Over the last week, there have been two events which have occurred. The first, was meeting a couple of friends in a photography studio. An enjoyable couple of hours with a good selection of images to work on.
The second event was an illustrated talk presented by a young award winning Palestinian photographer Ahmad Al-Bazz. The presentation, I learn, is about the work of the Activestills Collective and the practice of photography as a form of activism.
Last week, I received and invitation to this talk, which was organised by a group called “Network of Photographers for Palestine”. I was intrigued and i looked forward to the presentation.
The Network of Photographers for Palestine is a Scottish Charity which describes itself as… a collective of activists and photographers who seek to provide Palestinian photographers with a world-wide audience. In this way, we tell the story of Palestine as it is experienced now. We are aware that the photographic representation of Palestine in the mainstream media is often biased and tendencious. We seek to correct this bias, and to encourage other activists to do likewise.
During the presentation, we learnt that the Activestills Collective was established in 2005 by a group of four or five photographers meeting every Friday. With a strong conviction that photography is a vehicle for social and political change, the collective views itself as part of the international and local struggle against all forms of oppression, racism and discrimination. It is composed of Israeli, Palestinian and international photographers, operating locally in Palestine/Israel and abroad.
Asides from these, my work with a local homeless charity continues – and I am looking forward to meeting one of the organisers of the presentation next week to learn more about the Network of Photographers for Palestine…
If you wish to learn more about these organisations, their respective websites are www.nppalestine.org and www.activestills.org
