What is "Capturing identities"?

Gàlata group (Istanbul)

"Capturing Identities" is a community project co-developed by Filmoteca de Catalunya (Catalonia) and Photography Foundation (Turkey) within the framework of Tandem Turkey-EU programme. The project is intended to use image as a tool for local social change, working at the same time mutual understanding, social empowerment, and breaking of prevailing stereotypes through Media Literacy.

During the 2013-14 scholar year, two groups of teenagers from similar neighborhoods in Barcelona and Istanbul (Raval and Galata, both historic and very diverse areas in the urban-centers) will work the issue of identity and sense of belonging using photography.

The project is developed in three steps:

1. Initially, every participant of both groups makes several pictures reflecting his/her own identity, as a result of parallel workshops run by professional photographers (Escola Popular de Cinema de Barcelona and Photographic Foundation) on basic techniques. Later on, every participant will select three pictures each that somehow "reflect their identity", with the help of their whole group. These are the pictures that will be sent to the other group to work.
2. The second phase will consist on working individually on the pictures received from one member of the other group, and writing on the perception of what every participant thinks that the author meant to communicate. After that, this impressions will be shared with the other member who, in turn, will compare the impressions written with the initial intention when the photo was shot, and write about that.
3. Finally, a collaborative work to build a final exhibition will begin: both institutions will work with the photographers to set up parallel exhibitions that will open on June 2014.

The project also is part of the program "Apadrina el teu equipament" that pretends to establish a long-lasting  link between schools - in this case the INS Miquel Tarradell- and cultural institutions of Raval neighborhood, through arts.

We are currently working in the first pictures (end of the first phase). This blog pretends to follow-up the next steps of the project. If you want to join us, check here often for updates and enjoy the ride!

Raval group (Barcelona)