We Can Take Pictures

Object type Photograph Record level Series

Details

Title
We Can Take Pictures
Description
In November 1982, Raffles held a one-day session at Pinewood School in West Lothian where every child was given the opportunity to take a photograph of him / herself with an instant camera. Designed to explore the use of photography as a teaching aid for working with children with learning difficulties, the session then developed into a year-long project after Raffles was awarded a Kodak Bursary and received financial support from the Scottish Committee for Arts and Disability and the Mental Health Foundation.
The project, by teaching children to take photographs, initially with Polaroid instant cameras and later with 35mm film cameras, not only focused on photography as a means of creative expression but also explored photography’s relation to co-ordination, memory, perception, patience, and storytelling. In many ways ground-breaking, the project was a productive exploration of the therapeutic and educational function of the photographic practice. Raffles attributed the effectivity of the project to the power of photography itself: ‘it provided the children with a channel of communication, a way of looking at the world, and a way of challenging aspects of it’. Undertaken at an early stage of her career as a freelance photographer, this project reflects Raffles’ long-lasting commitment to using photography as a tool for social engagement and empowerment.
This series contains both photographs created by the children who participated in the sessions and those taken by Raffles to document the project. Also included are photographs of Raffles working with the children and story books compiled by participants using the photographs they took.
The project was fully documented in a booklet, We Can Take Pictures, published by Community Service Volunteers in 1985. An exhibition of her photographs and the work of the children was shown in the Houses of Parliament, Westminster, London, in 1985. Raffles continued to engage with children and adults with special needs for the rest of her career.
Collection
Franki Raffles Photography Collection
Parent record
Franki Raffles Photography Collection Parent record level Collection
Hierarchy
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Created by
Date
1983
Extent
  • 1468 negatives
  • 22 contact sheets
  • 56 loose prints
Department
Special Collections - Photographic Collections
Record level
Series
Related resources
Format
Media
Acknowledgement
© Franki Raffles Estate, all rights reserved. Image courtesy of University of St Andrews Library and Edinburgh Napier University.
Conditions
The Franki Raffles Collection is jointly managed by Edinburgh Napier University and the University of St Andrews. Reproduction for University of St Andrews exhibition, publication, research and promotion. Any external or commercial use to be approved/managed by artist or estate, which can be facilitated by Special Collections.
Credit line
Courtesy of the University of St Andrews Libraries and Museums

Location

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