Five YMCA WA services have joined forces with World Press Photo to deliver a series of five photography and multi-media workshops led by YMCA WA staff, local World Press Photo Foundation employees and Internationally-acclaimed photographer Raphaela Rosella.
Queensland-based Raphaela is in Perth exclusively to lead this free program for participants from YMCA WA’s Future Links, YTime and The Base@Belmont programs.
“Raphaela was chosen to lead this project due to her extensive work with young people and communities as well as the strong visual storytelling present in her own photographs,” Mentoring Manager Tim Galloway explained.
“We thought she would be a great fit for guiding young people in photography techniques whilst being equally equipped to help them tell stories about their own lives and aspirations through this project.”
Raphaela won the 2015 World Press Photo Contest ‘Portrait Singles Category’ and is well-known for her work documenting the lived experience of young mothers, and for using her storytelling as a device to question viewers’ readiness to stigmatise and stereotype.
The workshops kicked off on the 16th of January and ran daily until the 20th, the workshops aim to encourage the 11-17 year olds to open up about their stories and any obstacles they’ve overcome in their life.
“The sessions will focus on the young people telling their own stories through a combination of taking their own photographs, documenting personal and family artefacts and participating in creative writing activities that get young people exploring their personal stories,” Tim said.
“We’re focusing on where they’ve been, where they are currently, and their perception of where they might be in the future.”
On the 17th of February there will be an exhibition at YMCA HQ’s gallery in Leederville showcasing all of the young people’s work to potentially up to 200 people.
“On the same evening World Press Photos will also be screening some of their press photography work at the venue outside which will be fantastic to have both events working in conjunction with each other,” Tim said.
“We’re fortunate to be able to offer this program free of cost to participants through the City of Belmont’s sponsorship of the Base, the Department for Child Protection and Family Support who sponsor YTime, as well as the City of Serpentine Jarrahdale and the Warnbro Community College through their Future Links program.”
The workshops will be capped at 30 people in each session, with all of the work from the sessions on show at the exhibition on the night of February 17th – an opportunity not to be missed.
