Street Children Photography in Mexico

Mexico Street Children Photography Project This is a seven month Mexican street children photography project with children who are resident at the Casa Alianza shelter in Mexico City. The project aims to encourage street children and young people to communicate their lives and thoughts to a wider audience through the medium of photography. These are children who have been forced into a life of drug abuse, prostitution and sleeping rough, and have been subjected to physical and emotional abuse by the authorities or their families. Whilst Casa Alianza provides a safe environment for street children as well as legal aid and rehabilitation, I hope that through the photography project some may develop a life-long skill and passion, as well as a huge boost in their self-confidence. The project will take on a double perspective as I will be building close relationships with the young people and taking photos alongside them, providing a unique insight into their world. I am hoping that a story will emerge over the six months that will encompass not only a visual narrative of the children s lives but also a commentary that will fit into a wider context of the effects of rapid industrialisation on urban youth. Throughout the programme we will also be organising excursions to Mexico's national galleries so that the children can become familiar with their own cultural identity and art history. The final aim of the project is to create a collection of photographs taken by the children and myself to auction or sell at gallery exhibitions in Mexico, London and Liverpool. The profits will be directly invested into funding the continuation of the project. Funding will be invested in second hand digital SLR cameras (an estimate of 5 cameras shared between around 20 children), a second hand A3 colour printer, ink cartridges for over the seven months, disposable cameras and development, transport and food for excursions and mounting for the exhibition. My goal is to try to exceed the £2500 shown above, this is the minimum necessary. The more money, the more cameras, the merrier for all! This is an exciting multinational, multigenerational project with the potential to provide artistic opportunities to young people who have been living on the outskirts of society. If successful it will have the further potential to continue and develop, reaching a wider population of street children across Central America. To find more information on the work of Casa Alianza follow the link: http://www.casa-alianza.org.uk Thanks to Christopher Brooks for filming the video pitch.

by alessandra_mcallister in London