A new exhibition exploring the therapeutic benefit of photography in social care has gone on display at Robert Gordon University (RGU).
‘Exposing Negatives, Developing Positives’ is the work of a number of participants who took part in a project led by senior RGU social work lecturer Neil Gibson to explore the therapeutic value of photography and is now on show in the Georgina Scott Sutherland Learning Centre at Aberdeen Business School.
As part of his PhD, Neil developed a six week programme which encouraged participants to engage in tasks, produce photographs, and then discuss the images with their peers.
The programme began by looking at photographs that people carry with them on mobile devices that have importance or significance, before moving on to look at how people represent themselves in a self-portrait.
In later weeks, it then went on to explore the visual representation of emotions; defining likes and dislikes; narrating a day in a life; and culminated in a project called ‘Photovoice’ which asked the various groups to define an area for exploration, and then allowed the participants to take photographs around that theme.
Neil said: “The aim of the programme was to enhance self-efficacy, self-esteem, and feelings of empowerment within the groups. The exhibition includes photographs from groups including a carer support group, a mental health support group, a recovery from addictions support group, and an autism support group.
“The words used alongside each image have attempted to capture what each participant said about their photograph.”
He added: “The participants responded in different ways to begin with. Some were very keen from the outset and wanted to share images, others were a bit more reserved, and some were silent.
“As the weeks went on the participants realised they had total control of the photographs they shared, and what they said about the images, and this appeared to give confidence in their abilities. This challenges social work relationships because it places the power with the participant, rather than the facilitator.
“The photographs produced have been a revelation. The best thing about facilitating groups like this is that you never know what you are going to be presented with, and often the narrative behind the image reveals so much more about the participant than the image itself.
“For viewers of the exhibition, this is a chance to experience some of the images produced by the various groups, but the narratives attached will hopefully give an insight into the depth of thought which went into the production of each image.”
Neil also designed a short CPD course, which ran at RGU last year, aimed at helping develop skills for social work and social care staff working with people who have encountered difficulties in their lives.
It looked at how the staff could engage with clients by encouraging them to take pictures which help them take back control in their lives and develop a sense of self.
The ‘Exposing Negatives, Developing Positives’ exhibition will be on display at the Georgina Scott Sutherland Learning Centre, Aberdeen Business School, Robert Gordon University, until the end of August.