Our Service

Looking for Change offers Photovoice workshops for use with underrepresented communities, to build self-esteem & show policy makers what life’s like through their eyes.

We work with schools, residential institutions, charities & community groups to design projects which use photography to explore particular issues & experiences within a group.

The participants’ photos, often accompanied by captions, can be presented to an audience & used to help others understand their realities & what’s important to them.

It is a process which encourages personal development & agency, enabling both participants & those with power, to make changes to improve their lives.

An Introduction to Photovoice

The Photovoice technique combines the provision of cameras, technical support & guided photographic assignments with carefully designed group activities, to explore issues with a particular group of people, develop their skills & work towards a final goal. 

By providing a safe space & keeping participant well-being at their core, projects encourage reflection & self expression whilst gathering authentic insight into a particular issue, community or environment which can enlighten others & be used to bring about change.

It is a participatory & collaborative approach which has been used around the world in various fields since the 1990's. It emphasises both process & outcomes & is based on the idea that people are experts in their own lives & communities & should be involved in the decisions that affect them.

Different projects will have different aims, some will focus more on building personal skills to enable change on a personal level, while others might aim to inform a particular audience to affect wider social change.

Photovoice for Personal growth

Taking, choosing & discussing photos, exploring a topic, being heard & working as a group builds skills & self esteem:

Underrepresented & issue-affected communities are often discussed as statistics & put into boxes, their individual experiences & personal opinions not featuring in the discussions & decisions which affect their lives. They might want things to change but feel powerless to bring about change themselves.

A series of photos with captions can voice the feelings & circumstances of a particular community in a very direct & powerful way.

Showing these photos to people in positions of power - funders, programmers, care providers & policy makers allows these voices to be heard.

Including these voices in decision making will ensure policies are more effective, programmes more relevant & money is well spent.

Photovoice is an empowering process which enables underrepresented people to represent themselves & work towards positive social change.

Photovoice for Social Change