| Scott sits down with Lisa Howie, Director, Bermuda National Gallery |
| Please tell This Week how the idea of Youth Camera Action (YCA) came about and why? |
| After watching the documentary film Born Into Brothels, I was greatly impressed by the impact that the filmmakers had on the children in Calcutta, India. When provided with a camera these children were empowered to ‘read their world’ through the lens and they developed techniques to create images. This art education also served as a springboard to academic enrichment, travel, and greater appreciation for their culture and themselves. I saw this type of camera programme as one very viable for youth in Bermuda- many of whom do not get access to camera equipment or camera instruction. |
YCA recently won the “Most Innovative Youth Project” during Tech Week last month.
What a great honor. This is the first time that the Bermuda National Gallery & The Family Centre have teamed up. Please elaborate on the future of YCA and where you would like the program to be in 2010? |
| This art collaboration really connects with both institutions’ missions of outreach to Bermuda’s youth. YCA is offered to middle school children with the intent of also connecting with teenagers and seniors. So we are looking for teens to assist with the web site (www.ycabda.com) and share their camera skills and enthusiasm. Recently, YCA went to Lorraine Rest Home in Warwick and the wide gap between the ages was bridged through discussion about common interests in art. In 2010 I’d like to see YCA with a full compliment of adult and teen volunteers; I’d like to see an exhibition held in January; and a book produced. Most of the participants in Session 1 have stayed on so it appears that by 2010 we may have quite a team of young photographers from across the island. |
| How does YCA keep the youth engaged with each lesson? Also, have you noticed a difference in the quality of the images from the beginning of the program up until now? |
| It is exciting to see how quickly each YCA participant is creating his or her own style. They have learned about the rule of thirds, perspective, depth of field, and how to use lines and shapes to draw attention to their subject. Recently, they have turned to Manual mode, which includes aperture, ISO and shutter speed. Each Saturday is different: we visit different locations, there are different instructors, and we emphasize different components of the art form. And it is fun- it is honestly a really good laugh to spend the morning with this lovely group of young people. |
| Without the valued volunteers that assist with the instruction, YCA would not be able to function. If someone would like to volunteer, what should they do? |
| Please call me: 295-9429; or email: director@bng.bm. I welcome those that want to get involved and I gauge how this might work best person by person. Volunteerism is key to the success of the programme, so I would be really thrilled if this article inspires some people to get active with Youth Camera Action. |
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As I developed as a poet the shows developed into fringe theatre pieces built around verse, using costumes and props created from recycled materials by artists that I knew. Later I co-founded 3 Crabs in a Bucket, to produce yearly events in which poets could present their work in any way they desired. I have been fortunate to be involved in some very special theatre productions here as an amateur and professional actor and I have even been in a film. I view each new acting project as an opportunity to grow as a performer of my own work. |
| Presently, you are being mentored by the poetry editor at Chroma, a literary journal in the UK. Tell our readers how this great opportunity came about and what will be the end result when you finish the program? |
| I had a poem published in Chroma and when they offered their Divine Mentoring Programme I applied. I had to submit work, demonstrate, that I regularly read or performed, had work published in anthologies and journals and was working on a project or projects that could be developed with a view to being published. I was accepted. Now I am working on a major project. At the end of the programme I hope to have a couple of solid manuscripts ready to submit to prospective publishers and to be armed with a more critical eye of my own work. |
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