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"It is great to be involved in the Magic Me project – the sessions that I have attended have been (from start to finish) a lot of fun. All participants (parents and volunteers) have shown enthusiasm during the sessions. Through Magic Me, parents and volunteers have acquired a fresh way of looking at this diverse and lively local area - this can only be positive for all" Simon Shaw Allen & Overy volunteer | PhotowalksPhotography project for parents and pupils of Christchurch Church of England Primary School and volunteers from Allen & Overy Artists
Artforms
Participants
Project description in detailThe Photowalks project for parents and pupils of Christchurch School, Brick Lane,encouraged families to explore their local area in a new way, and discover what’s available on their doorstep. At weekly workshop sessions, led by photographer Anita McKenzie, from Magic Me, parents learnt to take, download and edit digital photographs. Over five months they created a booklet of ‘Photowalks’ full of photographs, maps and good ideas for families new to the area. Pupils also joined the parents for some after-school photowalks. Photowalks was funded and supported by Allen & Overy, the locally based international law firm. Allen & Overy staff volunteers joined in supporting the activities each week. During the sessions the group were out and about in the neighbourhood visiting places of interest and useful venues, from RichMix arts centre to Aldgate Tube Station; Whitechapel Ideas Store to Spitalfields Market; Petticoat Lane to Bishopsgate; and from City borders to the City Farm. Having been on the 6 walks that compile the book, the group then focused on editing and selecting some of their 100s of photos for the book. In early May parents and pupils visited the roof terrace at Allen & Overy’s Spitalfields headquarters, to get a birds-eye view of this ever-changing area, where the East End meets the City. In June, the Creative Services Team at Allen & Overy designed a template for the book which the group then worked on with designer, Susan Langford, and Clea House of Magic Me. They picked the photos and informed the design from beginnig to end. The result of which will be available as a download from this website, from mid July. The finished booklets were launched in July and an exhibition of photographs was shown at the school. "The photowalks project has been great. I learnt how to make the magazine and how to take pictures and load onto the computer. I never knew about the bell foundry on Whitechapel. I have lived here for 26 years and never knew about it ! My children really enjoyed going to the roof garden at Allen & Overy. The project has helped me feel more confident to take my children to different places locally and it has been great learning with other parents" Parent participantProject datesFebruary - July 2010LocationVarious: Whitechapel area in East London |