Mine the gold in groups
It’s not hard to come up with creative ways to get people engaged about a topic.
Add a dash of power and people can even get excited about it.
That’s why I like giving people agency to show what they think by using their own phones to take photos, with the attitude of a street photographer. Like the early 20th century American photographer, Paul Strand. He said that he had the aesthetic means at his disposal for him to be able to say what he wanted to say about the things he saw.
Combined with relevant and purposeful questions, street photography is an effective way to both engage people and mine the gold in a group.
Both are vital. Without good questions, the photos risk just being pretty pictures.
The combination works for a leadership team, a project team, or a large-scale community consultation.
I think it draws on the tradition of photovoice, an empowering methodology used in Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) that enables people to reflect upon the strengths and concerns of their community.
Since its introduction as photo novella by Caroline Wang and Mary Ann Burris in 1994, it has developed into a vital community engagement and research tool with proven accuracy in gathering information.
As Hungarian photographer, Andre Kersetz said, “The camera is my tool. Through it I give a reason to everything around me.”
Give this week’s #Facilitography exercise a go.
📷 What’s one word that you would use to describe your street, your project, your organisation? It might be: welcoming, scary, busy, friendly, fun, productive, focused….
📷 How could you show this in a photo?
📷 Come up with a photographic exercise to capture this word in a picture. Start with, ‘take a photo of…..'
Do this on your own or with your team, neighbours or a community group. Can you land on an exercise that anyone could do if you gave it to them? Would it give you useful information about what they think of their street, project or organisation?
If you’d like to work together, here are 3 ways to get started:
1. Talk to me about #Facilitography Walkshop for your organisation. Experience how to use street photography with your stakeholders and communities. Comment below and I’ll get in touch.
2. Save money on my public #Facilitography Walkshops. Comment ‘YES’ and you’ll get first dibs at the early bird price.
3. Get a copy of my Insights Paper, Read the room like a street photographer.
It’s about why reading the room is vital for productive conversations and how to get better at reading the room with the help of your phone. Comment below and I'll send you a copy.