We have been awarded funding from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation to co-deliver the work with The Dales School, a specialist primary school providing education for children with a variety of additional needs.

Talking Cameras will introduce the whole school community to Photovoice, a process by which people can identify, represent and enhance their community through photography. Young people will use cameras to film, take and select photographs of their experiences alongside the support of specialist artists. They will then discuss, contextualise, interpret, reflect and tell stories about what they see.

Photovoice is a participatory method involving participants communicating their thoughts and voices through photography, and is particularly enriching for those who might otherwise struggle with formal communication channels. The process will be used as an enabling tool to help destigmatise autism and promote positive and inclusive mindsets and behaviours amongst the wider community.

The Forge Artists will immerse themselves in school life, observing and shadowing teachers and pupils to co-create creative interventions to develop pupils’ creative skills as photographers and filmmakers as well as hearing their voices and views on how their learning should develop through creativity.

Following the initial stages of the programme’s development, photography and visual literacy skills development will be cascaded to staff and over the next few years the programme will be rolled out to other schools and cultural providers across the region.