Photo workshop inspires
2010-06-10
A PHOTOGRAPHIC workshop with about 100 young people was concluded at the Mbekweni Thusong Service Centre. The “Picture our Reality” workshop was the first of its kind where young people were given basic photography training and over a ten day period took photographs in their communities. The project culminated in a virtual exhibition of how the youth see their wards. Positive and negative images portraying social and infrastructural issues compete with beautiful nature and landscape images. The aim of the programme was two-fold. The first session dealt with the history of June 16. Photographs depicting youth struggles of the past were used to share, learn, remember and reflect on the challenges faced by youth of the 70s and 80s. In so doing, the powerful images exposed participants to the power of photographs to convey history and how it can be used to record and reflect on the present. In the second part of the programme, participants were trained in basic digital photography and given an assignment like real photographers to capture images in their wards. The municipality entrusted digital cameras to the youth to take home. They spent eight days capturing images of people, services and landscapes to show how they see and experience living in their wards. On Sunday the youths returned and learn how to edit and caption their images. They were treated to a rare opportunity to listen to George Hallet, a world renowned photographer. He shared with them his formative years growing up in Cape Town, struggling against many odds to reach for his dream, his subsequent achievements and the many highlights of his photographic career, one of which was capturing images of the first democratic elections in 1994. Images captured by the youth ranged from substance abuse to service delivery problems, but also excellent portraits and landscapes. The youths spent the day working in teams to choose the best images that would illustrate how they see their wards. The day ended with virtual exhibitions running simultaneously in different venues at the Thusong Centre. Municipal officials, invited guests and parents to walk around and view the exhibition, but it was the participants who were most in awe of their accomplishments. “It was incredible that it took this for me to notice a lot of things like the environment and the area that I live in. It was a learning curve for me. I didn’t know pictures would have such a impact,” said Vuyo Zantsi of ward 9. The municipality will publish a coffee-table book of the best images of all the wards and copies of this book will be available at all municipal libraries. The whole process throughout the week was documented online via social networks like facebook and youtube. Anthea Abrahams, the HOD: Community Services said: “We are very excited about the programme and the outcome. Young people have a lot of energy and they are asking for more such programmes that engage them holistically. We are looking forward to meet all the young people again when we launch the book and celebrate their work and effort.”
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