"alone i can’t, together we can", a phrase often used within addiction recovery circles.
Along with the short videos, portraits were created as part of the residencies that took place in Pistoia and Pescara in Italy and Kutahya in Turkey. I call these collaborative shared-self-portraits in which the subject had a choice of one of five favourite things they could be photographed with, fruit, photographs, item of clothing or jewellery, book or an object. As the artist I collaborated with the subjects, either by giving suggestions and then developing the ideas together, or being guided by the participant's ideas. In some cases people used more than one of the things and at times chose to be just by themselves. The one common thing in all these photography sessions was an openness and vulnerability with which self was revealed in front of the camera.
I AM is an arts project between UK, Italy and Turkey... presenting memoirs of people in recovery from addiction of alcohol and mixed substances. Through intensive workshops I am creating a collaborative body of video and photography to reflect on a subject riddled with taboo and social stigma. It is only through sharing the hopes and fears that a better relationship can be developed with love and respect.
Originated by Portraits of Recovery, and developed in partnership with: Arts for Health - Manchester metropolitan University, UK, Incontro and FeDerSerd, Italy and The Turkish Green Crescent Society, Kütahya branch. Funded by Grundvig - European Unions Life Long Learning Programme.
