Grace Cameron, Contributor
One of the hot shots from the Click initiative. - Contributed
Picture this. Twenty teenagers from four of Kingston's most volatile neighbourhoods are sitting together discussing their differences. Instead of raised voices and bodies bristling with anger, they're talking peace and deciding how they can work with each other. Instead of dwelling on the violence that has marred their communities of Mountain View and Dunkirk in eastern Kingston, and Trench Town and Rose Town further west, they're figuring out how to shoot - pictures that would tell the stories of their lives and the communities around them.
This is one of the snapshots in a programme that is framing life in a different way for teens, who live in these gritty neighbourhoods. The venture, 'To Shoot or Not to Shoot - Click is the Answer', started in 2006. An outreach project of the Violence Prevention Alliance (VPA), the supermarket chain Super Plus Food Stores and various other agencies, Click is not about taking pretty pictures. It's meant to "create a positive impact on the culture of hopelessness and violence," says Wayne Chen, Super Plus chairman.
Develop sustainable programme
"Our aim is to develop a sustainable programme that will provide opportunity for young people from violence-prone communities to develop their creative talent and identify career opportunities, while they explore and experiment using photography and art, not only as a medium of self-expression and development, but also to promote attitudinal change, self-knowledge and empowerment and to showcase their communities in a balanced, positive way."
For the participants, who range in age from 13-17, the four-week summer programme has made the world a better a place.
Pauline Mills, a 16-year-old from Trench Town, who loves to sing and dance, says, "Click has helped me to manage my anger, making be better able to communicate with others."
Chantau McMaster, a 16-year-old Vauxhall High School student, who lives in Mountain View, says, "Click has really helped me to build my confidence and my self-esteem. Also, I am better now, interacting with others and knowing how to express myself emotionally and physically, in a respectful way."
This is the second year of Click for Dunoon Technical High School student, Nemo Brown, 16. "I have learnt to not just shoot a picture but to shoot with a perspective. Click has taught me a lot about sharing. I especially appreciate developing a skill, so I do not idle as much on the streets but instead tell my friends what I have learnt from the programme," says Nemo, who lives in Dunkirk.
Guided by a team of experienced photographers and visual artists like Damien Baddy, Dorian Clarke, Joanna Francis, Shatha Grant, Abidan Tafari and Yakub, the teens have learned to experiment with photography, testing themselves and using art as another way of expression. They've also benefited from weekly lessons in life skills and techniques in non-violence presented by VPA community leaders and have gone to sites such as the National Gallery, Hope Gardens, James Bond Beach and Winnifred Beach.
Impact on lives
"This experience will have a lasting impact on the lives of the young people, as many have discovered a talent for photography and some have even begun to use the skills to generate income," says Dr Elizabeth Ward, co-chairman of the VPA.
Danniecia Fraser, a 15-year-old who lives in Rose Town, says Click allowed him to stay focused on positive things.
"I have used the camera to take pictures for people for a fee and help my mother by giving her the money when she had none," says Andrew Morgan, 16, a student of St Andrew Technical, who likes to play volleyball, cricket and football.
It's been a life-changing experience for Barrington Black. "Click has given me the opportunity to meet other people from different communities and to visit places I otherwise would not have gone," says the 16-year-old, who lives in Rose Town and attends Camperdown High School. "Thanks to the programme, I now have access to a digital camera which is helping me to decide what I want to do in the future."
Jason Burbles, who, this summer, learnt to properly edit photos, has turned this education into a money-making venture. "I now take pictures at events that take place in my community (Rose Town) and sell them back to my neighbours to make money. The Norman Manley High School student adds that he "loved everything about the programme but Winnifred Beach was the best".
Photographs by the students were on display at the Olympia Gallery in St Andrew. The exhibition moves to the Donald Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay at the end of the year. Proceeds from the sale of the works will be used by the teenagers for school expenses.
Grace Cameron is editor-in-chief of the Jamaican Eats magazine. Email feedback to editor@gleanerjm.com.
