workshop: am I dreaming?

Media - photography
Date: March 3, 4, 10, 11 2007
Location: Ain El Helweh camp, Saida
Facilitator: Samar Maakaron
Participants: Mirvat Deeb, Ismat Ghannam , Maryam Mannaa, Lina, Salam Issa, Kamleh

view the photo-essays >>

This workshop was an experimental, creative investigation into the dreams and wishes of women living in the Ain el Helweh Palestinian Camp. The photographic essays were written and recorded by these women, accompanied by pictures taken by the participants in their environment. The overall duration of this workshop was five sessions of 3 hours. The group decided to work on the idea of dreams and the role of dreams in their daily reality following a series of exercises that allowed them to list their topics of interests. Choosing to dream or refusing to dream seemed to the group a topic worth investigating in the light of the difficult reality they shared.

Since the first session, the women were encouraged to place value in their own opinions, respect their voice and dare to share it. The end product of this work cannot be fully perceived through the photographic essays: it is also the enjoyment, confidence and skills that the women have gained. Most of the participants work with children in the Social Development Centre of Ain el Helweh Camp. This journey has encouraged them to innovate in their work, to question the relation of text to image, and to venture in the new field of digital photography. It is hoped that more work can be done with this group to explore with them possibilities of representation, and personal expression.
 

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