Refocus Project
© Jiefrank/Refocus, Caracas 2012
Refocus is a grassroots organisation that runs participatory photography courses for minority and marginalized groups. Courses teach basic technical photography skills whilst focusing on individual photographic creativity and relevant social issues affecting the community.
Founded in 2008 by Kate Denman and Amy Coppins. From 2009 to 2011 Refocus continued to work on projects in Syria with Iraqi, Palestinian and Syrian youth. The projects were in collaboration with UNICEF and progressed to include a focus on equality, gender violence and the convention of the rights of a child. During the projects these issues were addressed through imagery and reinterpreted by the students who then created images to communicate their ideas and experiences to the local community and to present at regional UN conferences.
2012- United hand - Venezuela
In 2012 Refocus began its first project in Latin America. This included a 10-week project in San Agustin Del Sur, one Caracas’ many slums. The course aimed to address prominent issues of gender based violence whilst also providing the students with a fun and creative supportive outlet in an otherwise volatile neighborhood.
The participants included four boys and five girls of eleven and twelve years old. At the end of the course there was a local exhibition of their work in their library and a larger exhibition in the cultural centre in down town Caracas. The exhibition created dialogue with the wider community and gave the student ownership and pride over their accomplishments.
Refocus’ intervention addressed gender based violence issues, more specifically domestic violence and body image. The course aimed to aid preventing domestic violence by raising awareness and understanding amongst young people and to create a positive image of women’s bodies to allow girls to enjoy a more varied and fluid gender identity. These workshops are took place in a Fe y Alegria primary school twice a week and included local excursion to one of Caracas’ large parks.
Why address gender based violence in Venezuela:
Domestic violence in Venezuela is extremely high, however exact statistics are difficult to obtain as this type of violence more often occurs in the private sphere and goes unreported. Further to this, Venezuela has a large plastic surgery industry, mainly aimed at women and even adolescents as young as 14 years old. Venezuelan society has created limited identities for girls and presses them to conform to unrealistic concepts of beauty.
Please visit www.refocusproject.org to see more Refocus's work.
Founded in 2008 by Kate Denman and Amy Coppins. From 2009 to 2011 Refocus continued to work on projects in Syria with Iraqi, Palestinian and Syrian youth. The projects were in collaboration with UNICEF and progressed to include a focus on equality, gender violence and the convention of the rights of a child. During the projects these issues were addressed through imagery and reinterpreted by the students who then created images to communicate their ideas and experiences to the local community and to present at regional UN conferences.
2012- United hand - Venezuela
In 2012 Refocus began its first project in Latin America. This included a 10-week project in San Agustin Del Sur, one Caracas’ many slums. The course aimed to address prominent issues of gender based violence whilst also providing the students with a fun and creative supportive outlet in an otherwise volatile neighborhood.
The participants included four boys and five girls of eleven and twelve years old. At the end of the course there was a local exhibition of their work in their library and a larger exhibition in the cultural centre in down town Caracas. The exhibition created dialogue with the wider community and gave the student ownership and pride over their accomplishments.
Refocus’ intervention addressed gender based violence issues, more specifically domestic violence and body image. The course aimed to aid preventing domestic violence by raising awareness and understanding amongst young people and to create a positive image of women’s bodies to allow girls to enjoy a more varied and fluid gender identity. These workshops are took place in a Fe y Alegria primary school twice a week and included local excursion to one of Caracas’ large parks.
Why address gender based violence in Venezuela:
Domestic violence in Venezuela is extremely high, however exact statistics are difficult to obtain as this type of violence more often occurs in the private sphere and goes unreported. Further to this, Venezuela has a large plastic surgery industry, mainly aimed at women and even adolescents as young as 14 years old. Venezuelan society has created limited identities for girls and presses them to conform to unrealistic concepts of beauty.
Please visit www.refocusproject.org to see more Refocus's work.
photo © Jiefrank/Refocus, Caracas
2012
The tranquil egg of peace
The tranquil egg of peace
