I have facilitated (and often designed) more than 30 participatory media processes in 4 continents, that is more than 600 training workshops, build more than 40 pop up darkrooms anD photographic studio, recorded more than 100 stories

I am passionate advocate of a better world through the arts, especially photography, promoting visual awareness, social justice, creativity, personal growth and critical thinking. Trained by PhotoVoice, InsightShare and recently in art therapy, I use experimental and participatory photography/video methods and Participatory Learning Action Research as tools for social change, to give a voice to people and to train minority groups to become advocate of their own concerns and solutions.

This is why I set up Fotosynthesis in 2009. Together with my coleagues, I design, deliver and manage workshops/projects in the UK, Spain and overseas as a freelance consultant and creative practitioner. I also work as a facilitator with Insightshare, leader in participatory video processes.

Listen to an interview about participatory photography techniques here on Documentaryphotoreview.

Samples of workshops:

Participatory Video & Photography: C4Development

FIER, Mali, 2015: Develop a participatory photography methodology in French for IFAD project on rural development and agriculture.

Ivory Coast, 2017: Participatory analysis and PV training with young peacebuilders part of Interpeace research for the UN Progress Study Report

Tanzania, Mara Region, Nyumba Nthobu, 2016: PV film as an advocacy tool

Central African Republic, 2016: Insightshare, Build Up- USIP- 2 participatory video processes and curating an exhibition for a two-way communication strategy programme linked to DDR/SSR

South Africa, St Vincent & The Grenadines, St Lucia 2018-19: Insightshare - Photographer, Self- Shooter & PVMSC facilitator to record the views of activists of EJA on women, children & LGBTQ+ rights

Bangladesh, Coz Bazaar, 2019 -Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), Insightshare: Facilitation of local staff training and to Royinghas refugee young women activists in participatory arts and photography to support the Change Makers Programme around Gender Based Violence

UNICEF Western Africa, 2022: Training staff and local partners in using Photovoice as an evaluation tool to engage with children in Congo Brazzaville, Niger and Togo.

Participatory Photography Advocacy Project- Curation of exhibition

UNICEF Togo, Congo Brazzaville & Niger, training staff and local partners (including fieldwork) in using Photovoice for Evaluation - 2022

Beyond Skin, Northern Ireland, FUTyoURS project 2018 - now: Photography exhibitions, pop up darkrooms, photography workshops with various community groups, festivals linking with Colombia peacebuilding as a learning exchange

Sin Fronteras, Latin American Women’s Rights Services, 2015-16: a 8 months process working with a group of young Latin American women using photography to explore women’s rights, identity, migration, education, family and human rights

My Latin Elephant 2014-15: 10 weeks participatory video & photography with InsightShare & Latin Elephant. Latin American community in Elephant & Castle (E&C) exploring Latin American's perspectives of space, people and identity in relation to the urban regeneration of the area.

Refugee Voices 2012-19: Various participatory photography projects in partnership with the Jesuit Refugee Services in Wapping, advocacy project with destitute asylum seekers.

Young Carers, Camden/Islington Councils: Participatory photography to raise awareness of some of the issues young carers face in order to challenge attitudes towards them (Carers Week)

Pinhole and cameraless photography

• Festival of Love, Southbank Centre- Aug 2014- A pinhole camera workshop that offered a new view on life to 50 participants! Happiness, curiosity, patience, discovery, teamwork, fun and amazing images created around the Southbank Centre.

• St Guys and St Thomas Hospital

• Fotosynthesis

• Primary schools

• RefugeeYouth

• Museum of London

Digital Photography Training

RefugeeYouth Brandsdale Photography Residential- July 2014 teaching photography & video with visual artist Cedoux Kadima to various youth groups from Leeds, Middelborough, Hull and London to create youth leaders, raise awareness about nature, individual and collective identity and migration.  

Photovoice Bursaries, The Photographic Angle: Teaching DSLR to a group of young homeless from the "Look Out " project.

London Transport Museum, Designology: Photography project based around capturing the transport networks design features and the feeling of what a journey means across all methods of transport. The final collaborative piece was displayed in Designology exhibition (May 2016 - Spring 2017)

 Learning Through Photography

Trained and inspired by Duke University and Wendy Ewald  in Literacy Through Photography, I have designed and delivered various creative educational workshops mixing different participatory methodologies and creative practice.

Using photography to teach mathematics and Literacy : Pilot project of 4 weeks in 8 Lambeth primary schools using photography and arts polyhedrons to learn about measuring and shapes book to be published soon! In partnership with Brixton Learning Collaborative and the Windmill Cluster of Schools, two Lambeth cluster partnerships totaling 16 primary schools to deliver a series of creative workshops to 240 year 4 children across both clusters.

 Arts Awards and SEPE Award accredited courses

Step into photography: collaboration between students and professional photographers thinking critically and ethically about image making. Funded by the Walcot Foundation. Gallery here.

Exploring Surroundings 2010-2013: Initially a 12-week pilot project with a group of young people and single parents from all over London to learn how to use a digital and manual camera and print from their own black and white film exploring their surroundings. 

Sin Fronteras, Latin American Women's Rights Services: Digital photography to identify personal and common topics such as migration, human rights, women's rights, education, poverty, identity or family.

Sensory Photography trained by Sight of Emotion, Mexico

Photovoice Sensory Photography Facilitator : Sights Unseen 2009, workshops in sensory photography held at the Organisation of Blind Africans and Caribbean (OBAC).Following the basic photography course the participants were supported to use their photographic skills to undertake personal advocacy projects tackling issues such as ignorance of the risks to eye health within their community and barriers faced by the visually impaired. Publication here.This was followed by the London Mexfest, Rich Mix: Sensory Pop up studio (2012) where a team of sighted volunteer worked with partially sighted Mexican photographers supported by the Embassy of Mexico & British Council. Gallery here.

RefugeeYouth and migration issues

RefugeeYouth & Refuge In Films -2008 till now (British Film Institute): Delivered photography projects with World Remix, Women's Worth, Mustaqbal from Harrow, Anchor project, Refugee Council, curated and exhibited the work of young photographers around the theme of Migration, the reasons, the impacts, their personal experiences. Photographs and participants were from Colombia, Afghanistan, Jamaica, Poland, Russia, Somalia, Guinea Bissau, Irak, Syria, Ethiopia and more. They explored advanced digital photo story, photo manipulation, collage, portraiture and alternative photography practices such as liquid light, cyanotype sun-print, digital negatives and old images reproduction.

Self-Identities, Authorship and Expression in Photography: Co-organiser of PICS Festival in partnership with Photovoice, a one-day programme of exhibitions, workshops, talks and multimedia screenings on the theme of photography for social change

Developing Participatory Methods with Photography: Research, Design and Practice: Planning and delivery- This workshop explored how to develop visual and sensory participatory research and pedagogical methods with photography.