PEEKSKILL, NEW YORK, USA
100CAMERAS X NEW ERA CREATIVE SPACE
MADE POSSIBLE BY VIACOMCBS
100cameras X NECS is a part of a 8 class course that is custom designed by 100cameras to equip passionate creatives with the tools to empower youth in a community they care about with the opportunity to learn how to process their stories and create change. Pictured here are 100cameras students during the course. This program was made possible by ViacomCBS.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
100cameras X New Era Creative Space (NECS) took place twice during the fall of 2021 and summer of 2022 in Peekskill, New York USA. In partnership with New Era Creative Space (NECS), an organization that works to create strong communities where young people are active agents who have the social-emotional skills to enact positive change. NECS strives to empower young people to take on leadership roles in their communities with a focus on developing creative educational programs that are inclusive and accessible to all.
Peekskill is relatively isolated in the northernmost corner of Westchester, about 40 miles north of New York City, and nestled along the banks of the Hudson River. NECS Director, Ridvan Foxhall, shares, “Historically, Peekskill has been subject to the disparities of systemic racism and segregated housing policies that have had negative impacts on the people who live in the community. Many parents are immigrants who moved to the community seeking a better life for their families. Seven in ten children in the public schools live in poverty and 83% of public school students are eligible for free or reduced lunch. Given the socio-economic demographics of the community, the Peekskill City School District calls on community organizations, like NECS, to provide additional growth opportunities for students.”
“As families and communities struggle in the face of COVID-19, as historically marginalized families and youth take an inequitable proportion of the pandemic’s fallout amid systemic injustice, youth development programs that provide an intentional context to buffer youth and support their healthy growth and development are needed more than ever. Research shows remarkable youth resilience in the face of stress and trauma if young people have access to resources and supports, the presence of caring adults, and supportive environments. The 100cameras project addresses the need to uplift the voice of youth, provide a way for young people to express themselves while they learn about the world…and help them find a healthy outlet for self-expression.”
New Era Creative Space is poised to provide meaningful positive youth development services to keep young people connected. In coordination with the Peekskill City School District, a variety of programs are provided throughout the year, including a children’s theater company, social skill groups, nature camp, a dance, parenting workshops, girls empowerment, and racial justice groups as well as summer and after-school arts programming.
“I think this program has offered them a sense of self-awareness for one, it’s given them confidence in terms of learning a new skill that helps to elevate them and how they feel about themselves, how they feel about the environment, and how they feel about their community that they’re photographing. And we’ve gone to certain locations not too far, but just in general in the area, and they’re forming a deep appreciation of the every day of things that people often take for granted. Now, they’re able to first see it, but also to appreciate it. And when you appreciate things in life, you have a deeper understanding and a deeper appreciation of yourself.”
Together, NECS and 100cameras seek to stimulate curiosity, foster joy, and inspire a love of learning all while providing an outlet for creative exploration in order to nurture the next generation of visionary thinkers.
MEET THE STUDENTS
“I’ve actually heard back from a parent…after class three, a parent reached out to me and said, ‘I don’t know what’s happening in this class, but my son is really feeling good about himself. And he’s already had an interest in photography, but having this class sort of helped open up this world for him, and it’s giving him more of a passion and confidence in himself.”
ABOUT THE PROGRAM LEADERS
Ocean Morisset is a self-taught, award-winning photographer with nearly twenty years of experience specializing in Photojournalism and Documentary photography. A self described humanitarian-with-a-camera, Ocean also explores Fine Art portraiture and engages with a wide range of subjects in life, though his passion remain in telling stories with photos captured candidly. Ocean is known for freezing fleeting moments, using the stealth of a ninja and a zen-like sensitivity towards his subjects. His photos are an examination of the human condition and the beauty of the everyday. Ocean is the winner of the Inaugural Larry Salley Photography Award presented by Artswestchester in 2017. He is the inaugural recipient of the Mel Tapley Award, presented by the Peekskill NAACP in 2018. Ocean has exhibited his work widely and publishes his own photography books and zines. He enjoys sharing his passion for photography with others through workshops offered to the Peekskill community, and he is a proud teacher of the 100cameras program.
Ridvan Foxhall is the founder of New Era Creative Space (NECS), a nonprofit youth organization founded as a hub for creative ideas and community-building. NECS aims to cultivate and inspire the next generations of mindful, innovative, and visionary thinkers. Guided by the belief in the oneness of humanity, Ridvan Foxhall is committed to promoting in young people the conviction that they can be the voice of positive change in the world. To this end, for over two decades, she has committed her time, energy, and resources to developing creative and educational programs for children and youth with an emphasis on developing their moral capabilities alongside their intellectual and artistic talents. Ridvan has a Masters in occupational therapy and is a parenting educator and life coach. Ridvan is a lover of photography and finds herself more and more using photography as a medium for storytelling, self-reflection, and meditation. Originally from Nigeria, Ridvan resides in Peekskill with her husband and two young adult children.
STUDENT IMAGE GALLERY
Follow us on social media to see images from the field as captured by the 100cameras X NECS team and the student photographers.
Thank you to ViacomCBS for making this program possible!
