With the launch just days away, we have a little time to reflect further on what we have enjoyed about taking part and what it has meant to us, both as participants and volunteers.
The photography workshop has had a great impact on everyone involved, not just because it has taught people a new skill, but because of the socialising and support it involves. As one more participant expressed said, it has certainly helped people grow closer together. From the point of view of us as new interns at JRS, the workshop has played a huge role in getting us involved in the organisation and building rapports with its members.
With the workshop being so engaging, as we volunteers have been busy working alongside Fotosynthesis and JRS-UK to organise a public photo exhibition, titled; “Come and See” in the Lumen Gallery. As well as this being a great opportunity for the participants to display the work they’ve created over the past twelve weeks, some have said they would not have had the courage to partake in anything like this without the workshop. J said that the workshop has given her more “confidence” in her abilities; “Before I felt scared about taking pictures but now I feel very confident.”
J, who had an interest in photography beforehand, says she had no idea about storytelling through photography before enrolling in the workshop, and feels that she now has “a new skill”. She also believes that while the workshop has allowed her to develop new skills, what she really enjoyed was “going out with others and to places I’ve never been before. Taking pictures in beautiful places in Wapping, near JRS’s office, and in the city, and taking self portraits with a real camera. I want to have brand new skills and this can open the doors to being self-employed.”
What’s even more positive is how the workshop affected the group as a whole. J said that her favourite thing about joining the workshop was “attending the classes, it’s very sociable. Watching others tell their story. It brings us closer together. The support from everyone – from the teachers and the volunteers.”
Participants, teachers and volunteers invite you to join them at the Lumen Gallery for “Come and See” photo exhibition, which opens for a preview night on the 26th June from 6pm-8pm and continues until the 10th of July from 8am-4pm when it will be open to the public. The Gallery Tour will be on the 5th of July and will be an excellent chance to hear about the experiences, inspirations and what the workshop and exhibition has taught everyone.
For more details, see www.jrsuk.net
Lumen Gallery, Church Cafe, 88 Tavistock Place, WCIH 9RS.
Subscribe to JRS-UK Community Blog by Email
