Τύπος στρατηγικής (εργαλείο, εκδήλωση, εκπαιδευτικό μάθημα κ.λπ.)

Photography Workshop 

Πότε ξεκίνησε / τελείωσε;

The photo workshops were implemented from 2014 to 2019 and they were hold within the context of the Right to be Seen project. The participants were attending once a week a photo course of three hours where they were introduced to the basics of photography as well as of portraits and still life. Every other meeting the course was orientated in photo walks, were participants were encouraged to photograph their surroundings and get introduced to street photography. At the end of the year, Red Cross Oslo was publishing a calendar with the work of each participant.
The public exhibition Out of Darkness resulted from these workshops and some more extra meetings where the participants of the year 2019 they were assisted and motivated to visually address troubles that might still face, the traumas that have influenced them or simply how they perceive their environment in the new place. 

Όνομα του οργανισμού

Red Cross Oslo

Πόλη και χώρα

Oslo, Norway

1. Περιγράψτε σύντομα το έργο σας

The project Right to be Seen was initiated by the volunteer Lila Zotou, a photographer herself and implemented with the support of the Red Cross Oslo. It has been designed and addressed to people whose rights have been violated in various contexts. The project provides follow-up, work practice and volunteer lead activities to survivors of human trafficking in the Oslo area. In 2019 Right to be Seen ran a series of photography workshops where participants used the camera to record their daily lives, to get to know their environment, or to change focus.
The activities they were organised within the programme of the project the Right to be Seen. Photography workshops were part of these activities. They were taking place once a week for approximately three hours. The participants were introduced to camera use, basic techniques of photography while they were encouraged to experiment with portrait photography, life style and landscapes. The workshops included photo camera works were the participants were motivated to photograph anything that could get their attention in the new environment. At any other second meeting we would sit all together inside , watch each others images, discuss them technically but mainly understand why they were photographing them.

2. Ποιος ήταν ο στόχος του έργου;

As a creative medium photography offers survivors a visual way to express and explore their experiences and feelings. This can be particularly useful in instances when words are not enough or when there is a language barrier.

3. Ποιος συμμετείχε στη διαδικασία σχεδιασμού;

Photography Workshop participants from the project The Right to be Seen organised by Lila Zotou and the Red Cross Oslo. The artists names are confidential for safety purposes and during the exhibition nick names were used.

4. Εάν μπορούσες να αλλάξεις κάτι, τι θα άλλαζες; 

It was challenging to collaborate with people who were on vulnerable position and often they could act sentimentally or experience panic crisis. Therefore it was important the use of a careful language in order to be addressed with a certain thematic filter. Further during the group activities, it had to be kept in mind that people who come from different cultural backgrounds and situations they had to learn how to co-exist in a new environment that all were brought via the same condition. This was something difficult to be accepted by the participants and also challenging to be managed by the workshop organisers.
In addition, the organisers needed to suggest a program that had to be reliable without long lasting duration. This was due to the fact that people who have been traumatised in such ways, they were unable to make long term plans and commitments. Something that often concluded to sudden cancelations from the participants' site and empty time on the organisers' hands.
In total the experience of such collaboration was very informative and taughtful. It left me with the knowledge that in condition of suffer and trauma the best approach is empathy. Vulnerable people they don't need to hear that the person who is there to support them, has also something terrible to share with them, neither to show mercy. They need to feel that the person of the activity feels them, understand them and above all listens to them without ever judging them. 

5. Πώς επηρέασε το έργο στην κοινωνία των πολιτών;

The photography workshops utilised a trauma sensitive approach and promoted autonomy and control throughout the process. The promotion of autonomy and control is particularly important in the early stages of recovery, given that human trafficking is characterised by an extreme lack of control- control over ones environment, ones own body and daily life.
The act of decision making, as well as a general sense of control is something which often needs to be re-claimed.The group setting facilitates for positive social experiences and presents opportunities for survivors to begin to build trust with others. Photography acts as a vehicle for group members to share, be seen and be curious about each other, whilst allowing the focus to be shared between the photographer and their image. Additional one-to-one sessions let participants go at their own pace, as well as providing space for discussions that they are not yet ready to share within the group.  

6.Πως η καινοτομία, η έμπνευση και η συμπερίληψη εφαρμόζονται στην πρακτική σας;

The photography workshops were established to be open and stress free of technicalities and other technology troubleshooting that might create insecurity and irritation to people whose patience has been provoked many times in the past. When facilitated in a non-judgemental and safe environment, photography workshops can help survivors reach new understandings and frame their experiences.
The nature of photography allows for a unique process of choice and control in the forming of visual narratives. New beginners and more experienced photographers alike are able to determine their own focus, select what they include or exclude and can edit or delete. As one of the participants, Mai D. describes “With photography we capture the positive and negative in life but we get to edit… We get to take another picture if the first one doesn’t turn out the way we want, and we get to keep the best version of our experiences”. 

7.Πως χρηματοδοτήθηκε η βέλτιστη πρακτική σας; 

Red Cross is an a NGO whose funding is based on donations from private and public non state actors.

8. Πως διαχύθηκε/προωθήθηκε η βέλτιστη πρακτική σας;

Dissemination was through mouth to mouth talk in other activities that were talking already place in the premises of the Red Cross and through a well structured programme which was designed to inform people who had experienced difficult situations. The latter was communicated through printed material (flyers), social media, the local press and seminars organised in order to inform potential volunteers to take part and organise themselves various group activities.