zoo I’ve ever been to in my life’! On Tuesday 10th July the results of these workshops were showcased in two local exhibitions -one in each village. Both were held outside for maximum impact and participation from the community (the weather is distinctly better in Albania than in the UK at the moment), and then the work is moving to Elbasan (the largest city in the province) for a combined exhibition in the centre of town.
Update from Clare, still in Albania and busy hanging the exhibition today: “The space is great - we’re hanging along the main boulevard which is packed between 6-8pm with pedestrians, there is also a big screen that shows adverts which we’ve hired it out for the duration of the exhibition to show a slideshow of the work that we’ve put toggether, showcasing each participants’ top five photos. They each have two prints in the exhibition and as they are outside they are quite large. We had them printed onto a durable canvas material so they are easily stored and portable - World Vision will be taking the exhibiton to Tirana (Albania’s capital) next. We’ve also had a T-shirt made for each young person with their favourite print on and their name on the back so they can show their involvement and their achievement.
The mayor was in attendence this morning (Tuesday 10th) and has responded really positively to including these young people in the community more. Tomorrow the local TV station will come to film the exhibition in Elbasan! We’ve also had albums made with their top ten photos and their certificates which will be presented to them all at the exhibition in Elbasan tomorrow. All of the WV staff & volunteers have been INCREDIBLE, especially Arjan (World Vision Albania Project Coordinator), who we couldn’t have done it without.
The young people have responded so fantastically as well and have really flourished in terms of confidence and ability - the work is really strong; you’d never guess that the photos were taken by children they are so good! Most importantly everyone has had lot’s of fun! We will miss the kids so much though, I know I’m gonna ball my eyes out when I have to say goodbye to them tomorrow!” Look out for further updates on this exciting project, and to see the work by the young people - a slideshow will be uploaded onto the Project pages of the website next week.
Images of Foul Play
Announcing the WILD Public Choice Prize Winner!
A big thank you to the 1000’s of you that have made your WILD vote count over the past few weeks. We are now pleased to announce the winner of the WILD Public Choice Prize is…..
‘Perfect Takeoff’
‘Greater flamingo as seen flying on the lake Nalsarover,(Gujarat) gives reason to be the state bird of Gujarat, India, with beautiful colour and dominant pink colour. Flamingo’s are epitome of peace purity and love’
We are also pleased to announce our two WILD Public Choice Prize Runners Up…..
Jason Parry - ‘Swooping Eagel’
Emiliano Cerluini - ‘Chaimois in Abruzzo’
To view the complete WILD collection and purchase a print to help raise money for the work of PhotoVoice please visit the WILD Print Sale
THE PRIZES
WILD PhotoVoice Prize Winner:
- A Fujifilm Finepix HS30 EXR camera
- A place in the WHF Big Cat Group Photographic Workshop
Joining up with PhotoVoice, WHF is able to offer two places on a group of 10 workshop to the lucky winners. This day will include park entry, tuition throughout the day, buffet lunch, hot drinks and the chance to photograph some of the rarest cats on the planet. One day to remember for the rest of your life!
WILD PhotoVoice Prize Runner Up:
Runner Up 1 - A fantastic Animal Artwork Print by the creative team at SP Apparel
Runner Up 2 - Yellowstone to Yukon, Freedom to Roam photography book by award winning photographer Florian Schulz
To view the complete WILD collection and purchase one of the 50 outstanding photographs please visit the WILD Print Sale before 10 June 2013.
Thank you to everyone that has participated in WILD. Your generosity and engagement towards PhotoVoice is sincerely appreciated
http://www.wildphotocomp.co.uk/printsale
PhotoVoice & WAGGGS Partnership
PhotoVoice are thrilled to have recently partnered with WAGGGS (Worldwide Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) on a 1 week training course last week, May 13th – 17th 2013, training 20 young women from 17 different countries worldwide to set-up and run their own individual participatory photography projects. Together we designed a bespoke intensive training schedule to provide the young women with all the skills and tools they need to implement their projects back home and train other Girl Guide Leaders to do the same. WAGGGS is the largest voluntary movement based on educating and empowering young women. Their training provides opportunities for girls and young women in life skills, leadership and citizenship.
The idea for the project was discussed over a year ago to coincide with the MDGS (Millennium Development Goals) for 2013. The 8 goals set by the UN are based around meeting the needs of the world’s poorest countries (from reducing poverty to halting the spread of HIV), by the target date of 2015. World Thinking Day 2013 focuses on MDGs 4 & 5, to Reduce Child Mortality and Improve Maternal Health. As WAGGGS is an organisation that empowers young women these were the perfect goals to focus the training around. Each Girl Guide Leader will run an advocacy photography project with the girl guides in their local community to advocate on behalf of women and children everywhere on the issues outlined in MDGS 4 & 5.
It was an absolute pleasure to support PV’s Projects Support, Clare Struthers in delivering PhotoVoice training to such an inspirational group of women from around the world. It was an intense but fun week of learning and participation for everyone in involved, and I feel very honoured to have been a part of the whole experience. The PhotoVoice and WAGGGS partnership is a fantastic opportunity to empower young women by providing them with the skills to use participatory photography as a tool to tackle the global issues surrounding child and maternal health, and I am extremely proud to be a part of it.“It was an absolute honour and a privilege to spend the week training such motivated, engaged and inspiring young women. I have learnt so much from them all and can’t wait to see the incredible projects . It has been one of the most exhausting yet inspiring weeks of my life! Juliet and I were overcome with emotion when they presented us with this amazing thank you card on the last day, a photo they took of all of their hands and guide scarves, with ‘thank you’ written in each of their native languages.”
- Juliet Vine
A huge thank you to all of the amazing participants, Anja Zomamisoa(Madagascar) , Angeli Siladan (Philippines), Joan Mutie(Kenya) , Alejandra Lonjedo (Argentina), Robyn Gibbs(Australia), Daniela Solano(Costa Rica), Kim Powell (USA/based in France), Shaima Mohammed(UAE), Mailiis Jogis(Estonia), Mickaela Abela (Malta), Joelle Nehme(Lebanon), Yasmin Martin(South Africa), Lilit Chilingaryan( Armenia), Alejandra Salas(Costa Rica), Nancy Brown (USA), Christina Ingerslev(Denmark), Kaelynne Gurnell(South Africa), all the incredible staff at Pax Lodge, one of the 4 worldwide centres, Amee Chande for her generous donation to make this training a reality, Nefeli Themeli and Anush Aghabalyan, our wonderful WAGGGS co-trainers and especially to Juliet Vine, who was an incredible support facilitator. I couldn’t have survived the week without you!
Watch this space for updates on their projects!!!
- Clare Struthers, Projects Support
Thank you from WAGGGS!
Rights! Cameras! Action! Booklets in Action!
Rights! Cameras! Action! UK was a project run by PhotoVoice in 2011 working with young people across the UK to explore how they feel the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) affects their lives and the lives of other young people in the UK.
PhotoVoice and Action for Children launched an online multimedia resource to inform and engage young people across the UK about UNCRC, alongside a very popular booklet to be used as a classroom tool and to signpost the online resource.
Jennifer Chamber from Merseyside Youth Association (MYA) tells us about her experience of using the booklets.
“The booklet were really useful and great to see young people’s work used to talk about their rights and responsibilities”.
These booklets were also distributed at The Anthony Walker Foundation Hate Crime Conference (for young people) where the Merseyside Youth Foundation delivered a workshop about rights and responsibilities to four groups of about twenty young people. The following photos feature group leaders who were able to share experiences and who are also trained in mental health promotion and youth work. All who attended the workshop left with a booklet.
PhotoVoice in Zimbabwe
The aim of the project is to engage the communities targeted by the WASH program in examining and evaluating their own hygiene and water usage practices through photography, in order to produce photographic work that reflects not only the problems that the WASH program seeks to address, but also the successes of its implementation.
Matt’s update from Zimbabwe:
“All went well with the staff training - great group, really engaged and on top of the practical and ethical considerations of running PP work now I feel.
First workshop with community reps was today and was a great success. Staff support was excellent and showed they have grasped everything covered in the training… (there were) loads of opportunities to discuss their photos and technical challenges one-on-one. It helped us make the most of a day that had to cover a lot in a short time.”
Matt will also be covering school workshops and there will be a community exhibition held at the healthcare centre.
Sharon (healthcare officer for the area): “I think this is a very good project. It will be very useful for this program and others. It is good that the community is so engaged and active and get to do something and share their thoughts. I would like to use this in other programs.”
Amnesty Young Human Rights Reporter of the Year Award Ceremony 2013!
PhotoVoice are very proud to have partnered with Amnesty International this year on their prestigious Young Human Rights Reporter of the Year competition! Tuesday 30th April saw the Awards Ceremony – a truly enriching and inspiring event.
Amnesty’s competition is in its fourth year and has over 2500 participants from across the UK, this was the first year to include a photo-journalism category and PhotoVoice’s very own
bursary recipients, Brandon Lane and Bianca Tennant, presented the awards to the budding young reporters.
Entrants ranged from 7-18 years old submitting written journalistic essays, performing protest songs & of course amazing photos covering all aspects of Human Rights violations across the globe from female genital mutilation to bullying right here in the UK.
The event itself was highly motivating and inspiring filled with musical performances, speeches from journalists and interviews with human rights activists. The talent and knowledge shown by the shortlisted recipients and the winners was overwhelming.
PhotoVoice not only presented awards at the ceremony but also ran a workshop asking participants to label photographs of young people as either negative or positive in terms of their representation, this brought up insightful discussions by the young people.
It’s events like these that remind us all of the power and importance of youth voices. Congratulations to the winners and all those shortlisted!
PhotoVoice evening with Steve Bloom was a sell-out show!
On Monday 29th April, we were lucky enough to be in the charming company of internationally acclaimed photographer and author Steve Bloom a leading documentary photographer of our time specialising in stunning images of the living world.
Steve delivered a visually rich lecture taking his audience on a journey with his charismatic stories and presentation covering three decades of his career. We were all dazzled by the live theatre performance of both still and digitally enhanced images that captured the diversity of the continent where he grew up, and where he continues to return to photograph both people and animals.
Steve shared with us his representation of Africa through landscapes, dynamic wildlife, and human life, which Included images of silverback mountain gorillas deep in the rainforest, cute baby lion cubs, endangered black rhino drinking at a moonlit waterhole and Mozambican migrant workers toiling in a gold mine three kilometres below ground.
Steve’s fascination in finding patterns and shapes in nature as well as his interest in photography’s relationship to time and space, were apparent in his superb selection of images and animated slide show.
The lecture finished with the announcement of the 50 WILD photography competition winners and a Q&A session, which invited all members of the audience to marvel at all the lovely WILD winning photos for the WILD Print Sale, and ask questions to delve into the secrets behind Steve’s striking images of the living world.
As a judge of WILD, Steve also announced his winner for the WILD PhotoVoice Prize – Sandra Elkin, for her fantastic photograph ‘Sharing the Road’.
Steve Bloom said that “The winning picture is a superb visual metaphor, revealing the common struggle of life as we walk down our chosen paths. The snow adds to the drama, and the picture also shows something of the impact of humanity on the animal world.”
You can view all of the 50 WILD winners and purchase a print in the WILD Print Sale.
Thank you to everyone who attended the lecture and supported PhotoVoice by purchasing a ticket. We hope everyone had a great evening and we look forward to welcoming you to our upcoming lectures (to be announced soon).
WILD Print Sale EXTENDED until 10 June!
PhotoVoice and Steve Bloom are delighted to announce the winner of the WILD PhotoVoice Prize!
Congratulations to Sandra Elvin for her superb photograph “Sharing the Road”, of a bison crossing the road during a snow storm in Yellowstone National Park, taken on April 7 2013
You can now purchase one of the 50 outstanding WILD photographs in the WILD Print Sale until 10 June 2013.
Steve Bloom said that “The winning picture is a superb visual metaphor, revealing the common struggle of life as we walk down our chosen paths. The snow adds to the drama, and the picture also shows something of the impact of humanity on the animal world.”
WILD PhotoVoice Prize Winner & Runners Up
WILD PHOTOVOICE PRIZE –
- Fujifilm FinePix X-S1 premium bridge camera
- signed slipcase gift edition of Steve Bloom’s book Elephant!
WILD PHOTOVOICE PRIZE RUNNERS UP (Awarded to 3 runners up)
- Signed Steve Bloom Spirit of the Wild Exhibition book
We would like to say a MASSIVE thank you to everyone that has participated in WILD. Your generosity and engagement towards PhotoVoice is sincerely appreciated, and we wish all our 50 WILD winners the best of luck for the public vote.
To purchase one of the 50 outstanding WILD photographs please visit our WILD Print Sale
WILD IS NOW CLOSED FOR ENTRIES SHOWCASE OPEN
WILD Closed for entries on Mon 22 April
JUDGING
We are in the process of reviewing WILD entries with our expert judging panel who is joined this year by acclaimed photographer and best-selling author Steve Bloom. Steve specialises in stunning images of the living world and reveals that a “‘wild’ photograph is one that emotionally connects with the viewer by blurring the lines between the animal and human world. It acknowledges we are all part of the same wide ecosystem, and encourages awareness of the living world”.
The judging panel will select 50 of the top submitted images to be showcased in the WILD Print Sale Gallery, which will be announced at PhotoVoice lecture ‘Steve Bloom’s Africa’ on Monday 29 April 2013, 7:00pm at Kings Place, Kings Cross, London.
Book your tickets online
The print sale for WILD will go live online on Wednesday 1 May 2013.Each chosen image will then be available to purchase for £50.00 (Plus £5 P&P), with the money raised going to the charity PhotoVoice.
PRIZES
Each photographer whose image is selected for the WILD Print Sale will receive a professional 16”x 12” Lambda C Type print of their image thanks to the creative team at Metro Imaging.
The 50 shortlisted photographs selected for the print sale will also be exhibited at PICS Festival in London in June 2013.
There will also be two prizes awarded for the WILD PhotoVoice Prize selected by Steve Bloom, and the WILD Public Choice Prize decided by the online public vote.
‘WILD Public Choice Prize’ - signed slipcase gift edition of Steve Bloom’s book Elephant!
‘WILD PhotoVoice Prize’ - Wildlife Heritage Foundation Group Photographic Workshop
Joining up with PhotoVoice, WHF is able to offer two places on a group of 10 workshop to the lucky winners. This day will include park entry, tuition throughout the day, buffet lunch, hot drinks and the chance to photograph some of the rarest cats on the planet. One day to remember for the rest of your life
A selection of image entries can be viewed in the ‘WILD’ SHOWCASE.
ONLINE VOTING
To vote for your favourite WILD photo please visit the upcoming ‘WILD’ online voting page from Tuesday 30 April 2013.
PRINT SALE
From Wednesday 1 May 2013, you will be able to purchase a print and vote for your favourite image through the ‘WILD’ print sale gallery.
All proceeds from the print sales will go to the vital work of PhotoVoice changing lives through the power of photography. PhotoVoice works with marginalised and minority communities by providing photographic training for participants to communicate the reality of their lives, to express themselves creatively and to advocate for social change.
This is your chance to join a celebration of everything that is beautiful on this planet, win fantastic photographic prizes and at the same time support the charity PhotoVoice!
Let the wild and wonderful be your inspiration to help us celebrate everything that is beautiful and natural in our world!
PICS Festival 2013- Images Changing Society
Our focus this year will be the responsibility of NGOs and international development organisations to consider the impact of how they represent developing world issues and people.
When?
Sat 8 June 12pm - 6pm
Where?
Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road
London, E1 6LA
Click for map
T: 020 7613 7498
E: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Prices?
Full - £7.50
Concessions - £5
PICS one-day festival will feature a photographic exhibition showcasing the output of a variety of projects by organisations and individuals that aim to bring about positive social change through photography, alongside a programme of talks, panel discussions and workshops (including Sensory Photography and Visual Literacy). The festival will feature examples of photojournalism, participatory photography, citizen journalism and sensory photography, among others.
Our focus this year will be the responsibility of NGOs and international development organisations to consider the impact of how they represent developing world issues and people. We want an open discussion on what role imagery in the public eye can play in reinforcing attitudes and ultimately situations and power structures, as well as what positive impact it can have if used well to reveal realities and prompt action.
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If you are interested in exhibiting, volunteering or for press enquiries please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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PICS 2012 - Photographic Images Changing Society
Saturday 19th May 2012, @Hub Westminster
This was the first of what we hope will become an annual event - and it turned out to be a resounding success! See below for a short video of panel debate highlights, and to read the PICS 2012 Special Edition Newspaper online!
Left: PICS 2012 keynote panel debate featuring Stephen Sidlo, kennardphillips, Matt Daw, Ivor Prickett and Joseph Cabon. Right: One of the “open table” discussions.
PICS 2012 Special Edition Newspaper
To order a copy of this newspaper (comes with complimentary copy of Uncertain States Photography Journal) donate £3 (per copy) or more here - http://bit.ly/picsdonate - to cover postage and packaging and email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with your name and address.
Throughout the whole day, the Hub Westminster was filled to the brim and those who attended shared ideas, opinions, and positive energy thanks to a varied programme of talks, exhibitions and multimedia screenings (the latter managed by our great new Projects intern, Kristian) We prepared lots of practical and participatory activities, including 45-minute long “open table” discussions chaired by, among others, Russell Watkins, photo editor of DFID UK, who wrote about the festival on his very interesting blog http://developingpictures.wordpress.com. Former Sky Digital News Editor Neal Mann and UNICEF Executive Director Tony Lake, were also in attendance. Many enjoyed the workshops exploring three aspects of participatory photography: Visual Literacy led by photojournalist Jenny Matthews; Sensory Photography hosted by PhotoVoice’s Clare Struthers and Fotosynthesis’s Ingrid Guyon; and Text and Captioning by PhotoVoice project facilitators Glynis Shaw and Adam Lee.
The highlight of the day came in the afternoon with the keynote panel debate on the subject that has become PICS 2012’s headline: What role does ‘truth’ play in photography for social change?
“Great atmosphere, lots of interesting conversations and a positive buzz coming from the sharing of knowledge and opinions - thank you all for the amazing feedback on the festival!”
“A HUGE thank you to Globalnet21 and Photovoice! What a blooming marvellous event! Everyone I spoke to was positive and inspirational, focusing on change rather than problems. Special thanks to Francis, Christina and Matt for organising. I REALLY enjoyed the ‘Introduction to Sensory Photography - Photography Without Sight (with PhotoVoice and blind photographer Gary Waite)’, even though Gary, the main attraction had suddenly been whisked off to Devon on the day! But the two ladies holding it were amazing and it was great to get a feel of “blind photography”! I thought the range of photos from the totally amateur to the professional were fascinating and thought-provoking. I thoroughly enjoyed the Panel Debate too, and it made me open up a lot more. So much appreciation to all who hosted and took part today.”
Lucinda Randolph
“An interesting combination of displays, projections, discussions and workshops expressing particular views and interpreted in ways I might not have expected. I felt I had spent my time well and hope I was able to contribute.”
Terence Freedman
BIG thank you to all who helped organise the festival - it wouldn’t be possible without you! And to those who attended - we do hope to see you again at one of the upcoming PhotoVoice events. To stay updated with the latest news subscribe to our bi-monthly newsletter!
Generously supported by
Launch of John Kobal Bursary Scheme 2012-13
We are delighted to announce the launch of the PhotoVoice Bursary Scheme 2012-13, generously funded by John Kobal Foundation, supporting 5 talented young past project participants to develop their photographic skills and training. 
The five successful recipients are:
Luke Hayes
Luke is 18 and was a participant in the PhotoVoice ‘Having Our Say Too’ project. Luke discovered during the project that he was really interested in both landscape photography and developing a technical grasp of the camera. He intends to make a portfolio of work and a book of his landscape photography by July 2013.
Alisha Watts
Alisha is 16 and was a participant in the PhotoVoice ‘Having Our Say Too’ project. Throughout the project she was self-motivated and creative. Alisha was both insightful and honest had an ability to convey her experiences and perspectives verbally, visually and through the written word. She intends to make a portfolio of work by July 2013.
Brandon Lane
Bradon is 20 and participated in PhotoVoice’s Lookout UK project . Brandon’s project is focused on photographing how our environment is affected by pollution and then designing 3D models of a greener London through graphic design to exhibit, in the hopes of improving our community.He will be setting up an online blog as well as a platform to showcase his final 3D models.
Mike Asiku
Mike is 19 and participated in the Lookout UK project. He is going to Iceland on an expedition in August 2013 with a group of young people as an adventure leader and will be using his bursary to do a project about young people going through changes when put in extreme circumstances. Mike also plans to upload his images to an adventure photography blog as a platform for his work.
Denzel Hippolyte
Denzel is 20 and participated in the Lookout UK project. Denzel’s project focuses on his local community, his aim being to bring people together with his photos by documenting their personal and communal experiences. He plans to design a photo book as a platform for his project images, alongside quotes and captions from those photographed.
Over the past few weeks we’ve held an initial ‘Introduction to SLR Camera’ workshop at the community photography project FotoSynthesis, run by Ingrid Guyon, and a ‘Studio Masterclass’ day held at Drew Studios, run by David Drew, both days were thoroughly enjoyed by all!
We will continue to run a variety of photographic workshops with them over the coming months and help to support them through individual mentoring sessions to help develop their personal projects - so watch this space!
Lookout UK website is now LIVE
Look out, Speak out, Stand out
The debate around ‘youth issues’ such as gangs, knife crime, youth opportunities and peer pressure is too often held in political circles and the media, excluding those most affected, and those who hold the key to improving the situation – young people themselves.
Lookout UK is a platform for young people to highlight their perspectives on any issues they feel are important, and which are overlooked by politicians, and ignored or misrepresented by the media.
Since June 2010 PhotoVoice has been working with young people from all backgrounds across the UK providing free training in digital photography and offering opportunities for young people to amplify their voices in the debate around youth issues.
PhotoVoice has been running workshops with hundreds of young people in London, Manchester, Liverpool, Nottingham, Glasgow and more, supporting them to speak out about issues they feel strongly about through photography, music, spoken word and digital storytelling. Throughout 2013 PhotoVoice will be pushing these photos and messages from young people into the public eye through exhibitions, online campaigns, media coverage and social media.
Any young person living in the UK can feed their voice into the campaign by submitting captioned photos, or attending the youth conferences in Liverpool and London.
The result of the Lookout project will be a multimedia youth manifesto, detailing the issues that are concerning young people in the UK today, along with their perspectives on changes that are needed to improve life for young people all over the UK. This manifesto will be posted online in July 2013 for young people to add to, comment on and make suggestions, before it is finalised at the youth conference in London in September 2013.
Please spread the word and encourage young people to look at the website, follow us on facebook and twitter, submit photos and add their voices to the campaign.
Keep an eye on the website for updates about upcoming events including Lookout Youth Conference in Liverpool (11th June 2013) and London (27th - 28th September 2013).
WILD photography competition and print sale in support of PhotoVoice
22 April 2013 Competition closes
29 April 2013 Final 50 shortlisted photographs announced
30 April 2013 PRINT SALE OPENS! / Public voting opens
20 May 2013 ‘WILD PhotoVoice Prize’ & ‘ WILD Public Choice Prize’ winners announced
20 May 2013 Print Sale closes
31 May 2013 Prints delivered
PhotoVoice would like to invite all photographers and nature enthusiasts alike to celebrate the natural world and help raise us raise money for future PhotoVoice projects by entering the WILD photography competition and print sale judged by acclaimed photographer and best-selling author Steve Bloom.
Of the photographs submitted, Steve Bloom will be choosing 50 images to be showcased in the WILD online gallery. Discussing what he looks for in a ‘wild’ photograph, Steve Bloom comments: “A ‘wild’ photograph is one that emotionally connects with the viewer by blurring the lines between the animal and human world. It acknowledges we are all part of the same wide ecosystem, and encourages awareness of the living world”.
Each photograph in the gallery will then be available to purchase in a limited edition print run for £50.00, with the money raised going to PhotoVoice.
The photographers whose images are chosen will each receive a professional 16”x 12” Lambda C Type print of their image. In addition, prizes will be awarded to the winners of the ‘WILD Public Choice Prize’, chosen by the online public vote and the ‘WILD PhotoVoice Prize’ chosen by Steve Bloom.
All printing will be produced by Metro Imaging, London’s leading professional photographic printing company.
The competition closes on the 22 April 2013 and the announcement of the 50 shortlisted winners will take place at ‘Steve Bloom’s Africa’ talk on 29 April 2013 at Kings Place, London, with the sale starting on the 30 April.
To enter a photograph into the competition please visit www.wildphotocomp.co.uk .
From 30 April 2013 you will be able to purchase a print and vote for your favourite image @ www.wildphotocomp.co.uk/showcase .
This is your chance to join a celebration of everything that is beautiful on this planet, win fantastic photographic prizes and at the same time support the charity PhotoVoice!
The PhotoVoice Inclusive Photography Resource & Sensory Exhibition Launch
Thank you to everyone who came along to celebration on Tues 26th March 2013, that marked the launch of the PhotoVoice Inclusive Photograph Resource:
Able Voices: Participatory photography as a tool for inclusion :This resource is the latest addition to our free online methodology series and was generously funded by the international charity World Visionas part of the Able Voices project, working with young people with differing requirements for inclusion.
“Photography is one of the best practices in engaging children with different abilities in advocacy and enabling them to engage in all levels of the community.”
Arjan Emini, World Vision, Albania 2012
The occasion included a full day of PhotoVoice Inclusive Photography training and an evening celebration event, hosted by the lovely Shape Arts team at their pop-up space:
40 Gracechurch Street
London
EC3V 0BT
PhotoVoice Inclusive Photography Training
The training was delivered by PhotoVoice’s Clare Struthers, who is experienced in working on projects with groups of people with different abilities. It was a hands-on and fun workshop with an array of different activities that enabled participants to understand how photography is a versatile and accessible medium for creative expression, which offers opportunities for truly meaningful inclusion. The training participants were a fantastic group who really engaged in the tasks, which covered the practical and ethical guidelines for anyone wishing to ensure that their photography work & workshops are inclusive, when working with people of all abilities.
PhotoVoice Inclusive Photography Resource & Sensory Exhibition Launch
The evening event had a great crowd who were really engaged in the Sensory Exhibition.
The photographs in the exhibition are from the PhotoVoice projects Beyond Sight (2007-8) & Sights Unseen (2009-10), working with blind and visually impaired people in the UK, China & Mexico. The photos were created without the use of sight and do not require sight to be enjoyed and understood.
An audio guide was provided to help lead the visitors through the work on display, with the focus less on the images themselves but on what they demonstrates; a momentary experience or happening and the emotions it inspires.
“It is obvious that a blind person cannot see, but to say they cannot perceive – that is understand, discern, locate, feel, interiorise etc. and re-transcribe it – is as stupid and false as saying they can’t laugh, cry or eat. The fact is that they don’t see with their eyes, but with their minds” – Christian Lonbardi, Photographer without sight
Richard Downes attended the launch. Read about his experience
here!
The exhibition will remain at Shape Arts until the end of April.
PhotoVoice Sensory Exhibition Viewing times:
Mon – Thurs
10am – 4pm
The highlight of the evening included an inspiring talk by PhotoVoice participant, John McCafferty who spoke about his involvement with PhotoVoice and his on-going photography projects.
John was a participant in PhotoVoice’s 2004-05 Able Voices project, and went on to be part of the PhotoVoice bursary scheme in 2011, which provided him with the equipment and support required to work on his own photography projects.
A selection of John’s images from this body of work are also on display at Shape Arts in addition to the Sensory Exhibition. It was fantastic to hear about John speak about his practice as a photographer and how he uses the medium as an accessible tool as a means of communication.
More information about John and his photography can be found here:
PhotoVoice Inclusive & Sensory Photography Training 26 & 27 March 2013
PhotoVoice are delivering two days of training based on the practical work and methodologies of PhotoVoice projects working with people who are affected by varying levels of inclusion.
INCLUSIVE PHOTOGRAPHY - Photography and mixed ability groups
Tuesday 26th March 2013
10am – 5pm
Shape’s Pop-up Gallery
40 Gracechurch Street
EC3V 0BT
£100 (concession £75 for students and members of NGO/non-profit organisations with annual income under £30,000)
A day of training in the practicalities and ethics of running photography projects with mixed disability groups. All levels of experience welcome.
SENSORY PHOTOGRAPHY - Photography Beyond Sight
Wednesday 27th March, 10am – 5pm
Shape’s Pop-up Gallery in the City
40 Gracechurch Street
EC3V 0BT
£80 (concession £65 for students and members of NGO/non-profit organisations with annual income under £30,000)
A fun and interactive day of training in techniques for creating, and experiencing, photography without sight. Open to all regardless of level of sight.
PACKAGE DISCOUNT: Book for both Inclusive photography and Sensory photography for just £150 (or £120 concession)
Email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to book
PLUS Inclusive Photography Resource Launch
Tuesday 26th March 2013, 6pm – 8pm
Shape’s Pop-up Gallery in the City
40 Gracechurch Street
EC3V 0BTSuggested donation: £10
Join us for a drink and an evening of inspiring talks and photography and talk from some up and coming photographers with disabilities. This evening marks the launch of PhotoVoice’s newest free online methodology guide – Inclusive Photography. Copies on CD-ROM will be available to purchase on the night.
PhotoVoice & Drew Studios Professional Photography Training 21 & 22 March 2013
PhotoVoice is teaming up with Drew Studios London to deliver two exclusive days of professional and affordable training
STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY MASTERCLASS
Thurs March 21
£150/£75 concessions
STARTING OUT IN PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Fri March 22
£100/£75 concessions
Drew Studios, Bethnal Green
Arch 11
Gales Gardens
London
E2 0EJ
The ‘Studio Photography Masterclass’ and ‘Starting Out in Professional Photography’ accredited one day training courses will be taking place at Drew Studios London in a friendly and professional photographic studio where you will be taught various skills by an industry professional.
The two training days are aimed at up and coming as well as established photographers, catering to those wishing to learn anew or brush up their skills in photography and get tips and techniques from an expert .
During the practical sessions you will have the opportunity to learn about and use professional photographic equipment and lighting in a professional fully equipped studio. Working in a small supervised group lead by an industry professional you will be given the opportunity to create images for your portfolio whilst learning practical skills. You will also learn tips and techniques to establish yourself in the photographic industry.
Transforming cash transfers launch event - Are you coming?
In 2012 PhotoVoice joined forces with the ODI to support some of the beneficiaries in Kenya and Mozambique to feed back their perspectives and experiences through photography. The workshops culminated in photo stories by the participants that give an insight into their lives and the issues they face, as well as the specific effects of the cash transfers on their lives. Click on the poster for more information about ODI.
Join PhotoVoice for the Exhibition of photographs and photo stories taken by the beneficiaries of UK funded direct cash transfer programs in Kenya and Mozambique.
24 - 28 April 2013
11am-6pm
Free Admission
theprintspace and PhotoVoice are teaming up!
PhotoVoice are selling a great selection of analogue film cameras, lenses and accessories on theprintspace The Marketplace with all proceeds going to support the work of PhotoVoice
The lovely people at theprintspace have shown their support and featured us in their blog last Friday 15th February 2013. Take a look at what they had to say about us here
theprintspace is a leading pro photo and fine are printing lab that opened in 2007 with the mission ‘to empower photographers to take control over their images, and give them the ability to make professional quality prints, without busting their budgets’. Their top quality printing and fantastic value make it an accessible service for all photographers from students, professionals & those just starting out with photography.
You can find out more about theprintspace here
Anyone who is interested in film photography will find it worthwhile taking a look at the camera items that we have for sale including film slr’s, point and shoot cameras as well as a wide range of lenses, flashes and other accessories. Any money that we make from the sales will go straight into our projects – so please take a look and we hope you find something that takes your fancy for all those analogue photography enthusiasts!
Address Unknown – the Photo Postcard Exhibition with a twist in support of PhotoVoice!
Address Unknown is an exciting open international and anonymous Photo Postcard Exhibition in support of PhotoVoice, organised by photographers Melanie Gow and Gill Aspel.
The Aim
This innovative open international Photo Postcard Exhibition, aims to engage as many people and places from across the globe by bringing together 1000 + photographs over the course of a year in to create ‘an explosion of photographic moments through the secret eyes of the world’. Through the collaboration of images the exhibition will expose both the shared and the different experiences of our world’s cultures and environments.
The Contributors
Anyone and everyone can contribute to the exhibition of Photo Postcards, including photographers, students, professionals and amateurs. Every contributors work is shown anonymously in the exhibition that will run for the last week in March 2013. Only at the end will the photographer’s identity be revealed, allowing photographs to be shown equality no matter where they come from in the world, or who took them.
Supporting PhotoVoice
The Photo Postcards will then be for sale for a Flat Rate in support of the charity PhotoVoice. You could own an exclusive image by a celebrity, a professional photographer or motographer, a new, up and coming student, or an amateur. You will buy something because you like it, something that there will only be one of in this form. When you buy the image you will receive a certificate of authentication that reveals the photographer’s identity.
How to get involved
For full information on how to take part please visit the Address Unknown website & read their T & C’s
Address Unknown is free and provides an opportunity for photographers or artists, from stars to students to be a part of this extraordinary open, international exhibition space and promotion of them and their work.
Take A Picture Email It to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) Keep The Secret
Here is a selection of some of the fantastic Photo Postcards in the exhibition
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Celebrations all round at our Bursary 2011-12 Exhibition launch
The PhotoVoice Bursary Scheme 2011-12 exhibition launched on Tuesday 22nd January 2013. A special thank you to everyone at Shape Arts who hosted the event at their current pop up gallery space on Gracechurch street, London. The exhibition will remain at Shape Arts until the end of January.
Venue:
40 Gracechurch Street
London, EC3
PhotoVoice’s bursary scheme supports photographers trained through our projects to continue developing their photographic skills and explore opportunities for work placements and further study. Throughout 2011-2012 the fantastic charity The Photographic Angel generously supported five PhotoVoice project participants from our LookOut London project.
The exhibition launch was a wonderful evening, which celebrated the excellent work produced by:
Bianca Tennant, 18
Nathaniel Williams, 18
Victoria Omobuwajo, 18
Sansha Edwin, 18
Venesha Cunningham, 23
To discover more about the TPA Bursary Scheme 2011-12 please visit the Bursary project page
The celebration was well attended by friends, family and The PhotoVoice Team. Guests had the opportunity to share a drink and speak directly to the photographers, and all enjoyed the relaxed & warm atmosphere.
Each photographer showcased 5 of their best images from their own personal projects. The work was beautifully exhibited on free standing easels that complemented the modern exhibition space, and allowed guests to get up close and personal with the photographs on display.
One of the highlights of the evening was the heart-warming speeches from PhotoVoice’s Clare Struthers & the Bursary participants during the hand out of the well-deserved Bursary certificates.
We want to extend our warmest thanks to Shape Arts & to everyone who came along and helped celebrate all of our Brusary recpients hard work over the past year. A very special mention & thank you goes to PhotoVoice’s very own Clare Struthers who played a key role throughout the Bursary scheme, and who organised the celebration exhibtion.
PV panel debate @ LAF 2013 was a packed out event!
PhotoVoice kick started the London Art Fair’s Photography Focus Day with its panel debate “Mirror to the Soul: Empathy through photography” yesterday, Wednesday 16th January 2013
The panel debate was the first event from the LAF full programme of talks focusing on the issues affecting contemporary photography.
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PhotoVoice Projects Manager, Matt Daw chaired the debate, and the compelling panel line-up included Photographer Laura Pannack, Photography and Professor of Counselling and Psychotherapy at the University of Roehampton Del Loewenthal, Photographer and Founding Editor of Uncertain States Newspaper Spencer Rowell, and PhotoVoice Project Manager Helen Cammock.
Each panellist gave a 10 minute presentation about their own photographic practice and the issues surrounding photography’s unique ability to express people’s views & perspectives.
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The audience were a fantastic bunch who opened up several interesting discussion points about photography’s unique ability to connect with specific emotions, people and situations, as well as touching on the ethical implications posed on the photographer when representing others through the lens.
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Thank you to everyone who came along to the event. We hope you all enjoyed the discussions and interesting viewpoints surrounding empathy through photography. And a massive thank you to our engaging panel of speakers!
Don’t forget - PhotoVoice is exhibiting a selection of photographs from our traveling exhibition Photo Voices “Sharing Lives, Opening Eyes” that was showcased at Rich Mix in October and was part of the Perugia Social Photo Fest, Perugia, Italy in November earlier this year, alongside a selection of images from our most recent projects Shutter Release – Picturing Life after Prison and Having Our Say Too.
If you are coming along to the London Art Fair over the next few days, please come and have a look at the PhotoVoice participants work, located next to the Photo50 café.London Art Fair16 - 20 January 2013
Business Design Centre
Islington, N1
Tickets £12.00 online / £16 on the door
London Art Fair 16th – 20th January 2013
We are delighted to be back and participating again at the London Art Fair in January 2013
London Art Fair16 - 20 January 2013
Business Design Centre
Islington, N1
Tickets £12.00 online / £16 on the doorAs a Friend of PhotoVoice, you can purchase two day tickets for the price of one until 31 December, saving you £17 on what you will pay on the door for a pair of tickets. Enter code LAF358 when booking your 241 tickets here
PhotoVoice will be exhibiting a selection of photographs from our travelling exhibition Photo Voices “Sharing Lives, Opening Eyes” that was showcased at Rich Mix in October and was part of the Perugia Social Photo Fest, Perugia, Italy in November earlier this year.
PhotoVoice is also hosting a panel debate at the fair on Wednesday 16th January from 12 - 1pm. Entrance to the debate is free with the admission of your London Art Fair ticket, but you must book your place to attend
Mirror To The Soul: Empathy Through Photography
Wedensday 16th Januray
12pm - 1pm
Admission: Free with LAF ticket, Booking Essential
Does photography have unique qualities that help us to see things from other people’s perspectives or feel an emotional connection with situations or people that other art forms cannot create?
This 1 hour discussion will look at approaches taken by different photographers and practitioners to use photography as a way to connect people across distances, convey sensitive or personal issues, and prompt a sense of involvement in situations that are alien to the audience.
Speakers:
Chair: Matt Daw, Projects Manager, PhotoVoice
Spencer Rowell, Photographer and Founding Editor of Uncertain States Newspaper
Helen Cammock, Project Manager of Having Our Say Too project with sexually exploited young people, and former Director of the Brighton Fringe Festival
Del Loewenthal, Photographer and Professor of Counselling and Psychotherapy, University of Roehampton
Laura Pannack, Photographer
Matt Daw is projects Manager at PhotoVoice and has over 7 years of experience designing and delivering participatory photography projects to amplify the voices of marginalized and issue-affected communities worldwide.
Spencer Rowell’s images aim to peel back the many layers, and the narrative of the past, to reveal hidden knowledge that exists within us all. By incorporating his study of psychodynamic theory with his art and by articulating often dark lonely spaces, he moves between the figurative and the abstract, maintaining a sense of disturbance that emanates from the work.
Spencer is also a Co-Founder of Uncertain States, a collective of fine art photographers who have come together to develop and expand their photographic practice. Together they publish a newspaper which offers a platform for other lens based artists to show and write about their latest projects.
Helen Cammock is an artist and experienced arts facilitator and Project Manager for PhotoVoice. She was previously Co-Director of Brighton Photo Fringe for four years. Helen is passionate about supporting and promoting diversity in all the work she does and is committed to designing projects and programmes that challenge and address these issues. She studied Sociology BA at University of Sussex and worked for 12 years designing and delivering social support projects for adults and young people before completing a BA in Photography at the University of Brighton in 2008 and an MA in Photography at the Royal College of Art in 2011.
Helen is currently managing PhotoVoice’s Having Our Say Too project with young people with experience of, or at risk of, sexual exploitation. Through this project young people are supported to explore their experiences and contribute to the dialogue around sexual exploitation by offering their perspectives on the issues involved.
Laura Pannack is a London based Photographer whose art focuses on social documentary and portraiture, and seeks to explore the complex relationship between subject and photographer.
Her work has been extensively exhibited and published both in the UK and internationally, and in 2010 Laura received first prize in the Portrait Singles category of the World Press Photo awards. She has also won and been shortlisted for several other awards including The Sony World Photography Awards, The Magenta foundation and Lucies IPA.
Laura is driven by research led self-initiated projects. In her own words, she does all she can “to understand the lives of those captured, and to present them creatively”. She is a firm believer that “time, trust and understanding is the key to portraying subjects truthfully”, and as such, many of her projects develop over several years. Her particular approach allows a genuine connection to exist between sitter and photographer, which in turn elucidates the intimacy of these very human exchanges. Her images aim to suggest the shared ideas and experiences that are entwined in each frame that she shoots. Laura largely shoots with a film camera on her personal projects, allowing her process to be organic rather than being predefined by fixed ideas, thus removing additional pressure on the sitter.
Del Loewenthal is a Professor of Counselling and Psychotherapy at the University of Roehampton and has worked in Departments of Psychology, Education and Management. He works internationally as well as being in private practice in Wimbledon and Brighton, and he has been involved in providing individual and group counselling and psychotherapy for over thirty years. Del also has a degree in photography and besides taking photographs corporately, at weddings, publicity stills, is currently involved in the therapeutic use of photographs in organisations, prisons and individual and group therapy.
For more information and to book tickets please visit the LAF website. We look forward to seeing you there!
PhotoVoice partners with Amnesty UK!
The competition is open to students aged 7 to 18 years and is run by Amnesty, in partnership with the Guardian Teacher Network and MA Publications, publishers of SecEd, Headteacher Update and Primary Teacher Update, and PhotoVoice!
Top entries will be published and winners will be announced at a special Amnesty award ceremony in London. Winners will also receive a selection of free books from publishers Random House and a subscription for their school to the current affairs teaching and learning site The Day.
PhotoVoice is proud to be on the judging panel for the newly introduced photojournalism category, alongside Sara Grant, author of Dark Parties, and Bali Rai, who wrote (Un)arranged Marriage, as well as representatives of Amnesty, the Guardian and SecEd.
We are also providing the prize for the 7-14 photojournalism category - a day working with a professional photojournalist covering a human rights issue, the work being published in a youth led publication as well as showcased at our very own London youth-led conference (Lookout UK).
Deadline for entries is 18 Feb 2013 - so get snapping & APPLY TODAY!
“The Young Human Rights competition seemed like a perfect fit for us. We specialise in helping young people to speak out through photography to share their perspectives and play an active role in working towards positive social change. Over the years many of the issues tackled by young people on our projects have been related to human rights, both in the UK and overseas. Images can make such a huge impact, and hopefully by offering this prize we will encourage young people to pick up a camera and become the human rights photojournalist of tomorrow.”
Clare Struthers, Projects Support
RY4C #UNCRCdebate great success
Firstly a big thank you to all who attended the RY4C debate on Friday 14th - everyone contributed amazingly to what resulted in some quite interesting discussions and a HUGE thanks to Dominic King for all his hard work in organising the event.
The panel debators were:
For
Melian Mansfield Independent
Verity Thomas YP with V Inspired
Hiran Adhia YP with Youth Media Agency
Against
Mike Lindsay Office of the Children’s Rights Director
Shreya Ukil YP with V Inspired
Snehal Shah Independent YP
Location: UNICEF
30A Great Sutton Street,
London EC1V 0DU
map
Date: Friday 14th December 2012 from 2pm-3pm
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We don’t want the debate to end here!!!
In the new year Right Year for Children will be posting excerpts from the debate aimed to continue the discussion surrounding whether the UNCRC should be integrated into UK Law
Follow and tweet the debate here Tweet #UNCRCdebate
PhotoVoice would like to say a massive THANK YOU to Fuji
With the help of Fuji’s generous donation we can continue our work to build skills within disadvantaged and marginalised communities using innovative participatory photography and digital storytelling methods so that they have the opportunity to represent themselves and create tools for advocacy and communications to achieve positive social change.
The camera is a fundamental tool for PhotoVoice participants to amplify their voices through photography, and with Fuji’s help, PhotoVoice have been able to distribute donated cameras to UK & International projects throughout 2012. These projects include:
Able Voices, Albania
In July 2012, PhotoVoice, in partnership with World Vision Albania, ran a two-week photography course with two groups of disabled young people in an under-developed area of Albania, enabling and supporting them to use photography as a way of exploring their experiences and aspirations, and speak out about barriers they face to inclusion in their communities. Raising their profile amongst the wider Albanian public, and challenging expectations about what they are capable of achieving and how much they are capable of voicing their perspectives and needs is the first step to lasting improvements in attitudes and inclusion.
Picture That!, UK
Picture That! is a set of photography workshops working with young people with Autism and Aspergers, designed to create a fun space where they could learn new photographic skills whilst building their self confidence. The participants, aged between 12 and 15, explored the theme of self-identity and children’s rights through a variety of activities.
Lookout UK
Lookout is encouraging and supporting young people across the UK to speak out about issues that affect them and other young people in their community.
In 2012, Fuji cameras have also been used as part of PhotoVoice training with Surf Aid Indonesia - Aug 2012, and loaned to a project run by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the Philipines and the Fotosynthesis project Jesuit UK destitute asylum seekers , documenting their lives to exhibit at the European Commission
NCVO Photography Competition 2013
PhotoVoice is pleased to be a part of Change Makers, a photographic competition run in conjunction with the National Council for Voluntary Organisations for their 8000+ members. The theme of this year’s competition is Change Makers so we are looking for images that show the positive impact that your organisation is having on the world. Ask yourself:
• Who are the change makers in your organisation?
• How are they bringing about change?
• What is the impact of that change?
There are some great prizes on offer in two categories:
1. Photographs taken by people who work for your organisation (paid staff members, trustees or volunteers, etc.)
2. Photographs taken by service users (beneficiaries or participants of your organisation)
For more details on how to enter, please go to NCVO Members’ Photography Competition 2013
With over 10 years’ experience in designing and delivering participatory photography projects for marginalised and vulnerable individuals and groups, PhotoVoice’s pioneering projects enable those who might traditionally be the subjects of photography to become its creator.
Since 2000, we have worked with partner organisations across the sector, including those benefitting refugees, people who are blind and partially sighted, street children, people living with HIV/AIDS and those with differing requirements for inclusion. Currently, we are working with Catch 22 with young people affected by gangs and knife crime; with members of the National Working Group for Sexually Exploited Children and Young People on a Comic Relief / BBC Children in Need funded project called Having Our Say Too and with HM Prison Leeds on a project aiming to reduce re-offending rates.
Training
We run dedicated training workshops for individuals and groups wanting to introduce participatory photography into their organisations and their beneficiaries. Places are still available for courses in 2013. Please visit PhotoVoice Training for more details.
Resources
We have also produced a considerable range of resources for working with different groups of beneficiaries as well as a statement of ethical practice which outlines the considerations and good practice guidelines that apply to any participatory photography work. Click here for more details
Join Media Trusts Cam360 to enter the Communities in Focus competition
The free Media Trust Cam360 Training Workshops are now complete
This is now your chance to sign up for Cam360 (a free website and app enabling citizen journalists to submit their photos in response to briefs set by local and national press) and enter the competition by submitting a photo that shows what you love about your community! Then you’ll be all set up ready when the assignments start flowing!
RY4C hosts a debate about the legal status of the UNCRC
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EXPERTS AND YOUNG PEOPLE DEBATE LEGAL STATUS OF THE UN CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD
A range of children’s rights experts and young people will debate whether the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child should be incorporated into UK law.
“We should scrap the human rights act.”
Connor Burns, Member of Parliament for Bournemouth West
This is going to be a genuinely two sided debated with the key points featuring in a report for anti and pro children’s rights organisations to have more of an understanding of why so many people disagree when it comes to this issue.
We want mainstream media and budding young journalists to attend the debate and create awareness of this issue that’s so integral to our society. Media that attend will receive the report of findings 24 hours before any other media.
The debate is on 14 December at UNICEF UK, 30A Great Sutton Street, London EC1V 0DU map.
The debate is facilitated by the Right Year for Children Partnership. This was formed to promote the 20th anniversary of the UK government ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and take advantage of this fantastic year of great opportunities. The partnership ends on 16 December 2012, the 21st anniversary.
For more information about the debate and the Right Year for Children please visit http://www.ry4c.org.uk and to get on the guest list or for any questions please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
The PhotoVoice Auction 2012 was an enjoyable occassion
The 10th annual auction of exceptional photographs took place on Tuesday 20th November. A massive thank you to all those who donated or bought prints, our volunteers and supporters who attended on the night. A great night was had by all.
The PhotoVoice team would like to say thank you to all of you who attended and contributed or bought prints at the auction on Tuesday 20th November 2012.
The evening was very successful and thanks to the generosity of so many people we were able to raise vital funds for the ongoing work of PhotoVoice.
Here is a slideshow showcasing a selection of the projects and participant interviews from 2012
A special thank you to all print donors & buyers, trustees & ambassadors, staff and all supporters whose contribution helped make the auction an enjoyable evening. And also a special thanks to our sponsors Thompson Reuters and ReedSmith.
This year the auction had a number of changes in format and venue including our new hosts LBi and our auctioneer Sebastien Montabonel, contributing to the overall buzz of the night.
Special guests included project participants Keyarn Nelson from the Lookout project, and bursary recipients Bianca Tennant and Vaneesha Cunningham who were the fantastic photographers for the evening.
The Bidsmart text bidding system (with the added smartphone app) saw a return this year to run the Silent Auction, which allowed for a larger number of absent bidders taking part from around the world.
Top selling prints included Marcus Lyon’s large scale Trabants-XII, kennardphillips’s well known Photo Op and Carinthia West’s 1976 Pink Floyd Contact Sheet from the album cover of ‘Animals’.
It was said that our collection of 85 prints was one of the best to date, so a fitting tribute to the 10 years that the auction has been running. The prints completely transformed LBi’s space into a fantastic gallery of top quality photography.
This year’s auction had a great atmosphere and there were many new faces who became first time buyers of photography. If you do have any comments we would be delighted to hear from you. Please feel free to email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with any feedback about
the event so we can improve things for future years.
To view this year’s online catalogue, click below.
The latest news from ‘Having Our Say Too’
PhotoVoice’s project ‘Having Our Say Too’ is now being shown as part of Shape Arts exhibition ‘Shape in the City’. run by Shape Arts. Open from the 19th November, come along to Shape’s Pop-Up Gallery in Gracechurch Street.
Shape is a disability-led arts organisation working to improve access to culture for disabled people. Disability arts grew out of the disability rights movement, and the wider struggle by disabled people for equality and the right to participate in all aspects of society.
Informed by the radical political activism of the 1960’s and motivated by creative ambition as well frustration at their exclusion from mainstream arts, disabled people came together to form their own organisations. These organisations provided a space where the needs and aspirations of disabled people could be realised, and their creative talents developed.
Shape was founded in 1976 by Gina Levete MBE as part of this movement. With project funding from the Gulbenkian Foundation and others, Shape launched several projects in schools, prisons, arts centres and colleges across Greater London.
In its early days Shape worked with everyone who was ‘excluded’. However, as the organisation evolved it has concentrated on working to enable deaf and disabled people to access the arts.
During the 1980’s the Shape model was repeated around the UK by the establishment of regional Shape services. Many of these remain, though over the years may have changed their name, or their focus.
Shape in the City is a large-scale multi-artform showcase in the heart of the city at 40 Gracechurch Street EC3V 0BT (map). Spanning over five floors, covering 60,000 sq ft, each floor covers one of Shape’s core themes and the venue is fully accessible.
The works are exhibited from floor 3 - floor 7 (note floor 7 is the archive and is accessed by appointment only).
The venue is open to the public (walk in) from 10am - 2pm Monday - Thursday and by appointment only from 2pm -6pm. On Friday access to the exhibition is by appointment only (10am-6pm).
Please come over and meet us, enjoy the exhibition, spread the word, tweet ( #sitc ), Facebook and engage with this exciting exhibition.
If you have any queries in the meanwhile please don’t hesitate to contact us at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or 0207 621 0900.
Take a look at the images & digital stories from our latest project about young people’s perspectives on sexual exploitation
BBC Children in Need
Children in Need are one of the main funders for the Having Our Say Too project, and PhotoVoice’s Project Manager Helen Cammock was featured on the BBC Children in Need programme on Friday 16th November 2012, in an interview talking about the issues from the project around sexual exploitation and young people.
Fundraising Internship Opportunity - anti-slavery photography project
This exciting project has been in development for the past year, and needs to raise £7,000 over the next two months to get off the ground.
This is an opportunity to:
• develop your fundraising skills
• be creative – think up and implement your own strategies
• add a cutting-edge arts project to your fundraising portfolio
• gain an understanding of the workings of a small charity and the international development sector
• meet and learn from professionals in arts activism
• contribute to the fight against modern-day slavery
This position will suit someone creative and proactive, with fundraising know-how, who is used to dealing with the corporate and business world. You will know and use social media to promote the project, and enjoy networking.
Commitment: negotiable – depends on your fundraising strategy.
Unpaid – expenses covered (to be agreed).
Voice of Freedom will make a real difference: we will work directly with trafficking victims and help bring their voice to the world. Find out more about the project at our website: www.voiceoffreedom.org.uk
To apply please send a copy of your CV with a covering letter of no more than one side of A4 explaining what you hope to gain from working on Voice of Freedom, and your relevant skills and experience.
Applications by email only to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Deadline for Applications - Midnight, Sunday 9 December 2012
Shortlisted applicants contacted - Tuesday 11 December 2012
Interviews - Thursday 13 December 2012
Start date - Week beginning: Monday 17 December 2012
Please note that as a small charity we have limited capacity to deal with enquiries, and are unable to respond to unsolicited telephone calls regarding this position. We also regret that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted, and we will be unable to provide feedback to applicants.
Sign up to our FREE Media Trust Cam360 Training Workshops!
PhotoVoice has been commissioned by the Media Trust to deliver a set of training workshops based on their exciting new Cam360 project, which aims to get professional journalists and citizen journalists working together on crowd-sourced citizen photojournalism, encouraging more local and diverse voices in the media. The web platform and iphone app, allow you to easily upload, share and publish your photography, responding directly to assignments set by publishers.
Last Thursday PhotoVoice’s Clare Struthers travelled to the citizen journalism beacon hub, Citizen’s Eye, in Leicester to deliver, alongside the Media Trust’s Alan Fransman, the first of these workshops, covering the basics of what makes a good news story image, to the ethics and legalities surrounding photojournalism, as well as an introduction to Cam360 itself. The workshop was a great success and all the participants were really excited about Cam360, saying they will definitely use it as way of getting their photography out there.
Future workshop locations include other Media Trust beacon hubs:
Bedford Clanger Saturday 17th November-10.00 - 13.00
Brixton Blog Saturday 24th November-11.30 - 14.30
Jesmond Local Monday 26th November-17.30 - 20.30
Kirkbymoorside Town Blog Monday 3rd December-18.00 - 21.00
Edinburgh Reporter Wednesday 5th December-18.00 - 21.00
We still have spaces left on the following workshops. Please email@ .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to reserve your place:
Rich Mix, London, Monday 26th November - 5pm - 8pm
FACT Liverpool Tuesday 4th December – 3pm – 6pm
Nottingham Photographers Hub Thursday 6th December - 2pm - 5pm
Tim Flach gave a superb talk on Monday 5th November
It was a fascinating evening full of the interesting ideas and stories behind Tim’s remarkable images of the ‘Flying Mop’ dog, horses, millipedes, bonobo’s, as well as the cross breed Zorse & Zonkey and many more!
The superb 120+ images that were projected to larger than life size brought us ever closer to other living creatures that Tim has captured so intimately with his camera.Sue Steward was our guide as we discovered the methods and stories behind Tim’s visual exploration of our weird and wonderful relationship to other animals.
The lecture was enjoyed by all those who attended and Tim’s latest book ‘More Than Human’ sold out during the book signing at the end.
Special thanks go to Tim Flach, Sue Steward and Kings Place for putting on such a captivating show, as well as all those who attended.
Tim Flach was born in London, where he works and lives. He graduated from Communications Design at the North East London Polytechnic and then Photography and Painted Structures at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. Tim Flach is recognized internationally for his highly conceptual images of animals, with the success of his first two books Equus and >Dogs:Gods. His anthropomorphic images of animals have been shown in galleries, museums and festivals around the world and he has received numerous awards from leading organizations and publications in the photography world. His work has been commissioned by or appeared in publications including: National Geographic, Intelligent Life Magazine (UK), and most recently the November Issue of Creative Review.
PhotoVoice Training for Weymouth Community Volunteers
Last Tuesday I arrived in Weymouth to begin a three day PhotoVoice training with the staff, support staff and volunteers at Weymouth Community Volunteers (WCV). WCV are based in the heart of Weymouth and are a small team of enthusiastic, fun and dedicated people working primarily to support and enable disadvantaged people to become active members of their local community.
WCV have lots of creative projects on the go and they already run a number of support initiatives through photography so introducing participatory photography using PhotoVoice methodology will be an exciting way for them to extend their reach into the wider local community through awareness raising on the issues faced by their client groups.
During the three days we explored key learning points around using photography as a participatory tool and methodology around structuring and running ethically aware and creatively engaging projects. The staff were really enthusiastic, asked loads of questions, took lots of photos and planned potential projects - all interspersed with tea breaks sitting on the harbour wall, next to the fishing boats.
WCV already had three projects in mind for using PhotoVoice methods and on the last day of training they found out they had received the funding to begin a participatory photography project. You can imagine how excited everyone was! They are now in full steam ahead mode getting ready to put their learning into practice.
“We had a fantastic time on the course. Lucy was superlative as a teacher being both informative and fun.”
Bob Shaw, Training Manager, WCV
If you are interested in a quote for a bespoke course in participatory photography, designed and delivered by PhotoVoice specifically for the staff of your organisation or institution, please email Clare Struthers, Projects Support - .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Our 3 day public training in designing and delivering participatory photography workshops takes place four times a year in London, and occasionally in other parts of the country. For more information and to book a place visit our Training section.
PhotoVoice Lecture Series: Tim Flach @ Kings Place, Nov 5th
Date: Monday 5th November 2012
Time: 7:00pm
Venue: Kings Place Hall One
Price: £9.50
Book Online Now!
SPECIAL STUDENT OFFER: £4.75 enter promo code photovoice when booking a ticket online @ Kings Place or quote PhotoVoice Offer when booking a ticket through the Kings Place Box Office 020 7520 1490
An exclusive PhotoVoice evening - your chance to meet and discover the methodologies of Tim Flach.
Tim is one of the foremost conceptual fine art photographers of our time, having created a body of work that is known for its exploration of our relationship with other animals.
In his latest book More Than Human (Abrams, Sept 2012), he takes this into new points of inquiry with surprising portraiture of creatures ranging from exquisite pupae, to the world’s largest cat, to intimate scenes of bonobos and other primates. At the heart of all the images are questions about how we shape nature and how it shapes us.
Tim’s work was the subject of an unprecedented 14-page feature in the May 2012 issue of Intelligent Life magazine, and has won numerous awards around the world. His previous, much honoured, books are Dogs Gods and Equus. His fine-art prints are increasingly sought-after.
Having Our Say Too - A dialogue around Sexual Exploitation
By Helen Cammock
The Having Our Say Too exhibition was part of the Brighton Photo Fringe Photography festival this October. It was a great opportunity for PhotoVoice and the National Working Group for Sexually Exploited Children and Young People to present photographic and written work by young people at risk of, or who have experienced sexual exploitation. There are many young people around the UK managing to make sense of difficult experiences and this project is an opportunity for some of them to explore those experiences and contribute to the dialogue around sexual exploitation by offering their perspectives on the issues involved.
The issues are certainly current in the media and very much bring into mainstream debate the situations faced by both young people - also adults, as demonstrated by the number of latent disclosures by adults in the recent Jimmy Savile case for example. As with all forms of abuse, there are a number of different factors that make someone more vulnerable to being abused but ultimately the responsibility lies with the abuser or exploiter – it is never the fault or the responsibility of the young person. Even if a young person is sexually active already, even if a young person appears confident and in control, even if a young person believes they are in a relationship with an older person (or person in a position of power) it is ultimately the adult who is responsible for forcing a young person, or coercing them or responding to a their apparent crush when the young person is not emotionally in a position to have equal control in that relationship. Many young people don’t recognise or acknowledge sexual exploitation and when they do have this realisation often don’t feel able to disclose it. If they do disclose they may not be taken seriously. Interestingly Peter Rippon of the BBC Newsnight show has recently been publicly exposed for deeming young women to be ‘not too young’ and the incidents of exploitation ‘weren’t the worst kind of sexual offences’. I wonder why Peter Rippon feels he is in a position to make this judgement. The allegation that he shelved a programme looking into the Savile allegations because of this judgement, and that it also clashed with a commemorative programme on Savile that was being made at the same time, have called for Rippon to stand down from his job pending an enquiry. It has spurned a much wider debate around sexism and power in not only the media context but also in society.
As a society we present contradictory messages all the time and we need to come to understand that all young people have the right to be free from all forms of exploitation. Sexual exploitation seems still to be something that we find hard to discuss – often imagining that it something that happens abroad through International trafficking or through internal trafficking by particular and specific communities or identified paedophiles. It is of course far more widespread and complex than this and continues to affect young people and children in varying degrees and in many different contexts.
Through working with the young people on Having Our Say Too project it has become more and more apparent that the young people affected by sexual exploitation need to be part of the dialogue that informs policy makers, the practice of adult professional support staff and most importantly offers other young people insight into their experiences and situations that may impact on their vulnerability to sexual exploitation.
The telling of stories has a way of making situations real, and sharing experiences and perspectives with others, in order to both inform and support can be a powerful part of moving forward. So the digital stories being created by the young people on this project have an important role for their process but also for informing others. It has been important therefore for the project to looks at personal experiences but also perspectives on the contributing factors to young people becoming vulnerable and into the kinds of attitudes and perspectives that need to change within families, schools and society around particular issues and norms.
Participating young people explore different themes that offer a context to sexual exploitation including gender, power, relationships and sex. They have the opportunity to represent their thoughts, responses and experiences through photography, text and music, creating their own digital stories.
PhotoVoice are partnering with the National Working Group for Sexually Exploited Children and Young People in running five participatory photography projects over the next year. All projects will run in partnership with specialist support organisations (all the participating partner projects support young people at risk of sexual exploitation) and the young people involved will have the opportunity to participate in a 3 month photography project. So far projects in Middlesbrough and Blackburn have been completed and another is running in Walsall at the moment. We start a project in three weeks in London.
PhotoVoice and project participants will work with the National Working Group to develop the digital stories into a resource pack for a diverse range of professionals to use in their support of young people in specialised as well as mainstream support services for young people throughout the UK. This resource pack will be piloted in mid 2013 with 500 hundred packs subsequently being distributed to schools, youth projects and a range of specialist support services. It is intended to be a resource for service providers and professionals to deliver projects informed directly by the experiences of young people and will as a consequence support many other young people to understand the issues and context of sexual exploitation and to safeguard themselves.
An online resource and independent website with a gallery and resources will also be developed to support young people, their families and professionals.
There will be a national launch and celebration for participating young people (and their friends, families and support agencies) from all projects.
My next blog will explore some of the reasons why young people are vulnerable to sexual exploitation to begin with.
Photo Voices exhibition at RichMix
Photo Voices “Sharing Lives, Opening Eyes” exhibition launch was a rocking’ night of photography and music!
A huge thank you to everyone who made it down to RichMix to enjoy this eclectic mix of photo-stories and music and a special thanks to PhotoVoice participants, performers, partners and organisers who made the whole event possible.
Family, Friends, and supporters came together to celebrate the work of PhotoVoice trained photographers and reflect upon the striking imagery and important stories of these inspirational people.
The exhibition, which showcases striking imagery and important stories from PhotoVoice trained photographers, celebrated its opening night with an eclectic mix of musical entertainment. To kick start the evening of top live music, Lister Community School gave Rich Mix a taste of rising musical talent with students live music performances inspired by the photographs and themes from the PhotoVoice Lookout UK project. The students and Lister Community School gave a brilliant warm up for the rest of the night’s entertainment. After a few words from PhotoVoice Director Kevin McCullough & PhotoVoice Bursary participant Bianca Tennet, the night continued with some great live acts as part of our Amplify night of live music.
Chris Peck got things moving with his melodic acoustic set. Rhythmical rhymes of Swami Baracus, charismatic Tall Stories, topped off with some honest & humorous folk stories from Beans on Toast where some of the great acts of the night and the psychedelic pop band Le Masque
It was top line up of entertainment and provided a great platform to share the important and unheard voices from around the world in the East end of London.
Photo Voices “Sharing Lives, Opening Eyes” will remain at Rich Mix until the 26th October 2012, so please drop by for a look if you have yet to see it!
Rich Mix
35-47 Bethnal Green Road
Shoreditch
London
E1 6LA
An extra special mention to Adrian White – music coordinator / Jessica Bishopp – volunteer / Bianca Tennant – PV bursary participant, speaker & photographer / Kristian – exhibition design work / Lister Community School / Matt Daw – exhibition coordinator / Clare Struthers – photographer & event support / Rich Mix / & all live music acts
PhotoVoice talk at Brighton Photo Fringe
Friday 12th October saw a host of Photovoice talks by our very own Project Manager, Matt Daw.
He kick started the day at the ‘Participation in Photography: Memory, Archives and Authorship’ Symposium – hosted by Fotosynthesis which explored the social, political and ethical implications of participation and authorship in urban photography discussing how photographers and artists collaborate and interact with people when making photographic projects in world cities.
Followed by an evening event at the Red Roaster café, as part of the Brighton Photo Fringe, where he presented the participatory photography methodology used by PhotoVoice - with examples of projects, specifically Lookout UK . This was followed by by Brighton based photographer Anna Stafford discussing her recent project, Framing Change - Uganda, that she ran earlier this year using the participatory photography model, after undertaking one of our 3 day training workshops.
Both talks were extremely well received, inspiring interesting debates on the ethics of participatory photography methods.
Thanks to all that came!
Anna Stafford Discusses Her ‘Framing Change’ Uganda Project
Anna Stafford took part in our PhotoVoice Training workshop and has since facilitated on our Picture That! project, working with young people with Autism earlier this year.
PhotoVoice supported her further with cameras to facilitate her own participatory photography project in Uganda, read about it in her own words.
Background
I set up We Participate in July 2011 after completing the comprehensive and inspiring PhotoVoice training. The training with PhotoVoice proved that in its most positive light participatory photography can be a powerful creative outlet and give to its participants the power of communication. The in-depth and practical knowledge acquired from the 3 day workshops in London combined with my experience of and teaching GCSE and A-Level photography for five years enabled me to feel confident to plan the Framing Change project for former street children in Mbale, Uganda.
The key aim of my projects was to design and facilitate a safe and creative workshop environment where the magic of photography could inspire and enlighten the lives of both the participant’s and audience involved in the process.
To run the Framing Change project I was based in Mbale, Uganda and worked with the Children’s Restoration Outreach (CRO). CRO is often the life blood and saviour for many of the street children in the Mbale region that have to work or live on the streets. The aim of CRO was to reduce the number of children on the streets, rehabilitate them and reintegrate them into their families.
For FAQs about CRO.
The centre is brimming with energy, life and promise. It is a safe haven for the many hundreds of children that access the outreach every day. Displaced by war, poverty, HIV/Aids children are forced to build an existence in extremely tough conditions on the street that are difficult to comprehend.
CRO’s aim is to rehabilitate rather than institutionalise. In addition to providing food, counselling and health care over a period of 6-12 months children attend a rehabilitation class. During this time CRO aims to re-trace family members and resettle the children. The children are then reintegrated back into their families and communities. What is key is that it is the children that have to take their own decisions to quit the streets. This usually has a lasting impact on the street children and their life choices.
The Photographers and Workshops
The project was attended by 17 participants who joined the workshops for a week. Their ages ranged from 12 - 23. All had experienced living or working full time on the streets of Mbale. All of them had their stories and dreams that were waiting to be communicated in their photographs. The workshops had an aim to to improve the confidence, self belief and creativity of the former street children involved and teach others about their stories and lives - re-framing their identity through their images and ultimately breaking down pre-conceived ideas and prejudice.
I wanted the process to be participatory in spirit and be led by the group. With group discussion and brainstorming the participants involved identified where and what was important to document and also what captions and words would best accompany their images. My role was as facilitator to guide and support this process and give them the opportunity to share their experience of the street and their local community.
I found the PhotoVoice training manual was a key tool in the planning and running of the workshops. I used it to help guide the planning and reflection of each day and found it was packed full of lots of practical ideas that made the workshops inclusive and fun.
The Outcomes
An important aspect of the participatory process I learnt was to create an exhibition for the group.
Our project culminated in an exhibition of the photography at the Children’s Restoration Outreach Centre. Each photographer edited their selection to show their stories and wrote captions and titles that aimed to give the images context and a ‘voice’. The experience of the showing the outcomes to their peers was empowering and it also informed visitors from outside of CRO about the lives and stories of children on the street.
Feedback from the group was very positive, one of the girls said “I learnt how to express myself, show my past and future dreams through pictures”
The Future
The PhotoVoice training provided a solid foundation of knowledge to build on and develop the confidence to run a participatory project. The PhotoVoice facilitators and fellow trainees (some that had travelled from as far as Canada and America) to attend were all supportive and each brought their own professional knowledge and backgrounds to the experience. The inspirational training has opened up my potential as a photographer and facilitator, the future is exciting!
I will be holding an exhibition of the Framing Change project in the Brighton Photo Fringe Festival this October. We Participate is planning further participatory project work in Central America this year.
If you are interested in finding out any more info about the work in Uganda contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Anna is also speaking about her project as part of PhotoVoice’s talk for the Brighton Photo Fringe, Friday 12th October 2012, 8pm @ RedRoaster
Having Our Say Too - Latest update!
In the past week both the Blackburn and Middlesbrough workshops have successfully completed and had local celebration exhibitions, but as part of the opening for the Brighton Photo Fringe they are coming together this Saturday for a Having Our Say Too project exhibition launch!
We really hope you all can make it!
PhotoVoice are partnering with the National Working Group for Sexually Exploited Children and Young People in running five participatory photography projects over the next year. All projects will run in partnership with specialist support organisations (all the participating partner projects support young people at risk of sexual exploitation) and the young people involved will have the opportunity to participate in a 3 month photography project.
So far projects in Middlesbrough and Blackburn have been running throughout the summer and a project in Walsall commenced this September. Two more are scheduled for London and the South East in autumn 2012.
Participating young people will explore different themes that offer a context to sexual exploitation including gender, power, relationships and sex. They will represent their thoughts, responses and experiences through photography, text and music, creating their own digital stories.
There will be a national launch and celebration for participating young people (and their friends and families) from all the projects and a selection of projects images will also be exhibited in October as part of the Brighton Photo Fringe photography festival 2012.
PhotoVoice and project participants will work with the National Working Group for Sexually Exploited Children and Young People to develop the digital stories into a resource pack for a diverse range of professionals to use in their support of young people in specialised as well as mainstream support services for young people throughout the UK. This resource pack will be piloted in mid 2013 with 500 hundred packs subsequently being distributed to schools, youth projects and a range of specialist support services. It is intended to be a resource for service providers and professionals to deliver projects informed directly by the experiences of young people and will as a consequence support many other young people to understand the issues and context of sexual exploitation and to safeguard themselves.
An online resource and independent website with a gallery and resources will also be developed to support young people, their families and professionals.
New PhotoVoice project in Israel needs funding
Run by photographer Leila Segal, the project involves trafficked women documenting their lives, feelings and experiences through images and texts. Culminating in exhibitions in both Israel and the UK, a book of their work and other materials, the project will increase awareness of the problem and action to counter the broader issue of modern-day slavery.
We desperately need funding to get the project started. If you can help, please make a donation to the project through PhotoVoice’s page on Virgin Money Giving:
PhotoVoice Talk as part of BPF, Friday 12th Oct, 8pm
Come along and hear Project Manager Matt Daw present the participatory photography methodology used by PhotoVoice - with examples of projects. This will be followed by a talk by Brighton based photographer Anna Stafford on her recent project, Framing Change - Uganda, that she ran this year using the participatory photography model.
There will be opportunity for a Q&A after both talks.
Venue:
The Red Roaster
1d St James Street
Brighton
BN2 1RE
Map
8-10pm, Friday 12th October
This talk is part of the Brighton Photo Fringe photography festival events programme.
http://www.photofringe.org/listings/pv2/photovoice-talk
AMPLIFY @ Rich MiX 4th Oct 8pm
AMPLIFY - A PhotoVoice night of Live music
Thursday 4th October 2012
Rich Mix, Main Space
8pm till late
Entrance: £5
To kick start our year long collaboration with Rich Mix and celebrate the opening of our exhibition Photo Voices, an exclusive PhotoVoice music & photo event with the freshest musical sounds from local East London talent will take place at Rich Mix. The aim of this night is to raise awareness of PhotoVoice and its work, and amplify the voices of individuals from some of the world’s most
A night not to be missed!
Full Line up:
Tall Stories
Beans On Toast
Le Masque
Swami Baracus
Chris Peck
PhotoVoice Server Maintenance Thurs 26th & Fri 28th July
PV’s very own Director - Kevin McCullough - on ‘What makes us give?’
PV Director Kevin McCullough is featured in an article entitle ‘What makes us give’ published on the Guardian website in May 2012. The article written by Louise Tickle attempts to question the role that images play including Kevin McCullough’s insightful comments:
Kevin McCullough, director of participatory photography charity PhotoVoice, terms “worn-out images of abject poverty” no longer cuts it in a world where the BBC website – if not the Six O’Clock News - runs a slideshow of 20-odd images of a community coping with the prospect of an impending food crisis, fully captioned and accompanied by a short case history.
“Starving baby images will elicit an immediate response, but it will do absolutely nothing for extending understanding of famine and disaster relief,” he says. “What you must do is contextualise those pictures. With new media, you can do that, and I think the media is ahead of NGOs on this.”
Click this link to read the full article on the Guardian website
A PhotoVoice evening with Jillian Edelstein - a truly successful occassion!
On Tuesday 17th July, we were privileged to be in the warm company of one the foremost documentary photographers of our time - Jillian Edelstein . The fantastic Foto8 gallery hosted this box office sell out event, making it a truly triumphant success!
Sue Steward, the reputable British writer, critic and reviewer of photography, was our guide as we delved into the personal accounts and perspectives of Jillian’s life and photographs. We were taken on a visual journey exploring the diverse elements of Jillians photographic career. This covered her beginnings as a photographer growing up in Cape town during the apartheid era, working as a press photographer in Johannesburg, documenting the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission with her award winning book Truth and Lies, as well as her editorial portraits of celebrities and significant historical figures.
Jillian was even so kind as to let us take a sneak preview into her most current body of work, commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery, The Road to 2012. 17 of these images will be exhibited in the National Portrait Gallery from the 19th July 2012, so be sure to check them out!
The absorbing narrative, which kept everyone thoroughly engaged throughout, was complemented by a fabulous showcase of outstanding photographs.
PV and ‘Voice of Freedom’ at Matrix World Refugee Day Festival
PV are currently fundraising for Voice of Freedom – a project with formerly enslaved women in Israel that we plan to start before Christmas. This project will empower the women by enabling them to document their lives, feelings and experiences through the camera lens, and by supporting them to create texts in their own words to accompany the images they create.
You can find out more details about the project here: http://www.voiceoffreedom.org.uk
Last week we exhibited some of our refugee work at a Refugee Day event at Matrix Chambers, the human rights barristers’ chambers. At the same event Leila Segal, Director of the Voice of Freedom project and PhotoVoice’s partner on the project, gave a very powerful and emotional reading of some work she wrote while out in Israel liaising with the centre for vulnerable women that we will be working in.
“Shelter” by Leila Segal from photovoice on Vimeo. “Shelter” by Leila Segal from photovoice on Vimeo.
‘Life Through the Lens’ - PV Director Kevin McCullough on fundraising imagery
Fundraising texts like these are typically accompanied by the obligatory image of a starving child, close up head shot, with vacant large eyes staring out at the reader.
You could be forgiven for thinking this was back in the 1960s or 1970s but actually we’re still using the same sort of images in 2012. So why are we now resorting back to those same visual frames we decided to abandon decades ago?
We know that the failure to move on is the result of multiple factors – a failure to find alternative imagery to communicate the range of our work; a need to boost income using emotive images that we know yield good fundraising responses; the familiarity of these images in the media mean that we can easily trigger a response in the public.
Our problem is that the consistent use of these images also sends a message that our understanding of development and the solutions to global poverty haven’t really changed.
In the late 1980s and 1990s we looked at how we portrayed poor communities and challenged ourselves about the long-term consequences of this. We felt guilty and replaced negative images with positive ones.
But these too failed to communicate an authentic impression of life in the majority world by denying the realities of famines, war and profound poverty. We still needed to push ourselves to find a more contextual visual and spoken narrative for such situations.
If we are using images of famine, is it not partly a reflection of our failure to use photography before famine strikes in a timely and effective way? As David Campbell rightly points out the “ultimate challenge for photography as a technology of visualisation is to find compelling ways of narrating the story so that the political context of famine can be portrayed in a timely manner, before malnourished bodies can be appropriated by the lens”.
(David Campbell “Stereotypes that move: The Iconography of Famine” 20 Oct 2010 ‘Representations of Global Poverty: Aid, Development and International NGOs’ by Nandita Dogra, IBTauris London UK, May 2012)
The 1990s heralded a time when many NGOs started to develop campaigns on some of the structural causes of global poverty. We worked hard at finding creative visual frames which located the blame for many of the problems in the developed world. The development finance generated by this advocacy work far exceeded anything we could ever have raised through our fundraising campaigns.
Here is the crux of our dilemma. The structural causes of poverty are not simple. They result from the interrelationships between global agreements (on for instance tax and trade, natural resources and subsidies) and the power structures that keep them in place and which also ensure their rigorous enforcement in some jurisdictions and their lax enforcement in others. Fifteen years of policy analysis has shown how these factors sit at the heart of sustainable poverty reduction. Our challenge is to communicate it but doing this is inevitably difficult.
The easy alternative is to communicate the simpler; more intuitive, human problem that there are people with needs and the wealthier developed world has the power to help.
I too have been caught on the horns of this dilemma, but I now believe that our continued use of such narrow representations of international development has led us to a crisis point. First that our mode of communication in fundraising adverts is often misleading, and second, that it stimulates a short term response, which leads to fleeting involvement rather than committed engagement.
Research by Nandita Dogra (2012) and Kate Manzo (2008) bears out this analysis. Dogra has shown in one given year that “80- 85% of (NGO) messages were aimed at fundraising” with most using images of children and women in general and mother and child in particular. Manzo highlights the contradictory effects of such images, noting “the iconography of childhood reproduces colonial visions of a superior global north and an inferior south.”
Manzo, Kate. “Imaging Humanitarianism: NGO Identity and the Iconography of Childhood.” Antipode 40.4 (2008): 632-657
How do we resolve this tension?
While on the one hand we know that global poverty occupies a tiny proportion of the general public’s thinking space, using that small space to reinforce messages of minority world power, superiority and dominance is hardly productive to building a constituency willing to confront the elite interests which sustain our damaging economic order.
It would be harsh to suggest that many NGOs have not started to question their visual frames in the light of new academic and market research. The imagery used by Oxfam in their Horn of Africa humanitarian ads does not show helpless children but rather communities in Dadaab camp in Kenya, engaged in the daily tasks of coping with drought. CAFOD’s attempts through their Connect 2 programme and the sharing of experiences through photos and activities between parishes and communities in England, Wales, Brazil, Bangladesh and Ethiopia. And, PhotoVoice’s own work in participatory photography where those who are traditionally the subjects of photography become its creators and use their images as tools for advocacy.
New technology offers us techniques that will allow us to use images and formats for powerful story telling that can begin to build increased public understanding of the causes of global poverty, the multiplicity of solutions and our role as NGOs as one among many agents of positive change. This will take creativity. But more importantly, it will involve risk. As a sector, if we are serious about challenging those worn-out images of abject poverty, we have to be prepared to try out different methodologies and images, test them and keep piloting new ideas. The great danger is that in a period of charities feeling the financial pressure we fall back on what is expected and what we have known to work. I believe that path is confusing for our supporters and will perpetuate our primary role as the givers of charity rather than the seekers of justice.
Kevin McCullough, Director of PhotoVoice
New project coming soon: Albania - ‘Able Voices’
PhotoVoice is very excited to be back in Albania undertaking our ‘Able Voices’ project, holding workshops with two groups of young disabled people to amplify their voices within their communities by supporting them to explore, document and highlight the issues that affect them.
Our first set of ‘Able Voices’ workshops were carried out back in 2004 and 2005 in both Cameroon and Bangladesh.
We are also looking forward to be working with World Vision, Albania again, following on from our partnership with them last year and the success of our ‘Eyes of Youth’ project where we engaged young people from three different communities in Kurbin, a deprived area of Albania, to explore, highlight and discuss potential solutions to a range of social issues affecting the local population, through photography.
Lookout London has expanded to become Lookout UK
Following the tremendous success of our ‘Lookout London’ project last year, engaging young people in the debate around gun and knife crime – we are expanding the debate nationally with the onset of ‘Lookout UK’.
We will be working with groups of young people in England and Scotland. Workshops are getting underway within the next few weeks, so keep a ‘lookout’ for project updates as they develop over the summer, outputs from the project will feature in a national Gangs Conference set for September 2013.
Having Our Say 2 is underway!
PhotoVoice are getting ready to start three projects in July with young people in Walsall, Blackburn and Middlesbrough as part of the Having Our Say 2 Project (another project will be delivered in London later in the year).
Participating young people will explore different themes that offer a context to sexual exploitation including gender, power, relationships and sex. They will represent their thoughts, responses and experiences through photography, text and music, creating their own digital stories.
There will be a national launch and celebration for all the young people and some of the images from each project will be exhibited in October as part of the Brighton Photo Fringe photography festival 2012.
PhotoVoice and project participants will work with the National Working Group for Sexually Exploited Children and Young People to develop the digital stories into a resource pack for a diverse range of professionals to use in their support of young people in specialised as well as mainstream support services for young people throughout the UK.
Our Projects Manager Matt Daw reporting from Auckland Festival of Photography
The theme of this year’s ‘Talking Culture’ event in the opening weekend of Auckland Festival of Photography was ‘Crossing Borders’, and I was delighted to be invited to take centre stage as the final speaker after photographers Alfredo Bini, Bruce Connew and Nikki Denholm, all of whom shared photographs and experiences from projects exploring aspects of migration in different countries and cultures around the globe. The day brought up issues around economic migration, internal displacement and cultures colliding, as well as displaying a diverse variety of approaches to photojournalism.
Nikki’s stark photographs showing issues facing internally displaced people in Northern Somalia received a particularly strong reaction. I then presented the See it Our Way project - showing photographs exploring the risks and root causes of child trafficking and exploitation by young people in at-risk communities across Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
The event was well attended and a great mix of photographers, photography students and general public. It was great to be able to explain the project and the theory of participatory photography to people who had not come across the work of PhotoVoice before. Having allowed a generous 20 minutes for questions following my presentation before the official end time of the symposium I was still in full flow more than 10 minutes after it was due to end! The range and depth of questions was encouraging as those present seemed keen to engage with issues around representation and the value of giving people the opportunity to speak out about their own situation.
I was particularly impressed by a question posed by an elderly lady who asked me how we could be sure we were not exploiting children through such a project, since they create the photographs for the project outputs but the project ends with them still in the same situation. It was a gift of a question, allowing me to highlight our Statement of Ethical Practice and talk about our principles of participation, the difference between our projects and the work of individual photographers who take control of the representation of an issue-affected community and the individuals within it without their input. I talked about how our aim is to ensure a legacy to each of our projects for the community and individuals involved through local partnerships, equipment left in-country and sometimes ongoing support through our bursary scheme.
There were also plenty of questions about the issues raised by the young people’s photographs, and several of the audience approached me at the end to say that they found the photos and accompanying captions moving, and eye-opening regarding the reality of issues on the ground that lead to children becoming vulnerable to trafficking.
The festival is now in full flow, with an impressive programme of exhibitions, and an annual ‘photo day’ sponsored by Nikon that engages huge numbers of the public in capturing their experiences and perspectives on one day in order to contribute to a fascinating record of the multi-faceted nature of Auckland.
I am grateful to the hard-working team at Auckland Festival of Photography, especially Julia and Bev, not only for putting together such an interesting programme and inviting me to be a part of it, but for making me feel extremely welcome and for ensuring I had a smooth and comfortable first visit to New Zealand. Now I have a rare opportunity to practice my own photography as I explore this spectacular country before returning to reality and a busy Summer of new projects!
Matt Daw
Auckland Festival of Photography is a city-wide contemporary art and cultural event which takes place within Auckland’s major galleries, project spaces, non-gallery venues and public sites during June each year. The programme includes a mix of emerging and established artists and comprises existing works and creation of new work. The 9th edition of the festival features over 400 photographers exhibiting in a selected Signature and open access Fringe programme. Amongst the highlights in this year’s programme is the promising talent of James K Lowe, Magnum images by photographer Alex Webb and Susan Meiselas. Talking Culture Symposium’s theme for the 2012 Festival is ‘Crossing Borders’, an exploration through photography of the insidious underside of globalisation.
News from the TPA Bursary Scheme
Our TPA Bursary Scheme participants have been very busy lately. Here is a brief snapshot of what they have been up to:
Victoria Omobuwajo and Nathaniel Williams are currently participating in the seven-week BBC Reporters Scheme. Launched in autumn 2011 this programme aims to attract people who are passionate about news and love their local areas. Victoria and Nathaniel are producing a radio broadcast based on their ideas around 2012 and East London, that will air on either Radio 1 or 1Xtra.
All the participants took part in one of our specialized reportage workshops led by a professional photographer along with Robbie Wojciechowski, a reporter from Live magazine - they covered the London Marathon and supported Georgia, who ran for PhotoVoice. See photos and read more about the event in Robbie’s article for Live.
Bianca Tennant is taking part in the Team Programme, launched by Prince’s Trust. Team Programme is a 12-week personal development course, offering work experience, qualifications, practical skills, community projects and a residential week.
On Tuesday, 15th May Bianca and Nathaniel had another chance to put into practice their reportage skills, covering a football tournament for our partner charity Chapter 1 in Manchester.
Launched in early 2012, the Bursary Scheme supported by The Photographic Angle has given six talented participants from the Lookout London project an opportunity to further develop their photographic skills.
Big “thank you” to Bianca, Victoria, Nathaniel, Angelika, Venesha and Sansha for their creativity and involvement, and good luck with their current projects! More updates coming soon!
PICS - “Engaging, interactive, friendly, inspiring”
PICS 2012 - Phtoographic Images Changing Society
Saturday 19th May 2012, @Hub Westminster
This was the first of what we hope will become an annual event - and it turned out to be a resounding success! See below for a short video of panel debate highlights, and to read the PICS 2012 Special Edition Newspaper online!
Left: PICS 2012 keynote panel debate featuring Stephen Sidlo, kennardphillips, Matt Daw, Ivor Prickett and Joseph Cabon. Right: One of the “open table” discussions.
PICS 2012 Special Edition Newspaper
To order a copy of this newspaper (comes with complimentary copy of Uncertain States Photography Journal) donate £3 (per copy) or more here - http://bit.ly/picsdonate - to cover postage and packaging and email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with your name and address.
Throughout the whole day, the Hub Westminster was filled to the brim and those who attended shared ideas, opinions, and positive energy thanks to a varied programme of talks, exhibitions and multimedia screenings (the latter managed by our great new Projects intern, Kristian) We prepared lots of practical and participatory activities, including 45-minute long “open table” discussions chaired by, among others, Russell Watkins, photo editor of DFID UK, who wrote about the festival on his very interesting blog http://developingpictures.wordpress.com. Former Sky Digital News Editor Neal Mann and UNICEF Executive Director Tony Lake, were also in attendance. Many enjoyed the workshops exploring three aspects of participatory photography: Visual Literacy led by photojournalist Jenny Matthews; Sensory Photography hosted by PhotoVoice’s Clare Struthers and Fotosynthesis’s Ingrid Guyon; and Text and Captioning by PhotoVoice project facilitators Glynis Shaw and Adam Lee.
The highlight of the day came in the afternoon with the keynote panel debate on the subject that has become PICS 2012’s headline: What role does ‘truth’ play in photography for social change?
“Great atmosphere, lots of interesting conversations and a positive buzz coming from the sharing of knowledge and opinions - thank you all for the amazing feedback on the festival!”
“A HUGE thank you to Globalnet21 and Photovoice! What a blooming marvellous event! Everyone I spoke to was positive and inspirational, focusing on change rather than problems. Special thanks to Francis, Christina and Matt for organising. I REALLY enjoyed the ‘Introduction to Sensory Photography - Photography Without Sight (with PhotoVoice and blind photographer Gary Waite)’, even though Gary, the main attraction had suddenly been whisked off to Devon on the day! But the two ladies holding it were amazing and it was great to get a feel of “blind photography”! I thought the range of photos from the totally amateur to the professional were fascinating and thought-provoking. I thoroughly enjoyed the Panel Debate too, and it made me open up a lot more. So much appreciation to all who hosted and took part today.”
Lucinda Randolph
“An interesting combination of displays, projections, discussions and workshops expressing particular views and interpreted in ways I might not have expected. I felt I had spent my time well and hope I was able to contribute.”
Terence Freedman
BIG thank you to all who helped organise the festival - it wouldn’t be possible without you! And to those who attended - we do hope to see you again at one of the upcoming PhotoVoice events. To stay updated with the latest news subscribe to our bi-monthly newsletter!
‘Voice of Freedom’ at The French Institute
17th May saw host to a very moving evening organised by PhotoVoice and René Cassin to raise awareness of modern slavery and funds for our Voice of Freedom project, helping trafficked women in Israel.
The exhibition included work from the PhotoVoice project See It Our Way around the same theme, that took place in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Marjin Alders showcased her documentary photos of trafficked women, living in Israel as refugees.
It also featured images of Red Light Campaign, that “use a fine art approach to create concept driven photographs to describe the suffering caused by human trafficking”.
Author Leila Segal, the initiator of the Voice of Freedom project, gave a very emotional reading of her work entitled Shelter – a collection of interviews with African women trafficked to Israel “that suffered extreme physical and emotional deprivation on the way.”
My writing is an attempt to give voice to some of their stories, and to speak into the silence that surrounds these crimes, explains Leila.
There will soon be a website dedicated exclusively to the Voice of Freedom project – so watch this space! In the meantime, you can help make the project a reality by giving as much or little as you can afford - donate here (quote ‘Voice of Freedom’ in the message box to have your donation restricted to this project).
Picture That! Exhibition - Bromley
The exhibition is the culmination of the two editions of photography workshops that took place in Bromley in February and April, working with young people with Autism and Aspergers.
Many of the Picture That! participants, together with their families and friends, joined us for the opening of the exhibition. It features the images taken throughout the workshop, accompanied by the participants’ personal statements, and a Fantasy Portrait photomontage, where they expressed who they want to be in the future, or how they view themselves.
We will keep an eye out for any future courses, I’m sure Sam would enjoy learning some more photography skills. He is much more comfortable expressing himself through a camera than he is talking, in fact he has often opted to photograph events in situations where he would otherwise feel uncomfortable. Thanks for giving him the opportunity.
Sarah Hayward
Picture That! is a set of photography workshops working with young people with Autism and Aspergers, designed to create a fun space where they could learn new photographic skills whilst building their self confidence. The participants, aged between 12 and 15, explored the theme of self-identity and children’s rights through a variety of activities.
The Picture That! exhibition will remain at the Hawes Down Centre indefinitely, so pop in for a look if you’re passing!
Hawes Down Centre
Hawes Down Lane
West Wickham
Kent
BR4 9AE
Map
PICS Festival 2012 -special edition newspaper
You can find the PICS newspaper in the new issue of the quarterly Uncertain States, produced by an art collective of the same name, aiming “to expand a critical dialogue and promote visual imagery”.
The PICS Festival special edition newspaper features over 30 projects to be showcased this Saturday, 19 May at Hub Westminster in London, including Ministry of Untold Stories, Ania Dabrowska’s Mind over Matter, Simon Norfolk’s Photographs from the War in Afghanistan, Kick HIV Stigma Out, and many more.
Find the preview of the featured projects here: http://bit.ly/PICSpreview
If you want to support our free festival and get a copy of the newspaper - please donate £3 or more to http://bit.ly/picsdonate
Great evening with Peter Marlow as part of PhotoVoice Lecture Series!
Another edition of PhotoVoice Lecture Series - that took place at Kings Place on 30th April - featured the work of Peter Marlow, one of Britain’s most acclaimed photojournalists.
It was a great evening full of stories behind some of the most iconic photographs and an overview of an impressive career - from joining the Magnum Photos in 1980, through his work in on contemporary British life in Liverpool, to the current project on the naves of England’s 42 cathedrals. The latter turned into a book and the pictures were used in a series of stamps.
Big thanks to Peter Marlow for the wonderful talk and to all of you who came - stay tuned for the next edition coming up in autumn!
Peter Marlow studied psychology at Manchester University, graduating in 1974. He then started his career as an international photojournalist - he joined Magnum Photos in 1980, becoming a full member in 1986.
Despite travelling widely in his early career, Marlow’s major projects have often been concerned with contemporary British life such as his 1993 project Liverpool - Looking out to Sea (Jonathan Cape), the culmination of a six-year project photographing the city, and a book regarded by many as the defining work on Britain under Mrs Thatcher. Marlow spends time with his subjects, alone, with no assistants, often using only one camera, allowing the pictures to evolve rather than directing his subjects. In recent years, he has worked more extensively in colour and concentrated on his exploration of the physical and personal landscape.
Read the Interview with Gary Waite by photographer Annabel Williams
Read the recent blog post by photographer Annabel Williams, about her interview with our very own project participant Gary Waite, and his experiences with sensory photography through the PhotoVoice project Sights Unseen.
Rights! Cameras! Action! Exhibition ‘kicks’ off!
Last Wednesday, 11th April, the exhibition opened with a private view for the young people who’s work is on display, it is now open to the public until Thursday 10th May 2012, so please pop down to take a look for yourselves!
@ The Underground Gallery
In the underpass, Exit 9, Charing Cross Underground Station
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 11am-5:30pm
Private lift available - call 0207 379 8828
PhotoVoice is also leading the Right Year for Children campaign & on 16 December 2011, children and young people marched to 10 Downing Street to deliver messages from thousands of children all over the country about why children’s rights are important to them. The hand-in marked the 20th anniversary of the UK’s adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
So the messages have been delivered and – we hope – the message heard, it’s now time for us to record what children said to the Prime Minister so that their messages can have the biggest possible impact over the course of the Right Year, so last Saturday 14th April, Right Year for Children members and PhotoVoice supporters spent the day sorting and recording the messages and illustrations sent in by young people at the Unicef offices, which are now also on display in the Underground Gallery - check out the flyer!
Duaa: “Children’s rights are important to me so that we have the same oportunity regardless of social situation, disability or economic background.”
Thomas: “Every child has the right to be happy”
Rhiannon: “Dear Mr Cameron, I think the UNCRC is good and clear. I support its aims.”
For more about the Rights! Cameras! Action! project and UNCRC, including free resources and lesson plans, visit: www.rightscamerasaction.org.uk
This exhibition has been generously supported by www.supersizeprint.co.uk
Auckland Festival of Photography - Crossing Borders Symposium
Artists Alfredo Bini, Bruce Connew, Matt Daw, Nikki Denholm Theme Talking Culture Talking Culture Symposium’s theme for the 2012 Festival is ‘Crossing Borders’, an exploration through photography of the insidious underside of globalisation.
While the internationalisation of production and ‘free trade’ of goods, money, people and technology across borders has undoubtedly brought many benefits, the unequal economic power relations between countries means globalisation has also relied upon the exploitation of resources and people in developing nations for the benefit of the developed world. The duplicitous nature of globalisation is such that wealthy nations embrace internationalisation by welcoming inexpensively produced goods for consumption and cheap labour for jobs that can’t be filled, while on the other hand renouncing and making clear the boundaries and limits to internationalism through tough immigration laws for refugees and economic migrants seeking escape from conflict, oppression and poverty.
In addition, globalisation’s official crossing of borders of people and production is mirrored in and, according to Gargi Bhattachryya, dependent upon illicit networks of trafficked people, money, drugs and arms in a multi-million-dollar illegal economy. The ‘free trade’ ideal has become an “illogical and ideological obsession where market overrides any concern for human welfare or social impact”.
Our four presenters today will engage with the ‘crossing borders’ theme from a variety of approaches and nations. New Zealand ‘s Nicki Denholm has been a human rights photographer for 20 years and has documented drug trafficking prisoners in Bolivia and Peru, the migration of African refugees to New Zealand, and internally displaced people within the refugee camps of Northern Somalia. Italy’s Alfredo Bini has photographed African economic migrants crossing the Tenere Desert in a bid to make it to Europe. The UK’s Matt Daw, project manager for PhotoVoice will discuss See It Our Way, a photography project involving young people from Eastern Europe and the Middle East affected by sex and child labour trafficking. And New Zealand’s Bruce Connew discusses his photographs over 7 years of an Indo-Fijian community for Stopover - a story of migration.
Full programme for Auckland Festival of Photography
Where: Goodman Fielder Room, Aotea Center, Queen Street, Auckland
When: Saturday 2 June, 10:30 am to 4pm.
Picture That! is back!
We have been back in Bromley for another set of photography workshops working with young people with Autism and Aspergers.
We have just completed the second edition of Picture That!, four-day workshop (10-13 April 2012) in Bromley, working with young people with Autism and Aspergers. We had one aim - to create a fun space where they could learn new photographic skills whilst building their self confidence during their Easter break. The participants, aged between 12 and 15, explored the theme of self-identity and children’s rights through a variety of activities.
We would like to thank all of our participants for their incredible imaginations, our fantastic volunteers for their time and involvement and the very helpful staff at Hawes Down Centre, where the set of workshops were hosted.
“I really enjoyed doing the Bromley workshop, and learned a lot about myself in the process. I had never worked with children on the autistic spectrum before, so it was a challenge, but one that was well rewarded by interacting with the kids, seeing how much they got out of it, how well they worked together and what great photographs they were taking by the end of the week. Just the lovely goodbye they all gave me on the last day made it all so worthwhile, and I left on a real high! This is the first time I’ve worked with Photovoice, and it was a very valuable, rewarding experience, that I won’t forget.”
Millie Burton, PhotoVoice volunteer
We will be holding an exhibition at Hawes Dawn Centre featuring all work from the two Picture That! projects. It will be coming soon so watch this space!
Fond farewell to Homerton Space Project!
Last week, was a very sad week for fabulous charity, Chapter 1 who provides supported housing and much needed emotional support for young vulnerable people, as their Homerton Space project came to an end as they know it.
Last year we partnered with Chapter 1, working with their young residents through our Lookout London project, engaging young people in the debate around gangs, gun and knife crime.
Due to local government spending cuts, the supported housing units in Hackney are having their services combined, meaning some staff are losing their jobs and many young people are being moved from their current homes into new hostels, seperating them from staff that have become like family to them. Last week I went along to the emotional farewell, organised for the staff and service users at Chapter 1’s Homerton Space project, who are affected by these changes.
Geoff Hawkins, Chief Executive, Chapter 1 explains the situation:
Is your browser blocking access to this? Download the MP3 file to listen to locally: http://www.photovoice.org/Audio/Geoff.mp3
I also spoke to a few of the residents to see how they were feeling about the changes.
Luke Richards-Wolfram, Resident, had this to say:
“These changes are kinda sad to be honest cos I’ve been here for almost a year now, it’s kinda like we’re losing family here, cos this place is not like most hostels, it’s creating a new family and community and stuff like that. Basically these changes are seperating everyone from each other and breaking up a family so its really sad, but in a way I suppose in life there’s always changes, so you just have to get used to it, that’s one side of it, but it’s still really sad though.”
As Luke says, change is an ineviatble part of life, but for these high risk vulnerable young people, change has always been their way of life and the Homerton Space project has been the first place to provide them with a sense of community, stability and family that they so desperately need.
Lilieth Martin, Project Director, has been at the project for 21 years:
“The project’s really special, the amount of young people who have been helped in the project is unbelievable. We really push education and encourage young people to find what they’re best at and just take it as far as they can, we’ve got young people who are good solid members of their community now, teachers, social workers and I look at that and think it’s been a really special time at the project.”
One of the central themes that kept arising was their frustration that their voices hadn’t been listened to when the local authorities were making these decisions that will ultimately affect their lives.
Echoed by the sentiments of Bianca Tennant, a long term resident:
Is your browser blocking access to this? Download the MP3 file to listen to locally: http://www.photovoice.org/Audio/Bianca.mp3
The main concern is that these cuts are short sighted, and will result in a negative sustained impact on not only the young people of the project but of the country. Only earlier this month, was a 17-year-old boy left in a critical condition after being stabbed on a bus in West Norwood, hours later, Kwame Ofosu-Asare, 17, from Catford, was stabbed to death by two youths in Brixton and Harry Potter actor, Jamie Waylett was recently jailed for gang violence during riots.
Geoff Hawkins:
“The dilemma is the quality of the support, here we’ve got a team who are based here 24/7, and yes there’s a cost to that but you’ve got to look at the outcome you achieve. You’ve got young people with high, complex needs, what’s going to happen when there aren’t people around? That’s a big issue, so you may save a few hundred quid here, but how much more are you going to end up spending in the criminal justice system, people might get into trouble here because of that lack of immediate intervention, without staff on site, seeing what’s going on and who can take action.”
Whatever the outcome, everyone here at PhotoVoice wishes the staff and young people all the best for the future, and long may the spirit of the Homerton Space Project continue! We will continue to support them throughout this transition through our Bursary Scheme, of which four of the residents are a part of, and beyond!
Clare Struthers
Projects Support
Photovoice welcomes Helen Cammock to the team!
Previous to running Brighton Photo Fringe I worked for 10 years in the public sector with families and young people on a number of different projects and initiatives, as well as working within statutory services. I continue in my role as chair of a foster panel and am committed to improving the services that Looked after Children are offered. I have always used photography on projects with adults, children and young people and have used participatory photography as a commissioned facilitator on different projects for the past 8 years. I have just completed an MA in Photography at the Royal College of Art.
What will I be working on?
Having Our Say 2 aims to offer young people at risk of sexual exploitation, (or those who have already experienced sexual exploitation) an opportunity to tell their stories through using photography, video, written/spoken word and music. Photovoice will be working in partnership with four support projects nationally who work directly with young people. The digital stories created by the young people on the project will both exhibited and developed into a training and support pack for workers in the services that young people access. We’ll be partnered by the National Working Group for Sexually Exploited Children and Young People who’s expertise will combine with the first hand knowledge of the young people involved to create a vital information and training tool for support service providers and workers.
Why participatory photography is important to me?
Participative arts practice is an incredibly powerful tool, enabling people to find a voice whilst developing new skills. It develops a sense of self advocacy and can build on previous routes of communication whilst also offering new ones. There is nothing more empowering than learning new skills whilst sharing your experiences in a safe environment – creative skills enable you to communicate both ideas and experiences. Whilst the therapeutic experience of communicating and exploring experiences and ideas through photography is invaluable it is equalled by the opportunity also to have a platform to share them – to be heard. It’s essential that we work from a perspective that everyone has a right to contribute to their social environment – has a stake in it - and has something of value to contribute to its development. The photographic image has a way of opening dialogues and presenting fresh ideas and perspectives.
Recently there has been a lot of media focus on the government action plan around reducing the risks to children and young people currently vulnerable to sexual exploitation. This is therefore an important moment for those most affected by the issues to be enabled to contribute to the debate and feed into the development and effectiveness of support and prevention services
Representation is contested ground
Although the photographic image is everywhere we still need to think about who represents who and for whom. Representation is contested ground and participatory photography goes some way to challenge power imbalance by offering those less likely to have opportunity to represent themselves (or their experiences) a platform to participate in a visual dialogue with the world. This can mean a dialogue with those who share similar experiences, or those who do not, those who develop strategy and governance, or those who deliver support services.
My place in all this
Photography and video have had a huge impact on my life – I came to using them personally in my mid 30’s and they have changed the way I see the world and have also offered me another form of communication to talk about how I want to change and contribute to the world. As a photographer and video artist, learning to communicate using a visual language has enabled me to explore my experiences and make sense of them and in telling my stories I feel more a part of our social fabric.
A PhotoVoice evening with Finbarr O’Reilly
The evening was a roaring success, showcasing Finbarr’s international photo-journalism work, followed by a screening of the critically acclaimed documentary UNDER FIRE: Journalists In Combat, about the psychological and emotional toll of covering wars.
Finbarr O’Reilly is a Reuters photographer based in Dakar, Senegal. He began his journalism career as a writer and has covered Africa for 10 years. He turned to photography in 2005 and was awarded the World Press Photo of the Year in 2005 for his image of a mother and child at an emergency feeding center in Niger. He has since won awards for his multimedia work and photography, including first place awards from POYi and the NPPA. His solo exhibition, “Congo On The Wire” has shown in France and Canada. His series on white poverty in South Africa was included in the exhibition “After A” in Italy in 2010. Finbarr is among those profiled in the 2011 documentary “Under Fire: Journalists in Combat, which was shortlisted for the 2012 Academy Awards.
Under Fire – Journalists in Combat
A unique exploration of the psychological and emotional toll of covering wars and the risks journalists take in order to cover them. Shortlisted for the Academy Award nomination for best documentary, Under Fire: Journalists in Combat is co-produced by Dr. Anthony Feinstein, who works as a psychiatrist for CNN, CBS, BBC, Reuters and other international news outfits. The documentary features the experiences and insights of award winning journalists such as Chris Hedges, Jeremy Bowen, Christina Lamb, Paul Watson, Ian Stuart, Finbarr O’ Reilly, Jon Steele and many more. Among those interviewed are prominent war journalists from the New York Times; BBC, Times of London and many others.
Directed by: Martyn Burke
Year: 2011
Duration: 89’
Migrant Resource Centre Workshops
The workshop is one of the events and meet-ups being organized in the lead up to the PICS Festival in May 2012, and introduced those attending to the potential of photography as a way to speak out and be heard. Participants were introduced to the different styles and purposes of photography, and were given tips to increase the quality of their photographs and their power to communicate a message or a story. The photos accompanying this post are the results of an exercise to explore the area around the workshop venue – Whitecross Street in East London – and create a photograph that captures and conveys a particular perspective on it.
VOICES - a new travelling exhibiton
The Photographic Angle’s touring photo-exhibition, Voices offers an extraordinary insight into the lives of young people living in London. This exhibition will be visiting Redwing House and Kestralel House in Milton Keynes from the 7th of March to the 11th. The exhibition will be open daily between 10am and 3pm (free entry). This exhibition showcases work from PhotoVoice’s Lookout London project, that provides young people with the opportunity, the skills and the support to feed their perspectives into the debate on gang and knife crime issues through photography.
The aim of the project and the exhibition is to amplify the voices of young people in the discussion about the causes and potential solutions to gang and knife crime issues. It encourages other young people to speak out, and the media and public to consider their voices to be relevant and important in this debate.
Entry Price: FREE
For more information about this event, click here.
Date: 7th Mar 2012 10:00am
Last Entry: 2:45pm
Venue:
Redwing House And Kestrel House
Kents Hill Park, Timbold
Milton Keynes
MK7 6TT
Free app from Silvershotz Journal of Contemporary Photography
Silvershotz Journal of Contemporary Photography is pleased to offer a free app and download of its 2008 Folio magazine, available now on the iTunes store for iPhone and iPad.
Founded in 1998, Silvershotz provides information and inspiration on contemporary photography. This image rich journal features folios from landscape to abstract, social documentary to still life.
Silvershotz has offices in the UK and Australia and is now distributed in 1400 bookstores in 17 countries.
Support our London Marathon runner!
You will find her fundraising page here so please do support her if you can.
The London Marathon is one of the largest annual fundraising events on the planet – runners have raised over £500 million for good causes since the race began in 1981. This year’s edition will take place on 22nd April.
If you are doing an event yourself and want to support our projects, please email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
TPA Bursary Scheme off to a flying start!
The six successful recipients are:
Nathaniel Williams
Bianca Tennant
Angelika Stolarz
Sansha Edwin
Victoria Omobuwajo
Venesha Cunningham
They are all very talented and engaged young people who last year took part in our Lookout London project where they explored the issues surrounding gangs and knife crime through their photographic perspectives.
Last weekend we held an intial ‘Introduction to SLR Camera’ workshop with the participants at the community photography project FotoSynthesis, run by Ingrid Guyon, who had this to say about the participants at the end of the workshop:
“It went very well. They are amazing, inspired and inspiring, dedicated and on time individuals!”
We will continue to run a variety of photographic workshops with them over the coming months and help to support them develop their personal projects - so watch this space!
Voice of Freedom - Leila Segal meets formerly enslaved women in Israel
Leila Segal spent January in Israel, putting down the foundations for a PhotoVoice project with formerly enslaved women in a safehouse in Petach Tikva. These are extracts from her diary during her trip. For more information about the project - Voice of Freedom - and to support us in raising the funds to start the workshops please see below.
3 January
The women I am working with were raped and kept in chains in the Sinai desert. They were forced to phone home then tortured so their families could hear their screams. When the families paid the ransom, the women were set free to run to the border with Israel where soldiers picked them up and took them to jail.
6 January
Today I made a cup of tea for an Eritrean woman who crossed the border into Israel three days ago with her eight-year-old son. She is 20. He is nearly as tall as she is and walks slightly in front, reaching back for her arm.
‘Make it very sweet,’ says Didi. I put three teaspoons of sugar in. The woman is shivering; she has come in to the shelter off the street.
‘How long were you in the Sinai?’ asks Didi.
‘Two months.’
‘Good, in the Sinai?’ The woman looks down at her lap. ‘No good in the Sinai,’ says Didi.
There are chocolate biscuits. The woman will not eat hers, but gives it to the boy.
9 January
In the shelter lives a three-year-old girl whose brother was shot dead by Egyptian soldiers as he raised the barbed wire for them to cross into Israel. The girl was in her brother’s arms.
11 January
An Eritrean girl. She speaks fluent Hebrew. Four years here, she goes to school. An Eritrean girl who lives in a room with three other families; a small bare room crowded with beds. A small dark bare room where three families and their children must live. Israel has taught her Hebrew but all the little brothers cry in Tigrinya.
13 January
I spent this afternoon talking with the Eritrean women in the shelter; they showed me their beautiful children, and we played.
It is hard for me to understand: why would you crush these flowers beneath the heel of your boot?
16 January
Some of the women arrive in Israel pregnant. Children of the slave masters; of fathers with no face, of gang rape. One woman can not keep the child within her; she must put him out. She is too many months. She fights to stop it. She fights against the birth.
19 January
Delina (name changed) came with her three children from Eritrea. Her mother paid the journey across the desert - through the Sinai. She married when she was 16 - ‘little marry, no good!’ She points to her eldest child: ‘first, 17, I have this! ... 18, I have this!’ - points to the second boy. ‘And now this!’ - the baby, in her arms.
Her husband is in jail in Eritrea for refusing to serve in the military. She will never see him again. ‘I go Eritrea, I jail.’ She can never go back.
21 January
It is very cold in Tel Aviv. Three families do not have enough blankets to stay warm tonight. Delina has no bedding at all. I have put out a call to friends in Tel Aviv, if anyone has spare blankets, please call.
22 January
I have seen a man look down at two Eritrean children playing like puppies in the soft blanket he brought them and afterwards weep tears.
23 January
I knocked on the door of Delina’s room but there was nobody there. I put the hand cream and baby flu medicine on a shelf, and the chocolate and two yoghurts on the sink beside her pot. There was no kitchen so Delina kept her pot and knife on the sink.
Her two boys ran about the street outside. A man named Thomas, who said he was from Nigeria, played with them in the darkness.
‘Abodah! Abodah!’ the women shouted up at me, waving their fists. ‘Delina - abodah!’
Glossary: Abodah - work, Hebrew, as spoken by the Eritrean women (normally avodah)
Voice of Freedom - Photography by formerly enslaved women
PhotoVoice, in partnership with advocacy organisation René Cassin and photographer Leila Segal, are seeking funding to launch Voice of Freedom, a participatory photography project in Israel for formerly enslaved women. This project will empower the women by enabling them to document their lives, feelings and experiences through the camera, and by supporting them to create texts in their own words to accompany the images they create. It will culminate in high-profile exhibitions of their words and photography in both Israel and the UK, and a high quality coffee table book of their work, thereby raising awareness of the broader issue of modern-day slavery and of the responsibility of individuals in society to play their part in eradicating it.
The project will be based at the Ma’agan Safe House for trafficked women in Petach Tikva, Israel. The safe house, run by the Israeli Ministry of Welfare, shelters women who were trafficked to Israel for the purpose of sex slavery, and who have now escaped. Some of the women in the shelter have given evidence against their former captors, as well as suffering traumatic and violent journeys to reach Israel.
Israel’s unique position at the juncture of Asia, Africa and Europe; its state of development; and its relatively democratic system make it prone to abuse by traffickers and those who exploit and dehumanise persons through slavery. Sex trafficking (both internal and external), child labour, forced labour and bonded labour all exist in Israel.
Sex traffickers prey on women seeking to leave desperate conditions in Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa. Over 80% of the women involved in the prostitution trade in East Jerusalem have been trafficked. However, the incidence of sex trafficking has declined markedly since Israel passed its Anti-Trafficking Law in 2006. In contrast, the incidence of child labour has reportedly risen by 130% in the last decade; and forced labour and bonded labour are also on the rise.
Please help us make this project happen
We need your help to make this project a reality. Any support you can give will help us move forward and change the lives of these women, and work towards a society that will not tolerate exploitation and enslavement.
Donate here (quote ‘Voice of Freedom’ in the message box to have your donation restricted to this project)
Thank you
Picture That! Workshops with young people with Autism
We have just completed our Picture That!, four-day workshop (14-17 February 2012) in Bromley, working with young people with Autism and Aspergers. We had one aim - to create a fun space where they could learn new photographic skills whilst building their self confidence during their half term break. The participants, aged between 12 and 15, explored the theme of self-identity and children’s rights through a variety of activities.
We would like to thank all of our participants for their incredible imaginations, our fantastic volunteers for their time and involvement and the very helpful staff at Hawes Down Centre, where the set of workshops were hosted.
“I really enjoyed doing the Bromley workshop, and learned a lot about myself in the process. I had never worked with children on the autistic spectrum before, so it was a challenge, but one that was well rewarded by interacting with the kids, seeing how much they got out of it, how well they worked together and what great photographs they were taking by the end of the week. Just the lovely goodbye they all gave me on the last day made it all so worthwhile, and I left on a real high! This is the first time I’ve worked with Photovoice, and it was a very valuable, rewarding experience, that I won’t forget.”
Millie Burton, PhotoVoice volunteer
Due to the success of the workshop alongside the positive feedback from the young people, their parents and volunteers, we are already planning another set of workshops during the Easter break - so watch this space!
Is this acceptable representation of young people?
The London Gypsy and Traveller Unit are today protesting outside Channel 4. Their beef with the media giant is that their recent campaign advertising a news series of the - arguably already exploitative - Big Fat Gypsy Wedding reverses years of anti-stigma work by presenting young members of the community in way that emphasises and mocks their ethnic characteristics and lifestyle.
When I first saw one of these adverts - a huge billboard looming over passing traffic on Old Street - I couldn’t believe my eyes. I don’t know the programme, but it seemed instantly to me that I was being presented with a spectacle intended to amuse or amaze. The huge but cryptic (to someone who doesn’t have their finger on the pulse of TV) words across the face of a perfectly normal looking freckled boy read ‘Bigger. Fatter. Gypsier’. The first two words just seem inappropriate. The last is inconceivable in today’s world. In short, the advert presents a boy’s recognisable face and asks us to make a huge number of assumptions about him based on his being a member of an ethnic minority. No other context is offered.
Another version of the advert shows two young girls dressed in colourful and revealing outfits as if ready to go out. It’s the kind of photo that teenage girls are bound to take - proud of how they look and perhaps not savvy enough to think about what assumptions others might make upon seeing such photographs. Of course irrelevant if you are only keeping them as memories or sharing with friends. Less relevant nowadays when distant acquaintances and complete strangers might come across photos on Facebook - and this is an increasing worry for parents. No one, however, would reasonably expect such photos to be picked up by a reputable media company and blown up to massive proportions on billboards around the country.
The London Gypsy and Traveller Unit mocked up an advert that uses a similar format, changing ‘Bigger, Fatter, Gypsier’ for ‘Bigger, Blingier, Blacker’. Their argument is that one can clearly see that such a campaign would be unacceptable - hinged as it is on unrepresentative stereotyping by race - but that it is actually no different than the BFGW campaign’s approach. I would go one step further and say that if they wanted to create an advert just as shockingly exploitative and unacceptable they should have used a child. No matter what release forms Channel 4 might have from the families of the children in the campaign - and I would be surprised if there was not a financial incentive to sign - there should clearly be an element of judgement by the broadcasters and advertising company as to what is socially and morally acceptable. Whatever the aspirations of these young people and the opportunities available to them in the future, it will be a long time before they are anything other than ‘bigger, fatter and gypsier’ to their peers.
Matt Daw
Projects Manager, PhotoVoice
A message from The London Gypsy and Traveller Unit
We are protesting outside the head office of channel 4 on Tues 14th at 12.30 – please come if you can or write and complain to the advertising standards agency – details below.
It would not be acceptable to stereotype other ethnic groups or to use children in this way.
Gypsies and Travellers say to channel 4: We have had enough of your big fat mockumentary
“These adverts are stigmatising us by the words and pictures they use. This programme is turning us into something that we are not’’
“These posters are insulting and degrading. It makes me sick to my stomach to use children like this. It’s a wrong portrayal of our community and my children are hiding in school because of it’’
(Members of the Hackney Traveller community)
If you agree then please speak out.
Complain to the advertising standards agency www.asa.org.uk
Also complain directly to channel 4 at www.channel4.com or ring 0845 076 0191
Join us this afternoon - Tuesday 14th Feb 12.30 pm - to protest outside the head office of Channel 4. We will be delivering a letter of complaint and hope to get some media coverage.
Meet at 11am at LGTU 6 Westgate Street, Hackney E8 3RN
Or Meet at 12.30pm outside Channel 4
124 Horseferry Road, SW1P 2TX
Nearest underground : St James Park / Westminster / Victoria
OR 24 Bus
PhotoVoice at the London Art Fair - how did it go?
Full of amazing exhibitors, inspiring talks and hidden art treasures(have you seen robots that can draw your portrait or the real time video painting?), this year’s London Art Fair finished last Sunday.
We were delighted by the amount of interest in our work and would like to thank all of you who visited our stall, expressed interest in getting involved, or simply shared their own photographic experiences.
After seeing all the funky stuff at the Fair, PhotoVoice is a breath of fresh air, said a teacher from East London, who was thrilled to get her school involved in our Lookout London touring exhibition (you can too!) and use our Waiting teaching resource (available online).
The BIGGEST thank you goes to our volunteers! Ingrid, Anthony, Pavla, Marc, Susana, Jeni, Ashley and Caroline - you were amazing!
CAN IT OR HAS IT?
The highlight of our presence at the London Art Fair was the panel debate “Airbrushing the world: Can photography change society?” hosted by PhotoVoice Project Manager, Matt Daw and attended by four amazing photographers.
Listen to the highlights of the talk (order of appearance: Ania Dabrowska, Jess Crombie, Stephen Sidlo and Jenny Matthews)
Is your browser blocking access to this? Download the MP3 file to listen to locally: http://www.photovoice.org/Audio/laf2012.mp3
Lots of different issues were raised surrounding the main theme - the perpetual discussion on image fatigue (Does it exist or not?), the importance of streaming images into the right audience, or the accountability of photographers, journalists and news agencies (Who is ultimately responsible for using photos out of their original context?).
Ania Dabrowska, the documentary and fine art photographer, talked about her work with PhotoVoice (World Vision, Lookout London), her eye-opening project on dementia prepared in collaboration with Wellcome Trust, and the importance of historical memory and fighting stigmas.
One day, a man from Lebanon came to me with suitcases full of negatives. He used to be a journalist in his country and was documenting the life and social rituals of his people for nearly 30 years. We need to find a way to preserve it.
Jess Crombie, Head of Film and Photography at Save the Children, recognized the power of images to convey messages.
Stephen Sidlo, the editor of Demotix, a citizen journalism website, and Jenny Matthews, the photojournalist, talked about the danger of using images for manipulation.
Again, thank you all who attended (it was fully booked!) and hope you enjoyed it just as we did, one hour was definitely too short!
Can photography change society? Join our discussion on Facebook!
Rights! Cameras! Action! News from Scotland
The Scottish contribution to the Rights! Camera Action! Project kicked off in August 2011. It was a typical weathery day in a west coast Scotland town: all four seasons crammed into a day’s worth of sky. The group of young people producing the work was similarly typical: all varying skills and unique insights, but a commonality of culture and experience regarding their rights brought them together.
We discussed photos from around the world and thought about how to portray issues through images. We had a detailed discussion on the UNHCR Rights of the Child Convention. Many rights they took for granted, but quite a few were a surprise to the group. Coming from difficult backgrounds, many didn’t realise their views were supposed to be respected, that they should be protected from violence, that they had a right to play and relax. We talked. Then we got creative.
The issues chosen and images produced by the group went forward for inclusion in the Rights! Camera! Action! Exhibition, which ran at the Scottish Parliament from 12th to 16th December 2011. Around 20 young people’s photographs and captions relating to different rights were displayed in the working wing of Holyrood, right under the noses of the Members of Scottish Parliament.
Golds, greens, lighter yellows, deep reds and the odd blue MSPs whizzed past the exhibition, several times a day. Over the course of the week most MSPs saw the work. Many stopped to chat. Many were impressed. On one occasion, an MSP approached me and told me that her inaugural speech in the debating chamber had been around Article 31: “Children have the right to relax and play and to join in a wide range of cultural, artistic and other recreational activities”. She had a proud smile. She’s still there, years later, ensuring that right is withheld.
The young people involved in this project shared experiences, learned new skills and collectively considered their rights. They got creative and they spread their message. Many MSPs saw and absorbed these messages. Some MSPs were even reminded what drove them to public service. I’d say that’s a pretty successful project. I feel privileged to have seen the Rights in Action.
The RCA booklet - listing 42 articles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and featuring photos taken by PhotoVoice’s workshops’ participants - is now available! If interested, please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Also, visit our Rights! Cameras! Action! multimedia resource!
PhotoVoice gives a talk at the London Art Fair!
Come along and check out our stall at this year’s London Art Fair, 18-22 January 2012, Business Design Centre, Islington, London, N1.
We will also be hosting a panel discussion on Wednesday 18th January, 12-1pm, on the subject: Airbrushing the world: Can photography change society?
The aim is hear from professionals with different experiences and perspectives on how photography can be used as a tool for social change, which will then be opened to the floor for questions and debate about the role of photography in bringing about change in behaviour, policy and practice.
Panel members include:
Ania Dabrowska
Ania is a fine art photographer whose practice is extremely socially engaged. She recently received a lot of publicity for her acclaimed ‘Mind Over Matter’ study into Dementia and Alzheimers. She has also been a facilitator on a number of PhotoVoice’s participatory photography projects, including recently the Lookout London project with young people in London being supported to engage positively with gangs and knife crime issues through photography.
Stephen Sidlo
Publishing Editor of Demotix – the citizen journalism website that allows anyone to upload their photo-stories to be pitched to the international media.
Matt Daw
Projects Manager at PhotoVoice.
Jess Crombie
Head of Film and Photography, Save the Children, and Chair of the Humanising Photography group.
Jenny Matthews
Photojournalist with many years of experience documenting conflict zones and issue-affected communities nationwide. She is currently working on a follow-up to her acclaimed book ‘Women and War’
To book your London Art Fair ticket, click here
To book your place for the talk, click here
“Migration, Stories of a Journey” International Photography Award
With the Patronage of Amnesty International, the British Council, the European Commission Representation in the UK and the International Organisation for Migration, Accademia Apulia UK is pleased to announce the opening of submissions for their 2011 Photography Award.
‘Migration, Stories of a Journey’ is aimed at promoting emerging photographers of all nationalities based in the European Economic Community whose work explores the lives and development of migrants worldwide.
The focus of this award is to highlight migrants’ struggle and difficulties as they seek a better life in their
adopted country.
Entrants will be assessed by leading figures in the fields of Photography and Journalism:
Barbara Roche - Migration Museum Project
Diane Smyth - British Journal of Photography
Jennifer Francis - The Royal Academy of Arts
John Ingledew - University of Gloucestershire
Lucilla and Fabrizio Barbieri - Coppi Barbieri
Stefano Tura – RAI
Steve Macleod – Metro Imaging
Susan Jenkins - The Art Newspaper
Prize
Three finalists will be revealed on 10 January 2012 and the winner on 10 Feb 2012. Their works will be
showcased in a group exhibition curated by Elisa Canossa at the Royal Horseguards in London. The three
finalists will be flown in as guests of Accademia Apulia for two nights. The winner will also receive € 1000
cash prize.
Entries opened on 18th October 2011 and are free. The closing date for entries is 30 December 2011.
To enter the competition please visit www.accademiapulia.org
How equal are young people? The Right Year For Children launch
No children allowed?
On 15th December, an exhibition showcasing photographs and messages from young people across the country opened at Matrix Chambers, one of the elite barristers’ organization specializing in liberties and human rights. It was followed by an equality workshop for young (under 18 year-olds) child activists and with attendance of some great experts on law, equality and children’s rights.
Carolyne Willow, National Co-ordinator of the Children’s Rights Alliance for England started off by posing a fundamental question - How equal are the children and young people in England today?
Two of the country’s leading discrimination barristers, Karon Monaghan QC of Matrix Chambers and Ulele Burnham of Doughty Street Chambers, stressed the importance of the Equality Act and how it applies to young people’s lives: Karon in her talk on Why we have an Equality Act and why it’s relevant to children and young people, and Ulele in her discussion on Challenging discrimination: real-life stories.
All the participants were asked to bring one object, photograph or picture that they feel symbolizes how children and young people are treated in the UK today. A dice, a wooden box with a sticker on it saying “No children allowed”, a school trophy, a candle and more - all gathered at the workshop table reflecting young people’s personal view on the matter.
Footprints to No. 10 Downing Street
On 16th December, a group of 19 children and young people marched to the Prime Minister HQ to deliver messages from thousands of children all over the country, marking the 20th anniversary of the UK signing up to the UNCRC. They were accompanied by the representatives of four organizations that form the steering Committee of the Right Year For Children celebrations: Alicia Jones of UNICEF, Carolyne Willow of CRAE, Matt Daw and Clare Struthers of PhotoVoice, and Kate Parish of Pupil Voice & Participation England.
Children sent their messages on paper footprints, each footprint symbolizing one signature on this unusual petition, aiming to remind the government to remember young people’s rights when creating new laws and policies.
One of the participants, 18 year-old Rory Murray from Bracknell, told Children&Young People Now:
“It’s an important moment to mark the 20th anniversary. A lot has been achieved in 20 years, especially around giving children the special protection they need, but much more needs to be done. In the next 20 years I hope to see the UNCRC brought into our domestic law. The government is getting there on listening to children but they still have a long way to go.”
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child gives children everywhere over 40 major rights, including the right to education, family support, an adequate standard of living, to health, to play and recreation, to protection from all forms of violence, and the right to be heard and taken seriously. The Convention requires that all children be respected as human beings with views, feelings and ideas of their own.
Unlike many countries, the UK still hasn’t made the Convention part of its domestic law.
PhotoVoice Prints For Sale
We have a number of prints for sale ideal for that special Christmas gift, from artists including, Sarah Moon, Laura Pannack & John Swannell to name a few!.
Click here for a full inventory of what we have on offer.
Please get in touch with .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to find out more
Interview with our new Director, Kevin McCullough
We asked Kevin a few questions about his work, his favourite music and the challenges awaiting in 2012…
Kevin, where are you from and what is your background?
I am originally from Belfast and have had 20 years experience in international development working for organisations including Christian Aid and CAFOD. In the last 4 years I have been doing some work on funding social justice documentary films.
What attracted you to PhotoVoice?
I have known of PhotoVoice’s work for some years. I am concerned about issues of visual representation within the charity sector generally and the international NGOs in particular. PhotoVoice methodology ensures that those who are often the subjects of photography can become its creators, thereby offering a new perspective that challenges people’s prejudice. Through photography the participants are engaged in speaking out about their situations and challenges and expressing their hopes and fears. In this way, photography becomes a tool for advocacy and positive social change.
What are your plans for PhotoVoice in 2012?
It’s still early days – I’ve only been here a week!
I’m very excited about the projects we have in development for next year. Whilst these are tough financial times for the charity sector PhotoVoice supporters are some of the most loyal and generous. I would hope to build upon the excellent work that has gone on before me and engage more deeply with our supporters to build a solid financial future. In the not-to-distant future, I’d like marginalised communities to be leading that process of social change, not just part of it.
Any PhotoVoice project you cherish most?
There are so many excellent PV projects – Visible Rights working with children in Afghanistan, more recently Lookout London working with young people who have experienced homelessness and knife crime and Rights, Cameras, Action raising awareness children’s rights and the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child to name a few. Working with effective partners who are calling for policy change on specific issues is important. For us at PhotoVoice we can play a part in the advocacy process through the tool of photography and story telling. Last week I heard the stories of two young people living in east London and how the Lookout project was potentially life changing for them. By giving expression to their fears and their hopes for the future, the project is succeeding where so many others had fallen short.
Any upcoming PhotoVoice project you are particularly excited about?
The next phases of Lookout and Rights Cameras Action will be very exciting. There are two or three other projects we are working on which are sensitive, complex and yet cutting edge areas of work. What I love about PhotoVoice is that the projects undertaken are not safe but are always attempting to offer space for the visual voice of people living in vulnerable and difficult situations and yet through the experience of the project participants often see their situations in a different way.
What is the biggest challenge for you as Director of a non profit organization?
To continue to be effective, efficient and excellent in what we do. Staying close to our values and finding more ways of involving the wonderful community that is PhotoVoice.
What was the most challenging campaign you have ever worked on?
Make Poverty History - it was big in scale and in its demands of the world’s leaders at the G8. A campaign which engaged some 25 million people in the UK and marching with 250,000 people in Edinburgh was truly inspirational and yet the year had many challenges.
What do you do in your free time?
I am involved in a voluntary capacity with an international charity using sport as a tool for conflict resolution and community development and I’m a mentor for some youth projects in southern Africa. Apart from that reading, music, visits to the cinema, theatre and watching sport.
Tea or coffee?
Coffee – preferably Irish!
Favourite band?
Sorry, it’s Classic FM in the background for me and U2, the Beatles, Kanye West and my son’s band Mammoth Sound (not my style but you have to be supportive!)
If you weren’t working in a charity sector, what would you be doing?
Scoring the winning goal for Leeds United in the Cup Final! Then waking up and fishing from Mangochi on Lake Malawi!
The Right Year For Children launches this week!
16th December 2011 marks 20 years since the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) was formerly adopted by the UK.
EVENTS
Throughout 2011 PhotoVoice has been working with young people all around the UK in order to gather their thoughts and experiences on the relevance and importance of child rights to their lives. The young people involved have included Young Carers, Looked After Young People, Homeless Young People and Disabled Young People.
On December 16th PhotoVoice and Action for Children will launch an online multimedia resource at www.rightscamerasaction.org.uk to inform and engage young people across the UK about UNCRC. A booklet will also be produced to be used as a classroom tool and to signpost the online resource.
PhotoVoice are to showcase this rights-based work in Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh in December, to coincide with the 20th anniversary and with a UK-wide press campaign based on raising awareness of this significant landmark.
The exhibition will showcase photographs and messages directly from young people, bringing their voices to the discussion and reminding MPs and public audiences alike of the importance of their perspectives and their engagement in the implementation of any policies or initiatives designed to improve their lives.
On 15th December 2011 exactly the same exhibition will be showcased in Matrix Chambers in London to coincide with an equality workshop for young people, as part of the launch publicity for the Right Year for Children.
On 16th December, young people will march to 10 Downing Street to present footprints from young people all over the UK to remind the government to remember young people and their rights when developing policies and laws.
RIGHT YEAR FOR CHILDREN LOGO
16 year-old Trishna Jethwa from Leicester was the winner of a nation-wide competition for children and young people to create a universal logo to mark the 20th anniversary of ratifying the UNCRC. Organisations working with children and young people, including the Government and local councils, will be encouraged to use the logo as part of their work and commitment to promote and protect children’s rights.
Carolyne Willow, CRAE’s national co-ordinator, adds:
“We hope the winning logo will be used by hundreds of organisations and will really help to increase people’s knowledge and understanding of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Our country signed up to this human rights treaty 20 years ago and we want to get the message out loud and clear that children and young people have their own set of rights protected by international law.”
On 21st November, Trishna claimed her prize by having her design made into a professional logo by PhotoVoice Ambassador Adrian Nunn at the design agency The Big Window who generously donated their time, whilst also meeting Maggie Atkinson, the Children’s Commissioner for England.
Check out our blog regularly for updates and coverage of all the RYC events!
For more information on the project: click here.
Lookout London Exhibition Launch!
Special thanks to all those who came down to enjoy the evening & of course all those project participants, partners & funders who made it possible. The books flew off the table like hot cakes, the travelling exhibition looked great in its debut in the limelight, and lots of the young photographers were there to celebrate their achievement and speak to visitors about their photos and messages. Bianca from Homerton Space Project, and James from Stephen House both spoke very eloquently about their experience on the project, and the evening came to an end too soon for many of us!
A special mention to Hackney Borough Council for generously funding the event & the Crisis Skylight Cafe for superbly hosting it!
The travelling exhibition will now be moving on to Lambeth Council where it will be exhibited in libraries across the borough, helping to widen the reach & impact of this campaign within the capital. Poster versions of the same exhibition materials are available for schools - if you are interested in displaying these materials (provided by PhotoVoice at no cost to you) to generate discussion amongst young people at your school please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Get in touch soon as there are a limited number of poster sets available!
We are not restricting the reach of this project to London either. PhotoVoice has partnered with a fantastic charity called The Photographic Angle, which has the aim of introducing new audiences to photography by touring pop-up exhibitions and taking photography out of galleries and into public spaces and informal spaces. TPA will be touring an exhibition of the work from the Lookout London project all around the UK – watch our website and sign up to the PhotoVoice newsletter to be kept informed of the venues and dates when they are confirmed.
And what next? Well Lookout London is hopefully just the start. The issues we are trying to address are not exclusive to London, and in the next phase of this project we hope to work in a similar way in other parts of the UK – including Manchester, Liverpool, Southampton and Glasgow. PhotoVoice and Chapter 1 will be working together on this next phase, and involving other organisations working with young people to include young people from as diverse backgrounds as possible. If you would like more information about this, or if you think you or your organisation could get involved in some way, please do get in touch by emailing Project Manager Matt Daw - .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
If you would like to host the travelling exhibition in your community space - whether it is a library, community centre, service centre, job centre or museum - please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to arrange a date.
To request copies of the book - for yourself or for distribution in your school or youth club, please contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
*Lookout London exhibition, showcasing works on gang culture and knife crime, will be touring schools and libraries in south London.
Where is it now and what are the next stops?
Downham Library
5th - 11th December
Downham Health & Leisure Centre
7-9 Moorside Road, Bromley, BR1 5EP
Map: click here
Catford Library
12th - 18th December
1 Catford Road, London SE6 4RU
Map: click here
Lewisham Library
from 19th December
199-201 Lewisham High Street, London, SE13 6LG
Map: click here
Don’t miss it!
For more information on the project
VOICES Exhibition Now in Birmingham
Part of our international project See it Our Way that focuses on the problem of human trafficking and features photo works of young people from Albania, Lebanon or Pakistan, VOICES exhibition travels from Hereford to BOA, a fantastic creative venue in Birmingham. VOICES is a collaboration between PhotoVoice and The Photographic Angle, an organisation that transforms public spaces into temporary photo galleries.
Lookout London poster campaign launched!
If anyone would like to help us broaden our campaign reach by putting up a few posters in your local area to then please contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) & I’ll send some out to you!
Posters showcasing at the Southside Shopping Centre, Wandsworth
Special thanks to all at Shahmoon tv for the generous charity discount on the street ads 
The PhotoVoice Auction 2011 was a great success!
A BIG thank you to all that attended and helped make the PhotoVoice Auction of Exceptional Photographs 2011 such a success!
We are very pleased to announce that the overall amount raised was just over £70,000!
It was the first year we’ve introduced text bidding within the Silent Auction and it added an extra element of excitment on the night.
It was also the first year we held a preview exhibition of the prints the week prior to the event at La Galleria, Pall Mall, which everyone who attended also thoroughly enjoyed.
For more details about this year’s Auction and to view the online catalogue, click here.
Watch this slideshow showcasing a selection of the projects and interviews with their participants from 2011:
PhotoVoice Auction previewed in Sunday Times online Spectrum gallery!
Festival Fever at PhotoVoice!
Our Walk in My Shoes exhibition travelled down to Hereford for the festival, complete with new QR codes for instant audio download - see the wonders of technology in action!
Also as part of the festival our very own projects manager Matt Daw together with Anthony Riley of The Photographic Angle, gave a seminar in the use of participatory photography to bring about social change @Fotofilia Gallery in Birmingham on Monday 31st October. Check out the pics!
A slideshow combining work from our See It Our Way and Direct Voices projects, was also a big success at the Delhi Photo Festival. Check out their blog
Donate between 5 – 9 December and your donation will be doubled!
Double your money!
Make a donation to PhotoVoice through the BIG GIVE today or tomorrow and it will be matched pound-for-pound! We have a target of £10,000, which if achieved will result in PhotoVoice getting £20,000 – a huge boost to our projects in these difficult times.
We’ve already received nearly £2,000, so we’re well on our way! Please donate whatever you can and help PhotoVoice continue its innovative work in using photogrgaphy to connect the marginalised to the majority.
BIG THANKS in advance and Merry Christmas to you all!
If you want to become a Friend of PhotoVoice click here
SEN Portraits Exhibition - John McCafferty
Please email your MP today to keep 400 16 and 17 year olds out of prison
As you may have heard, the Government announced on Wednesday that it is planning to introduce mandatory prison sentences of at least 4 months for 16 and 17 year olds found guilty of threatening with a knife. This move which could see up to 400 under-18s ending up in prison.
Knife crime is a serious problem for some communities and we agree that urgent action is needed to address it. But we don’t think that prison is the answer. Instead, we need to look at why ¾ of children and young people who report carrying a knife claim to do so for protection. We need to tackle the barriers that still seem to exist in some communities between young people and the police. And given that rates of knife possession are significantly higher amongst children and young people who have been victims themselves, we need to work with young victims of knife crime, to better support them so they don’t think carrying a knife is a solution.
A survey of 15-18 year olds in young offender institutions published earlier this week found that, whilst nearly every single one of the 1000+ teens interviewed wanted to stop offending, only half felt they had done something whilst inside that would help them to stop offending.
If, like us, you think simply putting 16 and 17 year olds in prison is an expensive way of making things worse, please email your MP ahead of the debate in the House of Commons this coming Monday, 31st October, asking them to vote against this amendment.
To find out who your MP is and to email them, click here.
If you only send one email this weekend, please make it this one.
PhotoVoice on BBC Radio London (94.9)
Stories of the World: Geffrye Museum
Throughout the project the participants have used photography as a way to engage with and think about what ‘home’ means to them. This project has enabled young people to engage in an open dialogue about their homes and has encouraged them to think about them afresh, exploring ‘what makes a home’ and the way they live.
The work displayed in this exhibition are photographs which they feel signify the themes they discussed the most. Participants have also written corresponding captions which gives you an insight into their lives.
PhotoVoice at HPF: October - November 2011
Young people speak out through photography about the risks and root causes of human trafficking in their communities.
· Opens on the 31st Oct 2011 - Presentation begins at 5.30pm
· @Fotofilia Gallery Regent Street, Birmingham B1 3NS
· Closes on the 23rd Nov 2011
A short presentation by Matt Daw of PhotoVoice and Antony Riley of TPA introducing the exhibition and the organisations involved will take place in the gallery from 5.30pm on October 31st.
Walk in My Shoes: 12th-26th October Opening Night
PhotoVoice would like to thank everyone who made it down to the Southside Shopping Centre on Wednesday night, to help us toast the opening of our Walk in My Shoes exhibition & drink all the wine!
It was a great night, enjoyed by all, including the photographers, friends and families, PV staff, facilitators and project partners.
It was an especially good opportunity for our project participants to finally meet each other in person and talk about each other’s work and life experiences. Everyone loved the audio aspect to the photo-trail, Caroline from the Southside Shopping Centre itself, saying how much depth it added to her overall enjoyment of the photographs.
So, if you haven’t had a chance to make it down yet, fear not there’s still plenty of time, as it’s running until 26th October, so why don’t you take 5 minutes out of your day to take a walk in someones elses shoes?
Walk in My Shoes: October 12th - 26th 2011
Enter the Young Photographers’ Alliance (YPA) competition - Deadline is 7 October!
Enter the Young Photographers’ Alliance (YPA) competition to win a place to exhibit work at the first annual London Select Photofair.
Sell your photography alongside a range of top photographers and promote your work to commercial clients.
Hosted by leading photographic magazine, Select, the fair will showcase the work of over 30 international photographers from 27 Oct- 24 Nov 2011. The Select Photofair will be promoted to collectors, art buyers, and creatives, enabling its artists to sell prints and attract commercial attention from potential clients.
PhotoVoice showcases work at the Delhi Photo Festival
Announcement of new PhotoVoice Chief Executive
Kevin joins us from CAFOD where he has been Head of Campaigns for the past three years. In that role he led the Climate Justice campaign, has been a member of the DFID Communications group and has been involved with campaigning work for Why Poverty?, a series of documentaries for 50 broadcasters around the world, including the BBC.
Prior to working at CAFOD he had a number of roles at Christian Aid and he started his career as a youth and community worker for Belfast City Council.
He is a founder member and chairperson of Tipping Point Film Fund, a co-operative working in partnership with the Co-Operative Group to fund film directors working on social justice films. He is also a founder member and chairperson of the charity Global Goals, which supports sports development in poor communities around the world.
He will take over from Dominique Green, who has been chief executive since January 2009. Dominique is leaving to expand her existing role as Delegate to the Berlin Film Festival, responsible for the UK and Eire, and return to the film and photography industries as a consultant.
The trustees are extremely grateful for the work that Dominique has put into PhotoVoice over the past two and a half years and thank her for her considerable contribution.
In Kevin we believe that we have an excellent successor who will bring new skills and experience to PhotoVoice in its second decade and we all look forward to working with him.
Eyes of Youth, Albania in partnership with World Vision
“Migration, Stories of a Journey” International Photography Award
With the Patronage of Amnesty International, the British Council, the European Commission Representation in the UK and the International Organisation for Migration, Accademia Apulia UK is pleased to announce the opening of submissions for their 2011 Photography Award.
‘Migration, Stories of a Journey’ is aimed at promoting emerging photographers of all nationalities based in the European Economic Community whose work explores the lives and development of migrants worldwide.
The focus of this award is to highlight migrants’ struggle and difficulties as they seek a better life in their
adopted country.
Entrants will be assessed by leading figures in the fields of Photography and Journalism:
Barbara Roche - Migration Museum Project
Diane Smyth - British Journal of Photography
Jennifer Francis - The Royal Academy of Arts
John Ingledew - University of Gloucestershire
Lucilla and Fabrizio Barbieri - Coppi Barbieri
Stefano Tura – RAI
Steve Macleod – Metro Imaging
Susan Jenkins - The Art Newspaper
Prize
Three finalists will be revealed on 10 January 2012 and the winner on 10 Feb 2012. Their works will be
showcased in a group exhibition curated by Elisa Canossa at the Royal Horseguards in London. The three
finalists will be flown in as guests of Accademia Apulia for two nights. The winner will also receive € 1000
cash prize.
Entries opened on 18th October 2011 and are free. The closing date for entries is 30 December 2011.
To enter the competition please visit www.accademiapulia.org
How equal are young people? The Right Year For Children launch
No children allowed?
On 15th December, an exhibition showcasing photographs and messages from young people across the country opened at Matrix Chambers, one of the elite barristers’ organization specializing in liberties and human rights. It was followed by an equality workshop for young (under 18 year-olds) child activists and with attendance of some great experts on law, equality and children’s rights.
Carolyne Willow, National Co-ordinator of the Children’s Rights Alliance for England started off by posing a fundamental question - How equal are the children and young people in England today?
Two of the country’s leading discrimination barristers, Karon Monaghan QC of Matrix Chambers and Ulele Burnham of Doughty Street Chambers, stressed the importance of the Equality Act and how it applies to young people’s lives: Karon in her talk on Why we have an Equality Act and why it’s relevant to children and young people, and Ulele in her discussion on Challenging discrimination: real-life stories.
All the participants were asked to bring one object, photograph or picture that they feel symbolizes how children and young people are treated in the UK today. A dice, a wooden box with a sticker on it saying “No children allowed”, a school trophy, a candle and more - all gathered at the workshop table reflecting young people’s personal view on the matter.
Footprints to No. 10 Downing Street
On 16th December, a group of 19 children and young people marched to the Prime Minister HQ to deliver messages from thousands of children all over the country, marking the 20th anniversary of the UK signing up to the UNCRC. They were accompanied by the representatives of four organizations that form the steering Committee of the Right Year For Children celebrations: Alicia Jones of UNICEF, Carolyne Willow of CRAE, Matt Daw and Clare Struthers of PhotoVoice, and Kate Parish of Pupil Voice & Participation England.
Children sent their messages on paper footprints, each footprint symbolizing one signature on this unusual petition, aiming to remind the government to remember young people’s rights when creating new laws and policies.
One of the participants, 18 year-old Rory Murray from Bracknell, told Children&Young People Now:
“It’s an important moment to mark the 20th anniversary. A lot has been achieved in 20 years, especially around giving children the special protection they need, but much more needs to be done. In the next 20 years I hope to see the UNCRC brought into our domestic law. The government is getting there on listening to children but they still have a long way to go.”
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child gives children everywhere over 40 major rights, including the right to education, family support, an adequate standard of living, to health, to play and recreation, to protection from all forms of violence, and the right to be heard and taken seriously. The Convention requires that all children be respected as human beings with views, feelings and ideas of their own.
Unlike many countries, the UK still hasn’t made the Convention part of its domestic law.
PhotoVoice Prints For Sale
We have a number of prints for sale ideal for that special Christmas gift, from artists including, Sarah Moon, Laura Pannack & John Swannell to name a few!.
Click here for a full inventory of what we have on offer.
Please get in touch with .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to find out more
Interview with our new Director, Kevin McCullough
We asked Kevin a few questions about his work, his favourite music and the challenges awaiting in 2012…
Kevin, where are you from and what is your background?
I am originally from Belfast and have had 20 years experience in international development working for organisations including Christian Aid and CAFOD. In the last 4 years I have been doing some work on funding social justice documentary films.
What attracted you to PhotoVoice?
I have known of PhotoVoice’s work for some years. I am concerned about issues of visual representation within the charity sector generally and the international NGOs in particular. PhotoVoice methodology ensures that those who are often the subjects of photography can become its creators, thereby offering a new perspective that challenges people’s prejudice. Through photography the participants are engaged in speaking out about their situations and challenges and expressing their hopes and fears. In this way, photography becomes a tool for advocacy and positive social change.
What are your plans for PhotoVoice in 2012?
It’s still early days – I’ve only been here a week!
I’m very excited about the projects we have in development for next year. Whilst these are tough financial times for the charity sector PhotoVoice supporters are some of the most loyal and generous. I would hope to build upon the excellent work that has gone on before me and engage more deeply with our supporters to build a solid financial future. In the not-to-distant future, I’d like marginalised communities to be leading that process of social change, not just part of it.
Any PhotoVoice project you cherish most?
There are so many excellent PV projects – Visible Rights working with children in Afghanistan, more recently Lookout London working with young people who have experienced homelessness and knife crime and Rights, Cameras, Action raising awareness children’s rights and the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child to name a few. Working with effective partners who are calling for policy change on specific issues is important. For us at PhotoVoice we can play a part in the advocacy process through the tool of photography and story telling. Last week I heard the stories of two young people living in east London and how the Lookout project was potentially life changing for them. By giving expression to their fears and their hopes for the future, the project is succeeding where so many others had fallen short.
Any upcoming PhotoVoice project you are particularly excited about?
The next phases of Lookout and Rights Cameras Action will be very exciting. There are two or three other projects we are working on which are sensitive, complex and yet cutting edge areas of work. What I love about PhotoVoice is that the projects undertaken are not safe but are always attempting to offer space for the visual voice of people living in vulnerable and difficult situations and yet through the experience of the project participants often see their situations in a different way.
What is the biggest challenge for you as Director of a non profit organization?
To continue to be effective, efficient and excellent in what we do. Staying close to our values and finding more ways of involving the wonderful community that is PhotoVoice.
What was the most challenging campaign you have ever worked on?
Make Poverty History - it was big in scale and in its demands of the world’s leaders at the G8. A campaign which engaged some 25 million people in the UK and marching with 250,000 people in Edinburgh was truly inspirational and yet the year had many challenges.
What do you do in your free time?
I am involved in a voluntary capacity with an international charity using sport as a tool for conflict resolution and community development and I’m a mentor for some youth projects in southern Africa. Apart from that reading, music, visits to the cinema, theatre and watching sport.
Tea or coffee?
Coffee – preferably Irish!
Favourite band?
Sorry, it’s Classic FM in the background for me and U2, the Beatles, Kanye West and my son’s band Mammoth Sound (not my style but you have to be supportive!)
If you weren’t working in a charity sector, what would you be doing?
Scoring the winning goal for Leeds United in the Cup Final! Then waking up and fishing from Mangochi on Lake Malawi!
The Right Year For Children launches this week!
16th December 2011 marks 20 years since the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) was formerly adopted by the UK.
EVENTS
Throughout 2011 PhotoVoice has been working with young people all around the UK in order to gather their thoughts and experiences on the relevance and importance of child rights to their lives. The young people involved have included Young Carers, Looked After Young People, Homeless Young People and Disabled Young People.
On December 16th PhotoVoice and Action for Children will launch an online multimedia resource at www.rightscamerasaction.org.uk to inform and engage young people across the UK about UNCRC. A booklet will also be produced to be used as a classroom tool and to signpost the online resource.
PhotoVoice are to showcase this rights-based work in Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh in December, to coincide with the 20th anniversary and with a UK-wide press campaign based on raising awareness of this significant landmark.
The exhibition will showcase photographs and messages directly from young people, bringing their voices to the discussion and reminding MPs and public audiences alike of the importance of their perspectives and their engagement in the implementation of any policies or initiatives designed to improve their lives.
On 15th December 2011 exactly the same exhibition will be showcased in Matrix Chambers in London to coincide with an equality workshop for young people, as part of the launch publicity for the Right Year for Children.
On 16th December, young people will march to 10 Downing Street to present footprints from young people all over the UK to remind the government to remember young people and their rights when developing policies and laws.
RIGHT YEAR FOR CHILDREN LOGO
16 year-old Trishna Jethwa from Leicester was the winner of a nation-wide competition for children and young people to create a universal logo to mark the 20th anniversary of ratifying the UNCRC. Organisations working with children and young people, including the Government and local councils, will be encouraged to use the logo as part of their work and commitment to promote and protect children’s rights.
Carolyne Willow, CRAE’s national co-ordinator, adds:
“We hope the winning logo will be used by hundreds of organisations and will really help to increase people’s knowledge and understanding of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Our country signed up to this human rights treaty 20 years ago and we want to get the message out loud and clear that children and young people have their own set of rights protected by international law.”
On 21st November, Trishna claimed her prize by having her design made into a professional logo by PhotoVoice Ambassador Adrian Nunn at the design agency The Big Window who generously donated their time, whilst also meeting Maggie Atkinson, the Children’s Commissioner for England.
Check out our blog regularly for updates and coverage of all the RYC events!
For more information on the project: click here.
Lookout London Exhibition Launch!
Special thanks to all those who came down to enjoy the evening & of course all those project participants, partners & funders who made it possible. The books flew off the table like hot cakes, the travelling exhibition looked great in its debut in the limelight, and lots of the young photographers were there to celebrate their achievement and speak to visitors about their photos and messages. Bianca from Homerton Space Project, and James from Stephen House both spoke very eloquently about their experience on the project, and the evening came to an end too soon for many of us!
A special mention to Hackney Borough Council for generously funding the event & the Crisis Skylight Cafe for superbly hosting it!
The travelling exhibition will now be moving on to Lambeth Council where it will be exhibited in libraries across the borough, helping to widen the reach & impact of this campaign within the capital. Poster versions of the same exhibition materials are available for schools - if you are interested in displaying these materials (provided by PhotoVoice at no cost to you) to generate discussion amongst young people at your school please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Get in touch soon as there are a limited number of poster sets available!
We are not restricting the reach of this project to London either. PhotoVoice has partnered with a fantastic charity called The Photographic Angle, which has the aim of introducing new audiences to photography by touring pop-up exhibitions and taking photography out of galleries and into public spaces and informal spaces. TPA will be touring an exhibition of the work from the Lookout London project all around the UK – watch our website and sign up to the PhotoVoice newsletter to be kept informed of the venues and dates when they are confirmed.
And what next? Well Lookout London is hopefully just the start. The issues we are trying to address are not exclusive to London, and in the next phase of this project we hope to work in a similar way in other parts of the UK – including Manchester, Liverpool, Southampton and Glasgow. PhotoVoice and Chapter 1 will be working together on this next phase, and involving other organisations working with young people to include young people from as diverse backgrounds as possible. If you would like more information about this, or if you think you or your organisation could get involved in some way, please do get in touch by emailing Project Manager Matt Daw - .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
If you would like to host the travelling exhibition in your community space - whether it is a library, community centre, service centre, job centre or museum - please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to arrange a date.
To request copies of the book - for yourself or for distribution in your school or youth club, please contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
*Lookout London exhibition, showcasing works on gang culture and knife crime, will be touring schools and libraries in south London.
Where is it now and what are the next stops?
Downham Library
5th - 11th December
Downham Health & Leisure Centre
7-9 Moorside Road, Bromley, BR1 5EP
Map: click here
Catford Library
12th - 18th December
1 Catford Road, London SE6 4RU
Map: click here
Lewisham Library
from 19th December
199-201 Lewisham High Street, London, SE13 6LG
Map: click here
Don’t miss it!
For more information on the project
VOICES Exhibition Now in Birmingham
Part of our international project See it Our Way that focuses on the problem of human trafficking and features photo works of young people from Albania, Lebanon or Pakistan, VOICES exhibition travels from Hereford to BOA, a fantastic creative venue in Birmingham. VOICES is a collaboration between PhotoVoice and The Photographic Angle, an organisation that transforms public spaces into temporary photo galleries.
Lookout London poster campaign launched!
If anyone would like to help us broaden our campaign reach by putting up a few posters in your local area to then please contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) & I’ll send some out to you!
Posters showcasing at the Southside Shopping Centre, Wandsworth
Special thanks to all at Shahmoon tv for the generous charity discount on the street ads
The PhotoVoice Auction 2011 was a great success!
A BIG thank you to all that attended and helped make the PhotoVoice Auction of Exceptional Photographs 2011 such a success!
We are very pleased to announce that the overall amount raised was just over £70,000!
It was the first year we’ve introduced text bidding within the Silent Auction and it added an extra element of excitment on the night.
It was also the first year we held a preview exhibition of the prints the week prior to the event at La Galleria, Pall Mall, which everyone who attended also thoroughly enjoyed.
For more details about this year’s Auction and to view the online catalogue, click here.
Watch this slideshow showcasing a selection of the projects and interviews with their participants from 2011:
PhotoVoice Auction previewed in Sunday Times online Spectrum gallery!
Festival Fever at PhotoVoice!
Our Walk in My Shoes exhibition travelled down to Hereford for the festival, complete with new QR codes for instant audio download - see the wonders of technology in action!
Also as part of the festival our very own projects manager Matt Daw together with Anthony Riley of The Photographic Angle, gave a seminar in the use of participatory photography to bring about social change @Fotofilia Gallery in Birmingham on Monday 31st October. Check out the pics!
A slideshow combining work from our See It Our Way and Direct Voices projects, was also a big success at the Delhi Photo Festival. Check out their blog
Donate between 5 – 9 December and your donation will be doubled!
Double your money!
Make a donation to PhotoVoice through the BIG GIVE today or tomorrow and it will be matched pound-for-pound! We have a target of £10,000, which if achieved will result in PhotoVoice getting £20,000 – a huge boost to our projects in these difficult times.
We’ve already received nearly £2,000, so we’re well on our way! Please donate whatever you can and help PhotoVoice continue its innovative work in using photogrgaphy to connect the marginalised to the majority.
BIG THANKS in advance and Merry Christmas to you all!
If you want to become a Friend of PhotoVoice click here
SEN Portraits Exhibition - John McCafferty
Please email your MP today to keep 400 16 and 17 year olds out of prison
As you may have heard, the Government announced on Wednesday that it is planning to introduce mandatory prison sentences of at least 4 months for 16 and 17 year olds found guilty of threatening with a knife. This move which could see up to 400 under-18s ending up in prison.
Knife crime is a serious problem for some communities and we agree that urgent action is needed to address it. But we don’t think that prison is the answer. Instead, we need to look at why ¾ of children and young people who report carrying a knife claim to do so for protection. We need to tackle the barriers that still seem to exist in some communities between young people and the police. And given that rates of knife possession are significantly higher amongst children and young people who have been victims themselves, we need to work with young victims of knife crime, to better support them so they don’t think carrying a knife is a solution.
A survey of 15-18 year olds in young offender institutions published earlier this week found that, whilst nearly every single one of the 1000+ teens interviewed wanted to stop offending, only half felt they had done something whilst inside that would help them to stop offending.
If, like us, you think simply putting 16 and 17 year olds in prison is an expensive way of making things worse, please email your MP ahead of the debate in the House of Commons this coming Monday, 31st October, asking them to vote against this amendment.
To find out who your MP is and to email them, click here.
If you only send one email this weekend, please make it this one.
PhotoVoice on BBC Radio London (94.9)
Stories of the World: Geffrye Museum
Throughout the project the participants have used photography as a way to engage with and think about what ‘home’ means to them. This project has enabled young people to engage in an open dialogue about their homes and has encouraged them to think about them afresh, exploring ‘what makes a home’ and the way they live.
The work displayed in this exhibition are photographs which they feel signify the themes they discussed the most. Participants have also written corresponding captions which gives you an insight into their lives.
PhotoVoice at HPF: October - November 2011
Young people speak out through photography about the risks and root causes of human trafficking in their communities.
· Opens on the 31st Oct 2011 - Presentation begins at 5.30pm
· @Fotofilia Gallery Regent Street, Birmingham B1 3NS
· Closes on the 23rd Nov 2011
A short presentation by Matt Daw of PhotoVoice and Antony Riley of TPA introducing the exhibition and the organisations involved will take place in the gallery from 5.30pm on October 31st.
Walk in My Shoes: 12th-26th October Opening Night
PhotoVoice would like to thank everyone who made it down to the Southside Shopping Centre on Wednesday night, to help us toast the opening of our Walk in My Shoes exhibition & drink all the wine!
It was a great night, enjoyed by all, including the photographers, friends and families, PV staff, facilitators and project partners.
It was an especially good opportunity for our project participants to finally meet each other in person and talk about each other’s work and life experiences. Everyone loved the audio aspect to the photo-trail, Caroline from the Southside Shopping Centre itself, saying how much depth it added to her overall enjoyment of the photographs.
So, if you haven’t had a chance to make it down yet, fear not there’s still plenty of time, as it’s running until 26th October, so why don’t you take 5 minutes out of your day to take a walk in someones elses shoes?
Walk in My Shoes: October 12th - 26th 2011
Enter the Young Photographers’ Alliance (YPA) competition - Deadline is 7 October!
Enter the Young Photographers’ Alliance (YPA) competition to win a place to exhibit work at the first annual London Select Photofair.
Sell your photography alongside a range of top photographers and promote your work to commercial clients.
Hosted by leading photographic magazine, Select, the fair will showcase the work of over 30 international photographers from 27 Oct- 24 Nov 2011. The Select Photofair will be promoted to collectors, art buyers, and creatives, enabling its artists to sell prints and attract commercial attention from potential clients.
PhotoVoice showcases work at the Delhi Photo Festival
Announcement of new PhotoVoice Chief Executive
Kevin joins us from CAFOD where he has been Head of Campaigns for the past three years. In that role he led the Climate Justice campaign, has been a member of the DFID Communications group and has been involved with campaigning work for Why Poverty?, a series of documentaries for 50 broadcasters around the world, including the BBC.
Prior to working at CAFOD he had a number of roles at Christian Aid and he started his career as a youth and community worker for Belfast City Council.
He is a founder member and chairperson of Tipping Point Film Fund, a co-operative working in partnership with the Co-Operative Group to fund film directors working on social justice films. He is also a founder member and chairperson of the charity Global Goals, which supports sports development in poor communities around the world.
He will take over from Dominique Green, who has been chief executive since January 2009. Dominique is leaving to expand her existing role as Delegate to the Berlin Film Festival, responsible for the UK and Eire, and return to the film and photography industries as a consultant.
The trustees are extremely grateful for the work that Dominique has put into PhotoVoice over the past two and a half years and thank her for her considerable contribution.
In Kevin we believe that we have an excellent successor who will bring new skills and experience to PhotoVoice in its second decade and we all look forward to working with him.