Refugee Project

Some photos from a project I worked on or Refugee Week - portraits and audio interviews with refugees living in Norwich and those working with them displayed at the Cathedral and broadcast on local radio. Very well received which was good.

Until I decide on a way to show this work you can find the audio on Future Radio www.futureradio.co.uk

Istanbul in April

Some pics

Way behind on uploads....These were from a visit to Bryony's studio.

Norfolk

A week time visit to the seaside

Naples

My first trip to Europe in years....nearly 10 I think. We didn't make it to Pompei or to the National Museum of Whatever but sat around and ate and laughed and watched Naples pass by. I was surprised by how much I loved it, seeing as I've been consumed by another continent for a decade, more or less.

Footprints

It was a hectic, inspiring, challenging, full-of-laughter couple of weeks. Over 20 people working and playing at 100% and the two of us leading the thing running to keep up. The digital stories are wonderful, better than I could have imagined and we're all proud of the work we produced.
I'm working on them with the editor as I write this and they should be out there and online soon.

Addis pics

Not much of a chance to go out exploring - but on my way to work I did try to snap.

Then to Addis

And then the day after the exhibition opening I flew to Addis Ababa for the start of the British Council Footprints project workshop. We met the group in Nigeria last year - did some basic photography, audio and research training enabling the participants to go and research their family histories. Participants came from 6 African countries and the UK and 6 months or so later we were to meet in Addis and make digital stories from their research.

So over 20 of us more or less took over the hotel we were staying at and most definately took over the British Council's Addis office.

Addis was a beautiful setting for the workshop - very high up, cool sunlight and very warm people. Although from the start I was pretty flat out coordinating participants, schedules and training with Katharina.

The Opening

The PhotoReflect exhibition opening at Wits University went well - we're slowly creating a support network around PhotoVoice and the project there which is exciting. People are so supportive and enthusiastic, a reminder that the idea is unique and worth promoting.
There's been a lot of interest in the exhibition and the project since the opening - academics, press, mothers wanting to take their children all making enquiries. It was lovely to see some of the participants as well, however short. They're still so committed and want to do what they can to keep the project going.

The exhibition is moving to The Artists' Proof Studio in Jo'burg in the next few days.

Press interest

PhotoVoice is organising exhibitions of the Orange Farm project's work, this time in Jo'burg itself and I'm the one coordinating the whole thing.

So since we've sent out the press release last week there's been some press interest. Interviews for me on Talk Radio on Friday and now a feature in the Sunday Times. Here's a photo of the piece.

Birthday Bash

Just been re-reading the blog and came across my thoughts last year on Mugabe's birthday. Well, we're here again. He's 84 and another huge party was organised accompanied by an event at a stadium in Beitbridge, a town just over the border from South Africa.

The South African media report consistently on the events in Zimbabwe and are just as outraged as the British media. Of course there is outrage.

But world leaders allow the situation to continue - South Africa's Mbeki in the spotlight here for failing in his duty to mediate between Mugabe and Zimbabwe's opposition parties and to setting down the foundations for free and fair elections at the end of March.
What does Mugabe care about these talks though? He changed his mind and announced he's running again in the elections, as well as creating a new constitution to allow him to do this, rather than rolling out the one that was agreed to in the talks.

He was flown in by the country's air force to his birthday celebrations joined by 10,000 invited guests apparently. He is still a formidable figure inside and outside Zimbabwe and in this world of freedom and fairness, of democracy and transparency - that's the extraordinary thing.

But it seems that these modern day checks and catch phrases mean nothing when it comes down to it. Look at Kenya - a robbed election victory and the players themselves seem to be happy to negotiate for Prime Minister positions and the power this role will come with, rather than a re-run.

The Event Pics

Photos from the Workshops

Durban Workshops

The Durban stint has whizzed by and I find myself back in Jo'burg and the workshops up in the Valley of a Thousand Hills are over.

The whole process was intense and exhausting - 3 weeks of solid working 14 hour days - but I learned a lot. And a big plus was working and being with Karen and NN. Workshops, training, creating an exhibition and organising an event. Here are some photos from the job.

Workshops and Exhibition

Workshop weekends with the Camp Bambanani groups now done, gearing up for their exhibition and event on Thursday. Will post photos and thoughts at the end of the week when things get back to normal.

The Valley of A Thousand Hills

Working in an inspiring setting. Just completed two days of training trainers and got the first set of workshops this weekend with young people coming from around Durban.

The Boxer Story

Jacob Zuma pulled out of dining with Mike Tyson in the end, called away by an emergency engagement but it doesn't seem like people believe that. Winnie Mandela sat next to him though.....

Durban

Off to Durban today for the next few weeks for workshops and training. And humidity and hills.

The Boxer story

So the Mike Tyson story has now hit the media, the evening news opened with 'Jacob Zuma is having dinner with a rapist tonight'. 45,000 rapes are reported a year in South Africa and domestic violence and violence generally is a reality for many women and men here. So there's protest in response to the ANC president seeking out the company of a convicted rapist.....

The Boxer

I'm told that Jacob Zuma the President of the ANC is planning to honour Mike Tyson the boxer sometime in the next couple of days. The most comic but worrying pair the country will see for a while. One man's record of assault and rape may be well known, whilst the other is facing allegations of corruption and was recently up (but cleared) for rape charges.

Good Day

I'd forgotten the storms here at this time of year. Loud thunder long flashes of lightening and a deluge of rain and then a short while later only the drips remain.

Good day today with a meeting at Wits University who will be hosting the exhibition at the end of the month. It was orientation day on campus - so lots of youth wandering around in shades and shorts, music blaring from somewhere. A positive vibe.

Unlike the car hire man Tony who sighs his way through his reason for being late. Traffic. It's not the usual kind of morning traffic, its a the-country's-gone-to-the-dogs kind of traffic. He obviously cant bear it here but he thinks he has nowhere else to go.

And a drink and chicken and chips with Matt who has been working on the project, in between freelancing for one of the big papers. Doing very well for himself.

Back again

Starting as I mean to go on by blogging earnestly in the first 24 hours! Back in Jo'burg early this morning with a quiet Sunday drive from the airport. Same set up as last year which is a little disorientating - 12 months have really passed I'm sure of it.

Here for a week doing some follow up work for the project I worked on last year and then to Durban for workshops and training with a new group up in a very hilly beautiful area where I used to live.

Apparently it's been raining every day for ages but the past couple of days have seen sunnier days and maybe a change of season. No sign of the electricity cuts that's been reported on on the BBC. It's so hard to get over the Jo'burg reputation but some things welcomed me back. The taxi driver saying he felt things were improving with the police really working hard to cut crime in the city. A waiter called Acid complaining to another waiter behind the bar. And the sales are on...