Project Name: Voice of ARt and COmmUnity. (VARCOU)
Duration: From 01/07/2023 till 30/04/2024 (duration 10 months)
Activity: Professional Development Activity KA153YOU. 4 participants from each organisation and we are going to have also 4 stakeholders a total of 36 participants which they work in different methods of equal participation and the improvement of their self consistence with non formal educational methods with arts.
Activity dates: 24 of November till 3 of December (including travelling dates)
Activity Place: Hylatio Tourist Village, Limassol, Cyprus, www.hylatio.com.cy
Applicant Organisation: Active Cypriot Programs and European Learning Into Acceptance, ACPELIA, email: acpeliacy@gmail.com
Main Idea of the Project
Ensuring equal participation of youth in society is one of the biggest challenges of our times. Young people from deprived and marginalized communities as well as youth from rural areas experience huge lack of opportunities. This problem exists all over the Europe and all over the world. Inequality in opportunities became even more evident in times of COVID-19 pandemic. In the extreme situation of pandemic vulnerable groups and disadvantage communities became even more vulnerable than before. People from deprived communities and vulnerable groups are "left behind", their voices are not that loud as the voices of privileged groups.
One of the most powerful tools to deal with the problem is participatory art. This tool can help youth workers, young leaders, community developers to ensure engagement, advocacy, skill building and social innovation in their work with disadvantaged and marginalized communities.
On one hand art practices stimulates young people to be creative and express themselves through photos and other visual art, on the other hand, youth develop communication tools which can be empowering and strong in delivering the messages. Moreover, art helps to avoid stereotypes, show full picture with all the challenges and opportunities.
The aim of the project is to equip youth workers and young leaders with the tools of community art practices and to encourage them to use these tools for raising socially important topics and working in socially disadvantage or marginalized communities.
Project specific objectives are:
• to get familiar with the tools of community and participatory act practices (photography, collage, etc.),
• to explore ways of communication and delivering messages through art
• to get the knowledge and competences on project planning and implementation,
• to get practical experience of designing, developing, implementing and evaluating project in the local community using art methods.
One of the main strong points of the project is a comprehensive approach and win-win relationships between project participants and youth from local community. Project designed in the way that participant will not only attend the training course, but also get real practical experience. They will design and develop their own projects and implement them in local community with local youth. Such an educational approach and design ensures that participants are gaining knowledge, skills and competences in using art methods and at the same time practical experience in dealing with the group from local community as well as the experience of practical youth work in international team. This comprehensive approach will ensure the best result and education input in quite a short time. All the processes, including practice phase, will be totally self-conducted in the groups of participants but under the mentorship of trainers. Additionally, huge effect will be made on local community and local young people. Mini-project conducted by international group will empower local youth for using art, participation in society, self-development, searching and creating opportunities, which is a strong step in the community development.
The idea is to use a variety of different Non Formal educatonal methods as well as art teqhnicues and methods. Project is not covering technical side of photograpy. No special photo equipment needed.
What is Participatory Photography?
Participatory Photography is a great way to collaborate with those that you are photographing and getting them completely involved in the project that you are embarking on! Participatory Photography is a form of research photography and it literally means engaging the participants in your project and allowing them to be a part of the image making process. In other words, they are fully immersed in your project and own the narrative as much as you do. In a way tounderstand moreyoucan just see the videowhich explains what is participatory video and youcan enganged this to participatory photography.
Many organisations especially I/NGO's and Charities that have projects/campaigns involving Refugees, survivors of abuse or conflict and a range of other sensitive issues, tend to use this form of Photography as a way of being ethical and a way of getting the participants fully involved enabling them to shape and tell the story In a way that they feel more comfortable with. Instead of a Photographer coming along with their camera and serving as a 'parachute photographer' that comes in, snaps and then leaves, this is more of a gradual method which consists of you spending time with the participant and really engaging them for an extended period of time.
There are many different ways in which participatory photography can be carried out such as;
The Use of Archival Materials: One method of collaboration is by getting your participants to photograph archival materials, this can range from anything such as old photographs, documents, old notes, post cards and the list goes on. As long as they photograph it, send it to you and you end up including it in your body of work, this serves as a form of collaboration between you and the participant.
Participants Taking Pictures: Another way is by getting your Participants to actually take pictures as well, whether with their phones, a small point and shoot camera or whatever medium they choose. This again serves as a form of Participatory Photography enabling them to determine and control the way that they are portrayed and seen by the viewers.
Content Made By Them: Another way to collaborate with your Participants is by getting them to do activities that end up producing content which will be included in the final body of work. Whether this is them making drawings/paintings, making objects such as sculptures, arts and crafts or even writing things down consistently in a journal dedicated to the project, all of these, and similar is another form of Participatory Photography.
The Benefits: The benefits of this form of photography is that it allows your visual story to have more depth, more intimacy and permits the viewer to have a deeper understanding of what is going on, especially in the life of the participants. It is an amazing way to collaborate and interact with others and allows the viewer to receive more information as supposed to one photographer taking pictures of someone. This photography style is certainly one to be explored and is one that can lead to an avalanche of opportunities!
More informations in the link: https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/dpublog/2015/01/20/participatory-photography-background-history/
