« It is only when embedded into a network of relationships, that photography can produce educational effects and generate artistic approaches. »
The “Identities” project was made possible thanks to funding from the “Culture-villes-quartiers-projets culturels intégrés” (Culture-cities-neighbourhoods-integrated cultural projects) and the support of the Regional Direction of Cultural Affairs Rhône-Alpes (Drac Rhône-Alpes), Ministry of Culture and Communication.
This introductory photography project was carried out as part of the linguistic socialization workshop at the St Jean Animation Centre in Villeurbanne.
In residence one morning a week for three months, the photographer met with a group of nine trainee-participants of foreign origins, learning the French language, with the aim of developing a photographic project with them, around the notion of identity.
The program made it possible to combine three axes: an artistic experience, a cultural opening organizing visits to photography exhibitions, and a practice of the French language around themes that are usually little explored by these audiences.
These workshops achieved different objectives:
Equipped with their own cameras, each participant’s gaze wandered over the course of the weeks, declining the various forms of identity with inspiration and sensitivity; from social identity to individual identity, from cultural identity to administrative identity, navigating between public and private space, exploring their environment, their real or imaginary boundaries.