Mark Webster 'Photo Voices'

On the 12th February 2009, at 11am to be precise, Mark Webster came and did a talk to my photography degree group. I stumbled across the document about a week ago and had a read through it. There is some valuable information I can use and a few of the points have raised some questions that I can bring up with him in our next meeting. Even though I am drawing towards the end of this Creativity and Enterprise module, I am not going to stop my research and the communications I have with everybody who has helped me along the way so far. I will continue to investigate and learn as much as I can.

I don't remember much about what Mark spoke about, apart from the fact that he stood in front of me! So I read the document (or rather scribbled notes), like I had never seen them before and like I was learning something new. 

By bringing Art in to the community, you are getting them to think differently to how they would normally do so. They already have their ways and means, so will often need a little bit of guidance in viewing something in an alternative light. It also gives those who wouldn't normally have the opportunity, to get their voices heard and to express their opinions and feelings through a medium that is not their normal mode of communication. This means that it may be easier for them to say what they want to without fear of being ignored or not taken seriously.

I need to focus more on act of how voicing opinion through Art can help the children, rather than the charities or anybody else.

What you need to be prepared with to succeed.

- FUN

- Ability to sit on the same level

- GREAT tea making skills

There doesn't have to be an outcome to any of the creativity. It's the involvement that is the important part.

A balance of product and process needs to be present. This is something I need Mark to explain further. I'm not quite sure what he meant by this.

www.safetysoapbox.co.uk is a website allowing people within Walsall to have a say about prostitution in their local area. It includes artworks that were created during the research process on the topic surrounding the issue.

Anonymous 

I could use a altered version of this idea of future projects of my own possibly. Get people to crate a photograph or art piece on the cause I am working for, and then submit it to a website in order to make everybody aware and to voice their opinion on the cause, as well as the Artwork produced. People local to the cause can be heard and others from all over can present their opinions too. A website will generate a mass of viewers.

If the Artwork has been created personally and so close to the cause, it makes it more interesting and people take more notice than if it has come from an outsiders point of view. I have suggested this previously when talking about photographing for children's charities and the disadvantaged. 

To make a project like this successful, the 1st thing to work out is the key issues. Who/what is being affected? In my case, it is children from underprivileged/poor families, who often can't voice their opinion or problems; children who feel they can't speak out to their elders or peers.

The Art becomes the dialogue for them. It makes that area of discussion 'safe'.

In Mark's case on the Walsall projects, the press weren't supportive, but the council were.

The project cost approximately £6000. I'm not sure if this was purely the project linked to the website, or a mixture of other things. Or maybe a completely different project altogether.

Positive Outcomes - 

- Made people think

- Agency and community partnerships

- Sustainability: bought everybody together

This is what I want to achieve with my projects. People need to listen to others and find alternative ways to express their views if they find it difficult to communicate directly. Getting people working together creates stronger communities and enables them to develop and move forward.

An Artist's role is to make others feel better about themselves. Is this the case for all Artists contributing to a Community Arts/Charity project? Or is it about making themselves feel better too? Or maybe even more so than others?

How to be a Community Artist

- Need on the job training (Get the work experience)

- There are grants available (Often with agencies or partnerships)

- Need support from others and professional advice (Don't try to do it on your own)

- Integrate into your practice

- Have a genuine interest in others and their feelings

- Ability to work with others (Successfully and effectively!)

- Have an interest in social justice

- The need to want to use your own abilities to make a change (To help others get their voices heard)

IT IS A JOB!

There is training available at the university, which I need to look in to and see what they have to offer. Something might be of use to me.

60 projects were ongoing in 2009. This might not be the case now, but I can going to ask Mark and see if I can get some more information from him.