rio de janeiro, BRAZIL
100CAMERAS X CASA AMARELA
100cameras X Casa Amarela 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.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Spearheaded by Scott Bennett, this program served youth living in Morro da Providência, Brazil and was hosted in partnership with the CoFondation and Casa Amarela, a house at the top of the favela. Casa Amarela is used as a cultural, social and educational center for the people of the community. Through partnerships with local NGOs and inhabitants of the favela, the space is used to offer art workshops and interactive classes for the youth in the neighborhood.
Upon completion of the course, the students curated a photo exhibition and were honored with a celebration ceremony. It was truly an evening for the students to remember, and as Scott shared, the best part of the exhibition was having each student from the class sign their photos and then hang them. "I told them that since they are artists, an artist needs to sign the work that they do. For most of them, this was the first time that they experienced such an event." Not only did the students share the photos with the community, listen to music, and eat some wonderful food, they also received a certificate stating that they finished the 100cameras Program. "Everyone had a great time, and the students were very proud of their work…as they should be!"
ABOUT THE PROGRAM LEADER
Scott Bennett shares a deep passion for photography, teaching, and Brazilian culture. Having lived and worked in Brazil as a volunteer for extended periods of time, he has incredible experience working specifically with youth who have been marginalized. Scott has also taught Spanish at the university level for over fifteen years, holding a Ph.D. in Hispanic Languages and Literatures.
Believing in the power of photography as an art form, his goal with leading a program is to facilitate and encourage the connection between the students and their community, while also embracing how much he will learn from them.
Post completion, he reflected on his experience, “It was great to see how far the group has come since the very first day (and how many photos they had to choose from for the edit)... Having the students be aware that some of the photos they choose will eventually be sold on the 100cameras website and the funds raised will go directly to their own community is an empowering thought!”
Read the full program experience from Scott's perspective in our featured behind the scenes blog post.
100cameras students taking photos around the city during 100cameras X Casa Amarela, 2017. Douglas watching as Caio captures a moment.
STUDENT IMAGE GALLERY
Follow us on social media to see images from the field as captured by Scott and the student photographers.