in the gallery...
Social Justice
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... »
Challenge for Change and NFB Filmmaker in Residence Program
One of the projects that broke new ground for movements in participatory & social-change film-making was the Challenge for Change program. Created by the Canadian National Film Board in 1967, it ran until 1980 and resulted in over 140 films being made as collaborations between filmmakers and Canadian communities. The Challenge for Change program... »
Fictionalised Reality – new works by Urban Theatre Projects
Urban Theatre Projects (UTP), originally founded as Death Defying Theatre (way back in the ‘80’s) is a professional theatre company based in Bankstown (Sydney, NSW). Their tag line is ‘Stories of Contemporary Life‘ and they make new theatre works that reflect such stories and images of contemporary Australian life, with a focus on people... »
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... »
Mundanzas: Migraciones Múltiples
The photographic exhibition Mundanzas: Migraciones Múltiples, which includes work from 4 photographers associated with AFI/CPP in Chiapas Mexico is opening in Mexico City this week and then in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico on the 21st of November 2009. Selected materials from the exhibition and catalogue can be seen online through the Museo... »
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... »
Actions in Palestine region – social justice and advocacy through photography and film
I wrote a few weeks ago about projects in the Pacific region that are using participatory visual practices to advocate for social and environmental issues, such as Pacific Black Box addressing displacement due to climate change. In the Middle East – where conflict colours the daily life of everyone and the perceptions of the region... »
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... »
What’s in a name?
Documenting the names of people in the AFI photos is not a priority here in Chiapas. Indeed, anonymity and confidentiality is a necessary part of the ethics of participatory photographic practice in the region. The naming of Indigenous subjects in photographic archives, has an entirely different meaning in a contemporary Australian context. »