PROJECT INFORMATION

WHEN

October-December 2021.

WHERE

Redhead, Lake Macquarie NSW.

WHY

Most parents with teenage children will recall that 10-12 years is the beginning of a particularly challenging season of growth and development. Melanie’s daughter and her friends have begun this transition from childhood to adolescence. It’s a highly emotional time. A space filled with wonder, confusion, a deep desire to belong and a lot of eye rolling (usually directed towards the parents). We were curious about the role of image-making and creative exploration in providing an outlet for the girls to share, express themselves and learn from one another. How would a workshop that encourages self-reflection and expression be received by this age group? We decided to give it a go.

HOW

We gathered the girls at the local Redhead library and began to look into the idea of ‘identity’. The program included a range of activities created using therapeutic photography techniques. We explored visible and invisible markers, discussed visual language and encouraged the girls to make images to express ourselves. We provided digital and film cameras across the series of workshops to enable the girls to create images between workshops, testing how each of these methods translated practically. We invited stories about love, loneliness and self-confidence and worked to capture assisted portraits where the girls helped to direct each other to demonstrate feelings and experiences. The images, words and stories were pasted and drawn into the girls' Zine's. We celebrated the girls, the time we’d spent together and the dialogue we’d exchanged.

AND THEN

Through these rich energy-filled, purpose-driven gatherings, the foundations of a workshop for young people was formed.