Our Lives, Our Community, Our Voice free photography course

Meridian Raw CIC, a local social enterprise, is offering 15 places on a free 14-week participatory photography course for the local Exeter community. The course, which will take place every Tuesday from 11th August until 10th November 2015 (12pm-3pm) at The Bridge Collective, will help participants create photo-stories, photographic themes and a portfolio of imagery.

Working in a safe environment within small groups, participants will also learn and develop basic camera skills, take part in inspiring photo-dialogue exercises, go on a photography trip and a community tour, plan a photography project and build a portfolio of images.

This exciting course is part of the Our Lives, Our Community, Our Voice project, which is a two-year community project in Exeter that uses photography as a means of engagement and empowerment. It is managed by the Olive Tree Association/Devon Grapevine in partnership with Meridian Raw and has been generously funded by the People’s Health Trust.

This project aims to provide a voice to those individuals who are not always heard, as well as helping local people who may be suffering from social isolation by giving them an opportunity to take part in a creative project and meet other people in the community.

The course is completely free of charge, no prior experience is necessary and it is open to people living in Exeter, with a focus on St James and city centre areas of the city.  Although the course will cover the technical side of photography, the main focus is developing a photo-story or theme to present that to a wider audience. Participants will be supported every step of the way to create a series of images which can reflect aspects of their life, their local community or subjects that they are interested in.

At the end of the course there will also be an opportunity for participants to display their work for the public to view and a celebratory end of project event will be held. To find out more about the course or to book a place please visit http://www.meridianraw.com or contact Clive Chilvers on 070968 080969 / email: clive@meridianraw.com