Outline of Process

There is no single set way to run a therapeutic or participatory photography project.  Initiatives need to be designed and structured according to the needs of those who will be participating, the resources available and the logistics on the ground. 

All successful projects are however structured by an awareness of the elements different project stages should contain.  It is essential that project structures and processes are flexible and should adjust to incorporate learning, outcomes and ideas that emerge as the project develops.

Planning
Thorough planning is essential.  Establishing simple structures, a team where skills and experience are complementary and  everyone is clear of their roles and responsibilities and making provision for all the support participants and facilitators may need is crucial.  Project aims and objectives need to be discussed and agreed by all participating.

Activities:

• Establish a project team: project participants, facilitators, support workers, advisors etc
• Establish needs, priorities and interests of project participants – consult with participants, assess any protection and ethics considerations
• Plan logistics: workshop venue, transport for project team etc
• Establish budget and resources
• Establish project aims and objectives with all those involved – discussions around how pictures might be used and who might see them
• Establish project timetable and workplan in consultation with all those involved

Workshops
This stage is the creative heart of the project.  The numbers of workshops and time period over which they last is going to vary according to project objectives and resources available.  PhotoVoice has run projects with 6 workshops over a month to 30 workshops over 9 months.  As a general principle the longer the workshop period the more rewarding the process is for participants.  In PhotoVoice’s projects a minimum of 6 workshops is necessary to build up the group and process to achieve a level of therapeutic impact.  Workshop content is devised by a facilitator with the flexibility to adjust the plans as needs change.  Regular reviews and de-briefs ensure a constant flow of dialogue around the workshops, so that issues can be raised and dealt with as they happen.

Activities:

• Run photographic workshops ensuring appropriate time is given for all aspects of the photographic process – taking pictures, editing, talking about pictures, presenting images, group work and personalised photo projects.

Presentation of photography
Discussions over who will be the audience of the images produced need to be had from the outset of the project and constantly revisited throughout the workshop process.  Specific audiences, for example politicians, service providers or the local community, are often pre-decided.  In these cases all these decisions need to discussed and agreed by the project participants.  The final presentation or exhibition is often a key point to work towards, the culmination of the project and a time to celebrate achievements.  It can be a time that is both exciting and nerve-wracking for participants.  Some may want to keep their work as a private matter and choose not to participate. For some the idea of an exhibition might be alien and exhibition visits can be built into workshop timetables in order to give participants an idea of what they involve. Participants must decide for themselves about whether they are willing to share their photographs with a public audience.  Exhibitions can range framed photographs in a local gallery, displays in the library or a community centre or one off events where photographs are presented  in a digital slideshow projected on a screen.

Activities:

• Decide on a venue, time, date and format for the event
• Prepare images for exhibition – captions, write project introductions, personal statements etc
• Advertise, market and promote the exhibition or event.  Engage in press work as appropriate.
• Hold an event or exhibition– this could take the form of an informal gathering for friends of family or a more high profile event for public audiences in an art gallery.

Review and follow-up activities
All projects must give prior consideration to the question of what happens after the project ends.  It can be damaging for participants if they feel they have been a part of something exciting and are then abandoned.  For some participants the project may have been the beginning of a creative therapeutic process that they wish to continue.  As discussed above provision need to be made to support participants who wish to pursue their photographic activities and to maintain the networks established through the project. Sustainable and viable progression routes need to be found.  For some this may mean establishing a peer support group that meets informally, for others it might mean continued access to photographic equipment or enrolment on a photography course at the local college, others may want to find other ways of participating in local art therapy groups.

Activities

• Hold group review workshops after the exhibition
• Hold group and one on one follow-up workshops to identify people’s ongoing needs and to make provisions for those who want to pursue or continue with their photography