More research

- Photovoice (national/international): work in the UK and overseas with individuals, local communities and partner organisations to create participatory photography programmes that achieve meaningful improvements in the lives of participants.

Projects:

* Shutter Release – Overcoming Addiction (national, UK): A course of 10 photography workshops was run with women at various stages of rebuilding their lives following alcohol or drug addiction. The women were supported to create photo stories that explored their next steps and challenges helping them to voice and prepare for the milestones ahead.

* Photovoice & CAFOD – WASH project (National, Zimbabwe): As part of the project Photovoice has trained 30 adult and 40 young people in photography and visual literacy across more than 20 villages in Zimbabwe. So they can document issues, problems and improvements around the theme of WASH issues. Their photos will be important. Their photos will be important as the result will engage and inform the wider community. 

As I found out from my research, each project is funding by companies who are in partnership with Photovoice. Photovoice’s methodology is build on the power and potential of photography as a flexible and empowering tool, that is at once accessible, therapeutic, influential and communicative. They are seeing photography as a tool to enable positive social change. They help disadvantaged communities by sharing their knowledge and teaching digital storytelling methods to the individuals, so that they have the opportunity to present themselves. So basically, they provide training, materials and responsible resources. 

Individual research

- Arts Council England: develops and invest in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people’s lives. Support a range of activities across the arts, museums, libraries from theatre to digital art etc.

-       High Peak Community Arts (Derbyshire – regional): provides opportunities for people to participate in high quality creative arts project, enhancing their quality of life through self-expression. Focuses on those who have least access to arts and culture, providing opportunities for participants of all ages, interest and abilities to experiment with creative arts. Often working with freelance artists.

Past Projects:

* Travelling light (local): 360 degrees camera obscura travelled around High Peak engaging people with the wonders of science and the links between science and art. They hope to develop this unusual and engaging workshop.

* Making fantasy landscapes (regional): This was a project for families and young people. Everyone had to make their own 3D cosmic landscapes and after that they used the green screen to photography portraits and then Photoshop to place people in their landscapes, after all the portraits processed. The success of this activity led the staff to think up a new digital/design combo for next year.

As I found out from my research, to make this project happen the community were helping out financially by the sponsors and from charity taking. The staff is successfully identified the need of their community, as it looks like the digital form of art is very popular among young people and they’re going to create a new digital art group.  They were able to bring in the right team for the right project, as they worked with a freelance artist to teach new skills and the technical side of image making to the members. The works have been exhibited at the end of the activity and the skills that the people have learnt can be sustained beyond the life of the project. The staff had managed to create an enjoyable environment and widen the participation, which improved the community relations. Their activity helped the people to grow their confidence, self-esteem and build relationships through the art-making process.

Community art project

What is community?

The term community can refer to a usually small, social unit of any size that shares common values. A community can be seen in many ways, it can refer to different kind of groups. There are local, regional, national, international and also online communities.

What is community art?

Community Art is any art form, which focuses on involving community members, who contribute a variety of talents, to design and create a public art piece. These projects are done together with a professional artist who passes on skills to the participants through the art-making process. The content of the artwork usually reflects local issues that have been identified by people within the community. The importance of its ability is to build relationships and involve all members of a neighbourhood helping to establish collective identity. The artwork, once complete, is exhibited or performed for the community.