participatory photography

After graduating, I trained in facilitating learning and have been working in community arts for over 8 years. I have co-ordinated and facilitated community projects involving people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. I have recently become an Arts Awards Adviser and currently work as a Photography Co-ordinator for Zoom In, a not-for-profit photography charity based in London.

The activities I’ve facilitated and organised in the past have been developed with a wide variety of partner organisations such as V&A’s Museum of Childhood, Studio Voltaire, The Royal Academy of Arts, The Refugee Council, Generate, The Kiran Project, Body & Soul, Fairbridge as well as many others including volunteer centres, youth clubs, adventure playgrounds, mainstream and special educational needs schools.

More details on selected community projects can be seen here.

My work focuses on participatory methods that encourage the participants to learn new photography skills (digital and darkroom based) as well as to use the medium as a tool to address issues which are relevant to them - cultural identity and sense of place - and increase self esteem and self awareness. The projects always have at their core the active involvement of its participants in the shaping of the activities and the progress of the projects overall. Recently, my work has predominantly involved working with young people with special educational needs - Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Asperger syndrome, Emotional and behavioural disorders - facilitating group activities and 121 sessions.

A selection of the work produced by the projects' participants can be viewed in this gallery.