A mentorship programme at the National Galleries of Scotland (NGS) has given six West African women the opportunity to tell their unheard life stories through the medium of photography.
Charting their individual physical, mental and spiritual journeys, the photographs will be on display at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery until 8 January 2023.
Today (5 December), the mentees celebrated the publication of a brand-new book. Titled Putting Ourselves in the Picture, the book includes a compelling selection of their photographs created during the mentorship programme.
Designed to develop the skills and confidence of six women, the mentorship programme involved using photography as a means of storytelling, learning how to make photographs using cameras and experimenting with photographic techniques such as collage and photograms.
The weekly sessions were coordinated by workshop leader Sam Rutherford and photographer Wendy McMurdo along with Chief Curator Anne Lyden.
The group took part in a series of workshops held every Monday at North Edinburgh Arts in Autumn 2021. Working with guest facilitator, Morwenna Kearsley, they learned how to use their new DSLR cameras, which they continue to use in their photographic practice.
Now settled in Scotland and residents of North Edinburgh, the mentees who took part chose a subject close to their heart to capture on camera.
The diverse themes explored by the mentees include:
- Lovelin’s battle with bureaucracy to obtain settled status in the UK.
- Maureen’s adjustment to high-rise living and comparing her new life in Scotland to her home country, Nigeria.
- Linda, from Ghana, examined the challenges she overcame in learning how to drive, which was essential for her independence in Scotland.
- Grace, an Evangelist from Nigeria, captured her experience of preaching about Jesus in Edinburgh.
- Nwanyi’s motivation and study toward the establishment of her law career in Scotland.
- Hannah’s weight-loss journey through walking, which helped improve her mental wellbeing during the pandemic.
The photographs along with statements from each of the women are on display in the exhibition You Are Here.
NGS’ mentorship programme was part of a pioneering nationwide project, Putting Ourselves in the Picture. Led by Professor Anna Fox, director and founding member of Fast Forward: Women in Photography, the programme was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, part of the UK Research Initiative.
Putting Ourselves in the Picture is driven by women from communities around the UK. Alongside NGS, it has enabled several organisations—Impressions Gallery, Bradford; Autograph, London; Women for Refugee Women and WorkShowGrow to support marginalised women and non-binary individuals through the means of photography. The mentees were also the subjects of films and podcasts commissioned by Putting Ourselves in the Picture.
The new hardback publication Putting Ourselves in the Picture brings together photographs and creative writing produced by NGS’ mentorship group, alongside work created by sixteen other women working with our project partners across the UK. The powerful narratives and inspiring images that emerge from the pages of this book confront gender discrimination and the marginalisation of women in our societies.
Running throughout 2022 at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, You Are Here amplifies the ways in which communities can engage with art to benefit their health and wellbeing. Drawing upon collaborative projects between NGS and partner organisations across Scotland, identity and belonging are at the forefront of this exhibition.
Anna Fox said: “This is a storytelling project of immense value and importance. I am bowled over by the powerful stories on display at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, which also feature in this new book.
“The wonderful book is the result of an 18 month-long project which saw five amazing partner organisations, a dozen photographers and educators, and 21 mentees, come together in collaboration.”
Anne Lyden said: “The mentees shared their experiences as African immigrants to Scotland with us, trusting us with their stories and offering insight into a vital community located in North Edinburgh.
“It is a huge privilege to celebrate the culmination of the mentorship programme today with Lovelin, Maureen, Linda, Grace, Nwanyi, and Hannah.”
PICTURES: Neil Hanna