Photo School Zenica opened its first phototherapy program in Bosnia to children and adults who cope with mental disorders, but is in need of 30 cameras. Cameras play an important role of how one is viewed. When our members are out taking photos, rather than being classified as mentally ill, they become recognized as photographers. This helps reduce stigma and with integration into society. Photography, like many arts, helps on the road of healing, and this project will help achieve our goal.
Low economic status is the result from the the 90s war in Bosnia, and also the reason of mental health disorders. To help improve the mental health system in our community, we started offering photography classes to people who cope with disorders. They will learn to express themselves through photography, but do to the lack of necessary camera equipment and due to our members' low incomes, we currently have one camera, one drone, and one laptop we work on. We are in need of at least 10 cameras.
This project will help purchase the equipment that will be available for members, but more importantly, cameras will play a big role in making our members feel confident about themselves when taking photos.
We hope that our members will be helped on their road of healing, but also with their work, will help change how others view and feel about persons with mental disorders. By producing photographic images and having exhibitions opened to the community, will send a message that our members capable of creating art, and this will directly link them with the community they live in. This will also show the process of photography and its help in the process of healing.
This project has provided additional documentation in a DOCX file (projdoc.docx).
