The Project — Picturing Wanteete

COLLABORATIVE STORYTELLING BASED IN RURAL UGANDA

Picturing Wanteete is a creative project rooted in grassroots social action. Driving the core of this project is the belief that valuable opportunities for self-expression, empowerment and positive social change can be created through the use of the camera as an advocacy tool.

This vision is achieved through a Participatory Action Research (PAR) method called Photovoice. To learn more, click on the buttons below, or visit the galleries below to view the documentary series created by the WPC, learn more about the participant's backgrounds through member spotlight stories crafted by Louise Rita Contino, and explore a visual tour of the making of Picturing Wanteete.

All proceeds from the sales of the photographic prints available to purchase in the Print Shop go directly to the benefit of the Wanteete Photo Collective members and their respective families. It is an opportunity to allow the local community members to speak up and be heard, rather than to be spoken for, and your support sends a clear message back to the participants that their voice truly does matter.

The backstory

the team

Explore what daily life is like in Wanteete, Uganda, as seen through the community member's own eyes. All photographs were shot on black & white film by WPC members and hand processed on location from February through May of 2014. Click on the link to see the entire gallery.

The Collection

Dig a little deeper and learn more about the backstory of spotlighted WPC members. Click the link to explore environmental portraits with corresponding audio tracks that were captured and recorded by the Project Director, Louise RIta Contino, on location in Wanteete.

A Closer Look

Take a visual tour of the making of the WPC and all the dedication that went into creating Picturing Wanteete. Color photos illuminate what really went on during the four months of workshops, community organizing, film processing, and production.

Behind the Scenes

THE WANTEETE PHOTO COLLECTIVE

The Wanteete Photo Collective (WPC) is comprised of seventeen individuals from Wanteete. To found the collective, Project Director Louise Contino turned to the local knowledge and expertise of the BESO team, a major partner for this project. BESO is a community based non-profit serving the Wanteete community and greater Kayunga District, founded by Aaron Bukenya. Louise asked Aaron and his team to select candidates for the collective that would fill a diverse spectrum of identities and roles in the community. We sought a community leader, elder, teacher, female student, male student, organizer, mother, father, and business person. What we got in return was an amazing group comprising some of Wanteete's finest community members, ranging in age from 13 - 62 years. Below are the faces that make up the WPC.

Use the arrows to scroll through and greet the faces of the Wanteete Photo Collective.