About Meridian RAW
Meridian RAW was founder in 2011 by professional photographer and facilitator Clive Chilvers. Our first project was with the homeless charity Shilhay Community in Exeter where we provided disposable cameras to a number of homeless participants. This project developed over a few months and incorporated participants from the Shilhay Meaningful Occupation Project and the Gabriel House Abstinence Project.
Over the past couple of years we have worked with a number of organisations and worked with a wide range of participants, these include Headway Devon, St Petrocks (Exeter), The Olive Tree Association, Devon In Sight and The Bridge Collective. We are now established as a social enterprise and our projects have evolved into innovative, inspiring and empowering workshops that can be adapted to suit the needs of a variety of participants.
What is Participatory Photography?
Participatory photography is also referred to as “photovoice,” and these are terms used to describe a form of photography whereby a group of individual’s are provided with photographic equipment and through guided workshops are offered the opportunity to document issues or problems that affects themselves and or the people and the communities around them by the use of photographic imagery. The resulting images can form the basis for discussion that can lead to heightened awareness, advocacy, potential social change and allow individual’s to communicate their story or situation to a wider audience.
Social Change
- creating community collaboration and engagement
- developing dialogue, raising awareness and educating
- contributing to advocacy and policy development
Participatory Photography Workshops
- to provide a voice and enable confidence building
- used as a therapeutic tool and learning facility and contribute to social skills and peer group interaction
This form of photography has been used a number of times to help marginalized communities and the socially excluded by allowing them to create their own photographic projects and portray their own stories. This gives participants the opportunity to present their world, as they perceive it and enables them to record and reflect their own strengths and concerns about the situation they find themselves.