Quick update on the planning for the constituent projects for the FMP (structure outlined here).
Barking Town Centre
Greatfields School. Met with the Headteacher and he was enthusiastic about the project. The plan is to meet with the teacher leading the GCSE Photography programme early September and to run six workshops between then and December with a group of 3 to 5 GCSE students who live on the Gascoigne Estate. This will be part of a wider set of initiatives to engage the community. He also gave me contacts with local arts groups to follow up.
BDHCG. Lent a small digital camera to Keith to take photographs around the area, and also processed and scanned some of his analogue photographs. He took around 400 frames and has sent more subsequently. I designed a flier with one of the images for distribution at events over he weekend. Went with a group for a tour of the developments and took photographs.
Barking and Dagenham College. To follow up with head of section. Also need to discuss access to scanner and darkroom, and possible workshops for students in September
Barking Riverside
TWCP. Took photographs at the Community Summit to add to repository. Also spoke to members of the TWCP Citizen Action about follow up activity. Spoke with Shed Life group about photographic work about the area to display as part of the launch event planned for December.
Riverside Campus. Talked to Head about project idea and will follow up with designated member of staff and with TWCP organiser, who is interested in the idea, perhaps with the Young Citizen Action Group.
New View Arts. I have arranged four workshops in August as part of the summer programme. This will provide the opportunity to trial the approach, and prepare for micro-projects in the schools next term.
Technical preparation
I have been making photographs with the 5×4 camera and processing and scanning these. Given the environmental impact of chemical plants in the area in the past, I have started to use low environmental impact chemicals in processing, and reclaiming silver from the fixer before disposal. I now have six low cost digital cameras and have been experimenting with these. I’m doing further work with channel mixing and other ways of making composites (including the use of colour, which I hope to trial with the New View Arts group). The environmental impact of digital photography also has to be addressed, given the construction of a large data centre nearby, and the high levels of power consumption this entails.