Photography on Wheels
Documenting India, empowering communities and promoting the art of social
documentary photography on an unique mobile van.
documentary photography on an unique mobile van.
Photography on Wheels
A travelling Photo-workshop
Over the course of 12 years, team PPT has extensively traveled the country in search of stories to tell and conduct workshops for communities. These endeavours have been driven by invitations by organisations and collaborations with local artists. Such long term projects require a lot of investment in terms of time and resource. To be able to create a larger footprint across the country and its communities, we are currently experimenting a mobile mode of learning and dissemination. The country is huge and not all can come to a workshop in the city where we are based, or we can’t wait for a project to turn up in a particular region. So we thought, why not take this experiment directly to the people?
Thus was born the idea of “Photography on Wheels” a travelling photo van that will criss cross the length and breadth of this country. Stopping in rural villages, towns and conduct workshops along with local photographers. A model that also helps us document stories in hinterland india and at the same time give back valuable insights and knowledge to upcoming local photographers through participatory workshops.
The core motive behind the project is to create a platform and a vibrant community around the ideals of social documentary photography for students, teachers, artists and anyone with a keen interest in photography and life in India. The broad objectives of the project are:
Document-
To document India and its people. Find unique stories, cover social issues in communities and create a repository of images and videos that define this vast country.
Empower-
Introduce the camera as a tool to broaden communication and bridge gaps in comunities.
Educate-
Impart knowledge and provide intellectual resources to budding local photographers, journalists and film-makers.
Konkan Tour 2019
The pilot tour was conducted in January 2019 along the Konkan Coast with 9 team members and over 20 artists and photographers who joined us in different parts of the journey.
1828 KMS
We drove over 1800KMS over 15 days along the beautiful Konkan Coast.
8 Exhibitions
8 open-air exhibitons were installed in various towns for the public.
3000+ People
Over 3000+ people visited and interacted with our exhibitions.
4 Workshops
We conducted workshops for photography students.
The first tour took us around the Konkan Region of Maharashtra, visiting small fishing villages, meeting interesting folks, writers and artists. Sharing our work in public, educating the locals for a day, sharing insights and leanring issues from them.
Out first stop was Karnala Bird Sanctuary in the heart of Raigad. Spending two days exhibiting ou work inside the sanctuary at the visitors center. Local villagers, students and tourists gathered to see the exhibit and talk to the artists and photographers. The team also spent an afternoon with local photographer Mr.Laxman Thkaur learning about development related issues in the near by Adivasi villages and visited an Animal Shelter called “Hands that Heal” that resuces and treats animals learning about Animal Rights Activism. The 2 day visit to Karnala ended with a technical workshops on Photography by SONY, they also showcased their latest cameras to the participants.
The team also documented issues of water scarcity in tribal areas. In our next stop, our exhibition was setup inside the Sane Guruji Smarak, Wadghar, Pangaon. Curious visitors and locals came to see the exhibition, interacted with the team. School children came into visit, we spoke to them about photography, arts and also did a small painting workshop.
Though the van was on a planned itinerary, we also took unexpected detours and were met with pleasant surpirses. Like meeting Mr.Adhikari, one of the 11 close coleagues of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar who invited us for tea and spoke at length about their association and work. It was truly a privilege to meet him.
Over the next few days we exhibited in various small towns and also took a session on arts and photography for students of the B. S. Bandekar Arts College, Sawantwadi and Vivekanand College,Shivaji University in Kolhapur. The students spoke about their art while our experts and professioanls gave them insights and advice about how to use that art for good and create an impact.
Along with photography, we also conducted art camps headed by senior atist Surendra Rao from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. Mixing mediums together helped make the workshops more accessible to the locals and also creates great conversations.
Exhibitions were also publicly displayed at the Rankala Lake in Kolhapur with hundereds of on-lookers experiencing art in this form. By making such art acessible to all in an open space, the project is also challenging norms of artistic dissemination and enabling the idea of “Art for all”
Such a project is possible only through collaborations. This was important and the team actively sought out writers, artists and photographers who could help. This also democratises the way the workshops take place, where the van travles to and who we meet. The journey is charted more by thought and less by definitive processes.
The pilot tour lasted 15 days and touched over 3000+ people through the interactions.
“My first photography on wheels tour was a memorable experience. What I realised is that making images becomes a complete process only when you print them and take them to the audience. It’s nice feeling when layman gets moved by your pictures. This interaction with common man gives you great insight about art and makes you more mature photographer.”
Indrajeet Khambe
Photographer
“By the time that I had to leave to return to Mumbai, I was converted. A few days touring with PPT had helped me find a footing for my own vision and pushed me closer to the reality I wanted to shape for myself. I can tell with more certainty than I have for my own actions that this initiative is an important one that will only contribute more to recording social histories and triggering change as it grows.”
Prachi Adesara
Workshop Participant, Content writer & Photographer
While long term projects remain at the heart of PPT’s mission, The Photography on Wheels Van is our attempt to accelerate the growth of social documentary photography in the remotest parts of the country, regions wherein main stream media hardly addresses issues or promotes grass roots movements. Through the workshops, we want to inspire and create local role models who can use Photography and Arts to bring about positive change, spark conversations and highlight issues globally.
