Grassroot Storytellers / Shifting Narratives
12 States – 12 Communities Proposal
Photographic Visuals and the narratives created around them have shaped the world
and society we live in. As long as the photographic medium or any kind of visual
medium has existed, there has been a constant creation of thought and stories, but
much of it has always been a privilege reserved for the urban or upper classes.
India’s indigenous communities have gone through drastic changes post colonization
and this current globalization. From loss of ancestral land to deforestation, there has
been a massive shift in the culture and landscape of the tribes. The tribes have often
been looked at through the myopic lens of exoticism, their true identities have struggled
with perceived notions created by colonizers.
The idea of creating issue specific
narratives to drive dialogue, demand change is close to non-existent, this is true even
for under-represented Dalit and Bahujan communities, but that is slowly changing.
The camera is the most democratic form of art and visual storytelling and using it as a
tool to empower has been the core mission of the PPT. To take this mission forward and
initiate a radical transformation in the way we tell stories, we propose a 12 on location
workshop series that explores 12 unique communities. Leading the creation of authentic
narratives driven by empathy and an archive of images that re- present an India that is
often hidden away. Images created by the communities.
Today as we cross into 75 years of India’s independence, issues that directly deal with
their livelihoods, their identities and sustainability issues have become pertinent to talk
and share about.. This project not only brings about a sense of reflection to the path
behind but is an important way to document issues and engage in conversations about
the path ahead. We envision a radical take over of the digital and visual arts space
which was once confined.
Goals:
- Empower under-privileged communities to create visual art that tell their own stories.
- Spread the mission of lens-based practices as a democratic art form
- Create an archive of images shot by the youth and adolescents in the community, engaging with local change makers. This authentic collection will be extremely unique and special.
- Present new media tools to young people in the communities as a livelihood option.
- Document the process, community and the inter-sectional issues and themes prevalent via photos and videos
- Exhibit, Publish the project in various public forums.
The project will also be supporting “Shifting Narratives”. A multi media visual project /
compendium by Nirman Chowdhury, that is charting this radical transformation of ideas
and change in perspectives of tribal youth in India using images and videos and
exploring a new form of collaborative processes and pedagogy.
You can see the first iteration of the project here: http://shiftingnarratives.in
Plan:
- The project is a series of 12 workshops done on location in 12 different states of India with 12 unique communities. Some of which are the remotest communities in India, including central Indian tribes and some rural adjacent Dalit communities.
- The workshops which are a mix of interactive, participatory based pedagogy and technical learning will be done over 5-6 days in each location, partnering with a local NGO/organization for better outreach.
- 2-3 mentors will take the workshop, a detailed schedule will be formulated to maximize reach and impact.
- After the project, various modes of dissemination are to be planned including an exhibition, zine and film.
- A website will be created specifically for the project that showcases the project.
