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Did you know that Falmouth Flexible photography students benefit from membership of the Institute of Photography and the Global Photographies Network? Find out more in this blog post.
This post is by Catarina Fontoura, Module Leader for Falmouth Flexible's BA(Hons) Photography (Top-Up).
Falmouth Flexible Photography students benefit from an exciting and vibrant online community but they are also very much a part of the Institute of Photography (IoP) community and learning environment.
The IoP prides itself on being a forward and future facing place for creativity, where students are encouraged to pursue their interests and goals whilst having to consider global contexts.
One of the fantastic partnerships the students and staff at the Institute of Photography benefit from is the Global Photographies Network, an organisation founded in 2020 focused on promoting collaboration between photographers, students, curators, academic across borders.
Global Photographies Network is rooted in exchange and looks to de-center and decolonize photographic practice by organising talks, seminars and workshops for students.
In 2021 students and staff from universities in South Africa, Mexico, Argentina, Hungary, Indonesia, Sweden, Colombia, UK and Taiwan were invited to talks by a range of inspiring photographers and two rounds of incredible seminars and workshops.
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The talk programme has so far been extremely rich and diverse, and it has included photographers such as Ana Casas Broda, who also works as a curator and educator. Broda’s latest project ‘Kinderwunsch’ has been developed in collaboration with her children who come up with scenarios and actions, creating an enigmatic space between reality and the photographic frame.
Her work as a photographer could be said to reflect on motherhood, identity, memory, body, and familial relationships. Ana Casas Broda is also the founder of Hydra, an independent photography platform focused on generating projects and collaboration between photographers, institutions, and publishers, offering education opportunities as well.
Another guest speaker in 2021 was Thandiwe Msebenzi, an incredibly inspiring photographer from South Africa who has been drawn to gender issues in her home country. In her project ‘Awundiboni’ she confronts these issues and tries to activate change.
Speaking about art and change Msenbenzi says: ‘For me, personally, art is the only way I can honestly articulate how I feel in ways I can’t do in words.’ Msebenzi’s talk was as generous as it was powerful as it left all the attendees with lots of questions and thoughts to take forward in their research and practice.
In October and November of 2021, Global Photographies Network also funded and organised two workshops led by Catarina Fontoura, lecturer at Falmouth University and Rakesh Mohindra, lecturer at Westminster University, London.
These focused on key topics present in contemporary visual culture and helped students from around the globe to connect with each other and with common ideas. Catarina’s workshop entitled ‘Urgent Stories: Lived Experiences in a Changing Planet’ invited students to consider their own stories in relation to their environment and landscape. Students shared their stories, engaged in discussion and groupwork and created and presented photographic work.
Students’ projects for this online workshop encompassed a range of photographic languages included landscape, conceptual photography, portraiture, archival imagery, collage, family albums and documentary photography. The multiplicity of approaches allowed for the topic of climate and ecology to be explored photographically in a meaningful way.
This cultural and artistic exchange and knowledge sharing is crucial to people wanting to work and thrive in the creative industries in the future. Through Global Network Photographies talks and workshops, available to our students at Falmouth University, we have seen students widening their horizons, multiplying their perspectives, and strengthening their empathy towards others.
In addition, these activities allowed participating students to build on professional networks and get exposure to a diverse range of ways of thinking and making photography.
Visit the Global Photographies network website for more information and to subscribe to their social media channels.
