Examples of Photovoice Projects

As a methodology, Photovoice or Participatory Photography, is used to explore a range of issues in a variety of fields, such as

• Research - as a qualitative research method to gather authentic input from a particular community about an issue or situation of interest

• Health - to provide sufferers of poor physical & mental health with an opportunity to share their realities, explore their emotions& communicate with the ‘outside’ world; to build bonds within their community & enable them to represent themselves; to inform those who care for them of how they see things; to provide a distraction & focus.

• Education - to identify & explore issues with students; build awareness, resilience & communication skills; enable disempowered students to express themselves & contribute; to provide an alternative approach for teachers

• Personal Development - to build self-awareness, confidence & communication skills, celebrate individuality & inclusivity, encourage autonomy & a sense of agency

• International Development - to ensure communities participate in decisions which affect them in terms of aid, programmes & support; to encourage & equip communities to represent & organise themselves, have a voice & take control

• Community Engagement - to get people involved in their community, build bonds & nurture a sense of identity, focus on commonalities, identify needs & goals, build confidence & agency

• Policy Making - to gain authentic insight into an issue &/or community  to inform successful & relevant policy design

• Therapy/Rehabilitation - to provide an alternative means of expression to speaking & writing,  a creative outlet &  a means to reflect; to acknowledge individuality & build a sense of self; to encourage photography as a positive & accessible activity

• Advocacy - to gather ‘evidence’ of circumstances & lived experience to use in a campaign or appeal; to build a sense of identity & confidence within a community to enable them to share their experiences & affect change

Here are some examples of it serving different purposes in different communities around the world…