frameyourstory

[frameyourstory]

This past week @bealwaystraveling visited the #sgddasam organization in Istanbul, the location for projects 1&2 ~ The photographs by the participants were on display at the org and recent artwork by the participants too! ❤️ But where are the children? Many of them have outgrown the child-friendly space or have moved to other locations like Germany. I’m glad they have memories of our time spent learning about photography, journaling and having fun. 🌈

#photoproject#empoweringyouth#istanbul#berlin#refugeeswelcome#photogrraphy#journaling#selfexpression#arttherapy#healing#expression#art#creative (at Istanbul, Turkey) https://www.instagram.com/p/BxK728TFVRs/?igshid=1pqeu93rd03fd

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CAMPAIGN IS LIVE!

Check it out and show your support if you can! Thank you!

[frameyourstory]

This Friday, March 1st Frame Your Story's Photo Book Project will launch an #indiegogocampaign to support the creation of a photo book that will share the photographs and perspectives of displaced youth. This Is My World: A Photo Book By Refugee Youth will come to life with your support and every bit counts! 

Follow #frameyourstoryproject on Instagram for more details and thank you for your support!

Photograph by Sara, 11, and Rawan, 13 ~ Istanbul, 2016

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A recent interview with the Berlin organization, Pass the Crayon, for the project with the Society of Humanistic Photography.

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THIS IS MY WORLD is still showing until June 10 at Cafe Refugio! Stop in, have a coffee, and look at the many photographs by refugee youth from Istanbul & Berlin. . . #upcomingexhibition#berlin#expo#berlinexpo#photography#youth#youthexpo#frameyourstoryproject#makingachange#selflove#love#perspective#hope#refugeeswelcome#cafe#berlincafe#selfexpression#create#art#powerful#exhibitionberlin

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[frameyourstory]

This is My World.

Hi Friends,

You're invited to an upcoming photography exhibition in Berlin! 

This group of participants is excited to share their photographs at Café Refugio, http://www.refugio.berlin/ in May; it will be the cafe's first exhibition and I am very proud to have initiated it. The twelve photos, all taken by refugee youth from Istanbul and Berlin, will be celebrated at an opening on May 8 from 18:00 - 22:00 and exhibited four to six weeks. We will have postcards, stickers, and prints for sale.

More about the Project - Pros & Cons

While the project unfolded over the past six months, many of the participants, whom I met in the shelter, are now living all over the city. They're assimilating one day at a time by taking German courses, going to school and/or finding work. Communication has become more difficult so we have been using WhatsApp to connect, plan outings together, and share pictures throughout the week. For this reason, this project is very different from the previous ones and has had a different impact. Here are a few examples: navigating the city; learning about new places; meeting people and creating friendships; becoming more skillful at taking photographs independently and making observations and sharing with the group using apps.

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Absolutely 100% Inspired~ !!

[frameyourstory]

Frame Your Story's third photography project takes place in a large shelter in Spandau, Berlin. More than 1,000 refugees from Armenia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Ghana live together and are consistently adapting to the always changing makeup of the population. It's been a new experience for me to witness so many people of different origins living together under one roof.

Fifteen people ranging from 14-23 have attended the first two workshops. With older participants, more opportunities to explore Berlin and create meaningful imagery are possible. Our photo theme is "My Berlin." The idea is to explore the city's streets and learn about the culture through the lens. The first week we jumped right into it and wandered outside with the cameras. This week we started working on our photo journals and created a Wishlist of what we'd like to achieve in this course over the next three months before the exhibition.

This year I anticipate more collaborations with key people to promote the growth of the project, more funding opportunities and new products featuring the students' photographs!

If you're on Instagram check out: https://www.instagram.com/frameyourstoryproject/?hl=en Thank you for your support and don't forget to check out my website and make a donation (Arts on Call c/o FYS PO Box 568 Keene Valley, NY 12943)

​Kindly,​Beatrice​

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“And never have I learnt so much about the meaning of courage, or the wisdom which springs from it. As such “The March of Hope” means for me the belief in overcoming the things that divide us, and the courage to keep faith in what will forever connect us; our humanity.”

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Frame Your Story Inc. is Growing!

Dear Friends, Another Frame Your Story Project is on the horizon, more details to come.

In the meantime, project Founder, Beatrice has added a Gallery page to frameyourstory.org/gallery/ that has many photographs from previous participants in Istanbul and Berlin. She envisions postcards and tote bags with these photos for sale soon to help support FYS's mission and a final spring exhibition in Berlin of all three projects.

Thank you to those who've made contributions, it's made all the difference!

Beatrice’s passion for creative outlets like photography, journaling, drawing and painting have been positive outlets for her own expressions, and she’s excited to continue unfolding ways in which photo can help others to express themselves, heal and grow. Stay tuned! :)

[frameyourstory]

Happy World Refugee Day!

The three-month program was wrapped up with a photography show of the students’ photographs, a short video of clips recorded by the children, and a celebration of their achievements, courage to heal, and eagerness to (re)discover their voice. My goals for them were to learn a little bit about photography, acquire basic skills of communication, and most importantly create a safe environment where they could express themselves freely. Simple moments in class -- Salma offering to help the others with their photo-journals, Adele telling the children that each camera was the same even though the camera straps were different in color -- brought me closer to my goals everyday but as the project evolved my goals became secondary to the friendship that was growing between us. Some days they would confide in me -- Parisa missing her friends in Afghanistan and having trouble making friends at her new school, Arezu unhappy with the food at the shelter, Fatima wanting to swim but not being allowed to wear a bathing suit because of her religion. I’m proud of the children for taking on the challenges of learning something new and for having accomplished so much in so little time. They have enriched each others’ lives and mine as well. I hope to stay in touch with them so they can witness their photographs being shared with communities around the world. Thank you for your ongoing enthusiasm and support!

Check out frameyourstory.org/projects/berlin/ to watch a short video of the project.

[frameyourstory]

Wide smiles and laughter, arms flailing, flowers flowing, watching the videos they recorded (some accidentally, those are the best) & together as friends, sharing this achievement, healing a little more, and expressing love.

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Upcoming Photo Show

Frame Your Story’s project ends with a fun, celebratory student photo exhibition. The kids’ pictures are hung and shared with their families, friends and new community and for many of the students, they don’t quite know what an exhibition is until they witness the moments they’ve captured up on the wall, for all to enjoy! Their high, expressed through big eyes, is a feeling and inspiration that I hope stays with them long after this project's time is up.

This Berlin project’s exhibit will take place at the shelter where the children live with their families. It will not be open to the public but I will follow up with lots of photographs and thoughtful details from the evening. We’re excited, stay tuned!

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Last week the class ventured outside for the last time before their photo exhibition.

[frameyourstory]

Awesome project, connecting people and inspiring change.