Photo © Hannah and National Galleries of Scotland, 2021

‘Putting Ourselves in the Picture’ a UK-wide training and mentorship programme for refugee and migrant women has seen a group of 22 women and non-binary people participate in 30 photography workshops and 64 mentoring sessions throughout the past year.

The programme has been initiated and led by Fast Forward: Women in Photography and had support from leading photographers and curators and was designed to improve the participant’s skillsets, supporting them in telling their stories to the world. It was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), part of UK Research and Innovation through a fellowship received by Professor of Photography Anna Fox at the University for the Creative Arts (UCA).

MPB, the world’s largest platform for used photography and videography equipment has been partnered with the project since it began last June (2021). MPB’s involvement gifted eight cameras and 16 lenses to a group of participating women at Impressions Gallery in Bradford in order to support their development for the duration of the project and beyond.

Carolyn Mendelsohn, who is teaching eight of the women taking part in the project and reached out for MPB’s support in the first instance, commented: “It was wonderful for the women I worked with (at Impressions Gallery) to have access to good quality kit. Not only did this help to build up their photography skills, it helped them tell their unique and powerful stories in a compelling way. This is the start of an exciting journey for them. For me, it has been a privilege to be a part of this project, and I have loved seeing their visual narratives develop. I am over the moon that MPB have supported us by supplying the women with cameras; it feels like a perfect fit.”

Matt Barker, Founder and CEO at MPB said: “When I started MPB, I did so with the ambition of making photography more accessible and affordable, helping people to fulfil their ambitions in a sustainable way. This project is a wonderful opportunity for us to bring that to life and support these women in telling their unique stories. It brings great pleasure knowing that they will be able to continue to tell their stories beyond completion of the programme.”

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