Kids with Cameras

This morning on BBC Radio 4's 'Midweek' programme there was an interesting feature about the educational benefits of photography to deprived children.

"Sue Carpenter is a journalist and photographer. She recently led a photographic project in Nepal for the charity Asha-Nepal, in which girls from desperately poor backgrounds were taught to use a camera to remarkable effect. The photographs can be seen in My World, My View available from Asha-Nepal. You can also view them on the BBC News website. "
You can 'Listen again' to the interview on the BBC website for the next 6 days at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/midweek.shtml

This is very similar to the project in Calcutta: subject of the 2005 Oscar winning documentary "Born into Brothels" by Ross Kauffman and Zana Briski.
a moving and inspiring film which I highly recommend if you are interested in children and in photography.
Following the success of the Calcutta experiment Zana set up 'Kids with Cameras' which runs workshops in Haiti, Cairo and Jerusalem and the original Calcutta workshop.

Having first seen 'Born into Brothels' on BBC TV I tried to get the DVD but it was only published in a Region 1 format not compatible for UK/Europe. Now I am happy to say that since August it is also available in Region 2 format so I have it at last.

Jeans for Genes

Today I was in Paternoster Square (adjacent to London's St Paul's Cathedral). There is a beautiful sculpture there by Elizabeth Frink called the 'Shepherd and Sheep'. Today however it had been 'denimised'. The shepherd was wearing jeans and the sheep had blue denim bow ties.
Today apparently is Jeans for Genes Day "Raising funds for today's scientist for tomorrow's children' - an important fundraising organisation for research into genetic diseases in children. See www.jeansforgenes.com for more information
I am sure Elizabeth Frink would be happy to see her sculpture used in such a creative way to help such a good cause.