in the gallery...
empowerment
Blogging and critical discussion about Participatory Photography
Two websites/blogs that folks with a specific interest in participatory photography might want to take a look at… The Institute for Photographic Empowerment aims to support the study and practice of participant–produced documentary projects in photography, film, and digital media. They are affiliated with Venice Arts Centre and USC Annenberg in Los Angeles. Check out... »
Detroit Summer & the Allied Media Conference
While I was in New Orleans I had the opportunity to meet DJ Invinsible (see her company emergence music for insight into independant hip hop world), who was doing some media training for the new young writers at the Neighborhood Story Project who were about to launch their books. She is a very cool... »
Therapeutic Photography Resource
The Photo Voice network, based in the UK, has been a force in participatory photography for many years. Bearing the same name as the photovoice method which has been widely used in health and other social research (See WANG, C. & BURRIS, M. (1997) Photovoice: concept, methodology and use for participatory needs assessment. Health Education... »
Cameras for community in New Orleans
Since Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and the slow process of rebuilding has progressed, a number of new collaborative media making projects have gotten underway around the city. The New Orleans Kid Camera Project started in 2006 when Joanna Rosenthal & Cat Malovic, both trained as social workers, were looking for a way to engage... »
Empowerment through participation in representation?
Most projects that set out to facilitate community participation in the creation of representations – be it for social justice advocacy; health and wellbeing; or cultural documentation – do so with a belief that participation in the making of representations about ones own community or culture can be empowering and re-construct power dynamics and... »
Ethics in collaborative art and collaborative ethnographic practice… beginning a conversation
In my ongoing research about practices and experiences in projects that unite collaborative art and collaborative ethnographic practices the topic of ethics has come up time and time again, mostly in discussions with project facilitators who find themselves face to face with ethical dilemmas which were unanticipated at the outset of their work. From... »
Interesting stuff in Africa
All sorts of interesting collaborative art/social change/community doco work has been going on in various parts of Africa for many years – I recall several years ago at the first 2 Fires Conference in Braidwood NSW (Australia) meeting a woman who had been facilitating participatory art projects with AIDS orphans with fascinating result… HIV and... »
8 Mile Settlement photography project
Check out another project from the Pacific region – this one going on in Papua New Guinea – in a settlement near Port Moresby called 8 Mile. 8 Mile Settlement project is a nice example of an increasingly popular approach to community development – using creative arts (painting, photography, storytelling and traditional weaving) to empower people... »
The Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics
If you are interested in the intersection of arts and politics, arts activism and theatre, or even just interesting grassroots and community movements in the Americas, check out the Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics. In 2008 this institute opened a centre in San Cristobal De Las Casas, Chipas, in collaboration with Fortaleza de la... »