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Responsible Storytelling
with Simona Ghizzoni September 1st-2nd 2018
“When I am taking photographs, my most precious ally is time.
Of all the work I have undertaken over the years, it is the long-term projects that have not only defined the direction of my work in general, but have also helped me to evolve as a photographer and as a human being.
Starting with Odd Days, my first project examining eating behaviour disturbances, and right up to Uncut, which looked into the issue of female genitalia mutilation, the mainstay of my work has always centered on the relationships I develop with the people I meet.
I’m a slow photographer, and it is this slowness in building a relationship with my subject that brings out the authentic expression in my work. In order to photograph someone, whether you know them or not, you must have an instinctive capacity to listen, to communicate and develop an emotional contact with your subject so you can break down any social barriers that might exist, yours or theirs, and build up a sense of mutual trust. Only then can the intimate essence of the individual, as well as the universality of the human condition, have a chance to emerge in your portraiture.
During the course of this 2-day workshop I would like to share my work experiences and history with the students. I will encourage them to examine their personal approach to photography and portraiture in particular, which we will discuss together in depth. We shall also devote considerable time to editing and creating a sequence of photographs. We will explore the process of developing and perfecting your personal style and vision, and we will examine the process of planning a long-term project – how to conceive it, how to research it and how to fund it.”
Who is Simona Ghizzoni?
Simona Ghizzoni was born in Reggio Emilia in 1977.
She has specialised in social reportage since 2005, devoting her attention to the conditions of women in particular. She also works on a personal research project entitled Rayela which explores her womanhood in the form of a personal diary.
She uses photography, the written word and video to capture people and places around the world, merging the documentary approach with personal research. One of her better-known works is “Odd Days”, a long- term project examining disturbances in eating behaviour and the long road to recovery, which won the Photoespana Ojodepez Award for Human Values in 2009, and the World Press Photo in 2008. Since 2010 she has produced diverse chapters of “Afterdark”, an enquiry into the consequences of war on the lives of women in the Mediterranean areas of conflict: Jordan, the West Bank, Gaza Strip and the Western Sahara.
She directed her first documentary film in 2013 dedicated to the female victims of enforced disappearance in the occupied territories of Sahrawi, entitled “Just to Let you know I’m Alive”. In 2015 she began work on her UNCUT project, funded by European Journalism Grants and ActionAid, which explores the practice of female genitalia mutilation in Africa and Europe. Her work has been widely published in many journals, including The International New York Times, L’ Espresso, Io Donna, the Corriere della Sera and El Paìs, and she has received awards from World Press Photo, Poyi, the Aftermath project, BBC Arabic Film and Documentary Festival, Margaret Mead Film Festival, Leica Oskar Barnack Award, Sony World fotografia award, to name a few.
Simona Ghizzoni is represented by MAPS / www.mapsimages.com and is she the founding member of ZONA / www.zona.org
Materials: Participants must bring a selection of their project (minimum 20 images and printed in 10.15). A wider selection in digital version on hard disk or pen is appreciated.
The workshop is addressed to: photographers and students who have already started a project, whether it be reportage or a personal project.
Date: 1-2 September 2018
Time: 10.00 am-1.00 pm/2.30 pm-6.00 pm
Where: Fortezza del Girifalco, Cortona
Cost: 200€
Language: Italian
Minimum number participants: 8
Maximum number participants: 15
Cancellation: Once the payment has been made, the amount will not be reimbursed, unless the teacher is absent or if the minimum number of participants is not reached.
Info: if you want to have more info please write to Jonathan: summerschoolcotm@gmail.com.
Accommodation: We’ll support all members in finding accommodation at our affiliated facilities. For information write to simona@cortonaonthemove.com.
