Documenting Young People’s Experiences of Health Restrictions – An Online Photography Project
The National Youth Council of Ireland has been working with 17 different youth organisations nationwide to capture what life has been like for young people during the current restrictions. NYCI provided a support workshop, 1 to 1 follow up technical support calls and a series of weekly activities and tasks to each of the participating projects.
Our resource pack supported young people to take photographs of their daily lives as they isolated from home. Some of these photographs can now be viewed within our online gallery.
Week 1: The view from my window or a view of my space
Learn basic framing and composition skills and how to control focus when taking a photograph to capture where you live.
Week 2: Myself
This is a self portrait activity that goes deeper than your typical ’selfie’.
It explores identity and representation.
Week 3: Portrait of a friend (or family member)
How to photograph a friend from a safe distance using different types of shots and lighting techniques.
Week 4: Some of the things that I’m missing
Still life/ Macro photography exploring things that we are missing like school, youth clubs, sport, games etc.
Week 5: Landscape or Streetscape
Use perspective to create dynamic photographs of nearby places.
Week 6: Digital Story
Combines photos, text, music or voiceover to create a 2 minute digital story.
Objectives of the project
- To provide a creative outlet for young people during their restricted time indoors and during isolation from friends and groups
- To document and make visible young people’s experiences during the current health crisis
- To create a record of young people’s experiences and the impact of the current measures
THANK YOU
This project would not have been possible if not for the commitment and generous inputs from the young people and staff from the following organisations:
Ballyshannon Youthreach, Co. Donegal; CDYS Youth Café-Co Cork; CLAY Youth Project, FamiliBase and SWICN Dublin partnership, Dublin; County Longford Youth Service, Co. Longford; Crosscare Clondalkin/Ronanstown Youth Service, Dublin; Foróige Togher Youth Development Project, Cork; Involve youth project Meath, Co. Meath; Kerry Diocesan Youth Service KDYS, Co Kerry; Limerick Youth Service, Limerick; Maple Youth Centre, Mayo Comhairle na nÓg Foroige and “The BEY Project”, Foroige partnership, Co.Mayo; Migrant Rights Centre Ireland, Dublin 1; Ossory Youth, Kilkenny; Outcomers-LGBT Support Service As I Am Youth Group, Co. Louth; PoD Youth Theatre, Co Cavan; Roscommon Youth Service, Co. Roscommon; Youthwork Ireland Galway -Tuam, East Galway Youth Project and Loughrea Youth Project Galway partnership.
NYCI would also like to take this opportunity to thank Brian Cregan photographer for his expertise and support in delivering this project.
You can discuss any aspect of this project by contacting Anne O Gorman, National Youth Arts Programme Manager, NYCI at anneog@nyci.ie