CAMERA is grounded in participatory arts research and trauma-informed approaches, and explores the ways in which photography and writing can help people (re)gain agency over their mind and body, fostering a sense of wellbeing, belonging to place, and human connection. This pilot project consisted of a series of 8 participant-led workshops, held at the Annexe Community Centre (Partick). Benefitting from these sessions were people belonging to vulnerable groups with underlying health issues and no prior formal art training. Together, we used photography and writing autobiographically to reflect about health, memory, and emotions, and to tap into our artistic potential. 
 
The project, comprising a lovely group of about 12 people, started in February 2024 and will culminate in our final exhibition in January 2025. Together, we discovered about each other’s lives, learned what makes us laugh or cry, appreciated what incredible abilities we have (including recognising the model of a plane just from its sound!), we went on a beach walk, we took beautiful (and less beautiful!) pictures, wrote texts and poems, made zines, and, most importantly, we found new friends and spent some quality time together. 
 
We now want to celebrate our shared experience with you, so please join us for the opening of our exhibition: 
 
WHAT: CAMERA 2024: An Exhibition on Photography, Writing and Community 
WHERE: The New Glasgow Society, 1307 Argyle Street, Glasgow G3 8TL 
WHEN: Opening evening: Friday 10/01/2025 (exhibition will run until 16/01/25) 
 
And there’s more! If you are interested in learning more about our methodologies and want to have a go at making art with us using images from your personal archives, please join us for our next workshop, which will be part of Explorathon (at the ARC) this month. 
 
More details here

 
We are looking for participants who are as diverse as possible, so please help us to spread the word!

 

Article by Dr Alessia Zinnari

First published: 16 September 2024

<< News