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.

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.

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.

Exhibition

Suddenly we're hanging the exhibition in Orange Farm. It's been such a long but short journey for all of us. The photos look great enlarged and the group are excited.

Digital Stories

Most of the group had never used computers before but it was amazing to see how quickly they picked it up.
In 2 1/2 days they had more or less finished their digital stories with the help of Matthews, Moshe, Mzukisi and Ayi. The digital stories combine their photos with a recorded narration. They're normally 3-5 minutes long.

I'm really excited and impressed by the group's narrative skills.

Next Stage

The 8 digital stories selected from the group are now being worked on at WomensNet on their computers there. While that's happening we're planning the event on the 2nd December when we'll showcase the exhibition and stories.

Its busy.

Workshops

The workshops are now focusing on digital stories - we've called in some help in the form of Moshe, Matthews and Mzukisi who are photographers and filmmakers to help with the process. It's been an exciting emotional day for the group as they begin telling stories about their life and experiences.

A shift

There's been a shift in some of the group. We were discussing how it had gone during last week with their photography projects - who they'd photographed, where they'd photographed, what they'd learnt - that sort of thing.

I found myself talking to some very angry young people. One of the boys said it was all different now he had his camera and photography skills. He saw his community and the issues in it differently, in the past he wouldn't question what he saw or heard. Now he does.
Both he and another girl had been photographing in shebeens and talking to the shebeen owners who were saying they didnt have a problem with selling alcohol to people who were under 18. All that matters was the money coming in. Where was the money going - to their own childrens' education.

These two were shocked and disappointed in the adults, in their attitude to money and doing anything to get it, including ruining childrens' lives.

I got a phone call last night and today - two girls have had their cameras confiscated by the police because they'd photographed a policeman beating up an innocent man in Orange Farm. The police had seen the girls with their cameras and taken them. They have to go to the station tomorrow. I explained on the phone that if it was necessary delete the photos they'd taken to get the police off their back - then they should. It may help to make the problem go away. One of the girls said 'But I can't delete those photos - what they were doing was wrong.' She'd already told the police the same thing. It was her duty to record what she'd seen and use it.

It's an exciting time.

Meetings and Rain

It's been raining on and off all day and I cant decide whether I should get an umbrella or a mac-thing. So everything will be damp til then.

Meetings and planning - that's been the last two days in a nutshell.

I had a meeting with Ayi, Matthews and Moshe yesterday. Matthews and Moshe are two photographers who Ayi hooked me up with. They will be working as support facilitators on the project helping the group create their digital stories. Very exciting to make these connections between people. It'll also be fun working with people with so much creativity and energy.

And today I'm hoping to meet mike the Reuters photographer who is keen to participate in the project as well - running a workshop hopefully.

And lots of planning - workshops for this week, the schedule for the next few weeks.....

The Team....

That'll be me having lunch. Ayi thinking during a workshop, Cindy and Thoko preparing to have her portrait taken with her teddy.