IMMERSE YOURSELF IN LOCAL CULTURES DURING OUR FACULTY-LED PHOTOGRAPHY TRIPS
Let us organize a faculty-led program that explores the role of photography in the context of humanitarian work or nature & wildlife conservation abroad
Our faculty-led programs offer students unique ways of studying the impact visual media can have on social impact or wildlife conservation projects in developing countries – and the opportunity to put this into practice themselves. Students will learn how nonprofit photography can support social development or conservation work and engage a relevant audience. They’ll also be able to document the work of nonprofit organisations themselves, and tell the story of these causes on the most effective way. In addition, there’s an opportunity for students to help facilitate photovoice workshops with a group of young students from an underprivileged community. Through photography, these workshops promote self-expression, creativity, and life skills to teenage kids in townships.
We can facilitate these programs throughout Southern and East Africa, as well as in Costa Rica and the Philippines. Your group could be doing visual storytelling of wildlife conservation programs in Zimbabwe, immersing themselves in rural development work in Malawi, or hosting photography workshops to youth in Cape Town’s townships. The destination and focus area is entirely flexible, and can also be a combination of different elements. Either way, we’ll create an academic photography program abroad that’s exciting, educational, and inspiring.
We’ll facilitate all elements of your trip. All logistics will be taken care of on the ground, and we’ll provide guidance by local experts wherever needed. Our goal is to ensure that your group can fully focus on making most out of the experience, and reaching desired learning outcomes.
Possible Program Elements;
Depending on your focus and desired learning outcomes, your program can include the following components;
- An exploration of photography in a nonprofit context
- Practical nonprofit photography assignments
- An introduction to humanitarian photography
- Participatory photography workshops with youth in
local communities - A study of the role of storytelling in wildlife and nature
conservation - Practical conservation photography assignments
- Cultural and language lessons
- An exploration of ethics in photography travel
- Reflection and evaluation sessions
- Field trips to explore local highlights
QUICK FACTS
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South Africa, Botswana, Malawi, Zambia, Zanzibar, Costa Rica, Philippines |
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These programs can be facilitated any time of year |
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Humanitarian, documentary, conservation, and wildlife photography |
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Suitable for Students of Photography, Media Studies & similar |
THE DESTINATION
We can facilitate these programs in the following countries;
South Africa – Botswana – Malawi – Zambia – Zanzibar – Zimbabwe – Costa Rica – Philippines
In conversation with you, we’ll decide on the most suitable destination for your group. Some of the most popular locations are;
- Cape Town, South Africa: Cape Town is arguably one the most stunning cities in the world. It’s a city with many faces; it’s filled with colourful cultures and rich in complex history. Surrounded by rugged coast lines, vast beaches and majestic mountains, Cape Town’s natural setting inspires awe. In all its splendid variety, Cape Town is hugely photogenic. But the city also deals with a great number of socio-economic issues, such as poverty, lack of education and health facilities, and gender equality issues. Many nonprofit organisations do amazing work in fighting these issues, though lack of resources and funding is often an issue.
- Greater Kruger National Park, South Africa: Kruger and its surrounding area is world-renowned for its great beauty and it’s densely populated by wildlife. During game drives, you can expect to encounter elephants, giraffes, rhinos, and some of the big cats, and to have exceptional opportunities to photograph them. The area is also home to a great number of wildlife and nature conservation causes that we support through photography.
- Tuli Block, Botswana: Tuli is a nature reserve marked by far-stretching sceneries. It offers great game viewing, as well as striking landscapes; vast moon-like rocky plains, large riverbeds lined with giant trees, and stark blue skies. These vistas provide a unique backdrop for wildlife photography. You can expect to photograph lions and large herds of elephants, but also hippos, hyena, wild dogs, and cheetahs. The Tuli Block is an excellent setting for learning bush skills, studying conservation issues, and exploring wildlife photography as a tool to contribute to local conservation causes.
YOUR PROGRAM
Your tailor-made program will be adjusted according to your group’s specific academic focus and desired learning outcomes. Overall, the program presents the following opportunities, and can be a combination of any these elements:
1. Studying Photography’s Role in Social Development
Photography is a powerful tool of narrating social, political, and cultural landscapes. Images carry far and across different cultures, communicate strong messages, and have the potential to define events. They also have potential to influence societies in a positive way by contributing to social development. Through a series of lectures and workshops, you’ll have the opportunity to study the role photography plays in the development space in general, and social development in your destination specifically. With its turbulent recent history, its huge economic and social disparity, and its wealth of development initiatives, South Africa presents a particularly interesting case for studying photography’s role.
2. Studying Photography’s Role in Environmental or Wildlife Conservation
Similarly, your group can explore the impact visual images can have in the success of environmental and wildlife conservation causes in Africa. This could, for instance, be focused on specific animal species, projects tackling biodiversity of specific areas, reforestation and urban greening program in either rural or urban settings, or innovative up-cycling and waste management projects.
3. Supporting NGO Work Through Photography
Students will have the opportunity to put their knowledge of photography’s role in social development into practice by photographing non profit organisations. Guided by professional photographers, each student will have a specific assignment that will emphasise story-telling methods to create the most powerful impact for the non profit initiative. All produced work will be used to promote the work in the most effective ways.
4. Facilitating Photovoice Workshops
Students can help facilitate, prepare and host a workshop for young aspiring photographers in underprivileged African communities. These workshop are based on the notion that photography has the power to equip people with not just practical skills with job-creation potential, but also with vital skills in areas such as confidence, self-expression, collaboration, and persistence. The aim of the program is to provide people with a strong communication platform to raise awareness about important issues that affect their lives.
COURSE OUTLINE
Induction
We’ll pick up the group from the local airport and make sure everyone gets to our accommodation, where we’ll take time to settle in. We’ll start this course with an induction program that will include an introduction to your destination and the presentation of a framework of your course. There will be plenty of opportunity to discuss the days ahead and for the students to ask any questions.
Course Structure
This program will be a combination of theory-based learning and practical projects that will allow students to implement their classroom learnings on the ground. The theory/practice balance depends on the desired learning outcomes and focus areas of each individual group.
Lectures and workshops can be given by local professors and field experts. Examples of lecture topics are:
- The role of visual media in development work
- The role of photography in a historic African context
- How to produce visual work informed by anthropology
- Photovoice as an empowering methodology
- Ethics in photography
- Visual literacy and image dialogue
Students will be able to use their new knowledge during practical workshops and projects. Depending on the group’s focus, students can get involved in one of the following:
- Facilitating photovoice projects with groups of young photographers from underprivileged communities
- Photographing nonprofit work happening on a grassroots level
- Participating in research projects
To ensure maximum professional development, you’ll enjoy a well-structured program that incorporates both a variety of lectures and on-the-ground projects, and you’ll be guided by an academic adviser along the way.
Final Project or Paper
At the end of the trip, we can ensure to arrange a way for the students to present their work in an exhibition, or for them to present the findings of their research. We’ll make sure to end the program with reflection sessions.
QUICK FACTS
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South Africa, Botswana, Malawi, Zambia, Zanzibar, Zimbabwe Costa Rica, Philippines |
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Programs can be facilitated all year. |
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Humanitarian photography, documentary photography, wildlife photography, conservation photography |
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Suitable for Students of Photography, Anthropology, Media Studies, Wildlife Conservation, African Studies, or related academic fields. |
TAILOR MADE
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INCLUDES
- Accommodation
- All meals
- Full-time co-ordination by one of our team members
- All lectures, workshops and project activities included in the itineraries
- All transport on the ground
- An exhibition with produced work
- If required, we can facilitate optional weekend activities and excursions.
COURSE FEE
This faculty-led trip is tailor-made according to the required focus areas and learning outcomes of each group, so we will put individual proposals and quotes together.
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
We’ll advise on photographic equipment according to the specific program we’ll put together for your group. There are no strict requirements in terms of photographic level of the students; it depends on the focus and the content of the trip.
PROGRAM SUPPORT
We provide the following services and support;
- Program design fully tailored to your academic focus
- A fully facilitated program on the ground (including accommodation, meals, transport, and all activities)
- Guidance by local professional photographers & guides
- Expertise in running photography programs with a purpose-driven approach
- Local expertise, cultural and language lessons
- Risk assessments and troubleshooting
- Reflection and feedback sessions
CUSTOMISED
INCLUDES
- Accommodation
- All meals
- Full-time co-ordination by one of our team members
- All lectures, workshops and projects
- All transport on the ground
- An exhibition with produced work
- If required, we can facilitate optional weekend activities and excursions.
COURSE FEE
This faculty-led trip is tailor-made according to the required focus areas and learning outcomes of each group, so we will put individual proposals and quotes together.
PROGRAM SUPPORT
During this program, all lectures and workshops will be given by local academics and field experts. To ensure maximum professional development, you’ll be guided by an academic adviser along the way. All logistics will be taken care off too, so that the group can focus fully on getting the most out of the experience.
