Selective Amnesia

Lines of Grey - A photo exhibition in Chennai

A flickr contact and fellow PSBBian Suchitra Vijayan is behind an organisation called Lines Of Grey.

LoG wants to take photography to children of the streets, and thus give them education of a different kind, and hope. To quote them:

Lines of Grey is an organization that seeks to take photography to the doorsteps of marginalized children in communities around the world. Our vision is not limited to the children in the street of Mombasa or the slums of Dharawi. Our organization comprises of small and passionate group, whose life is intrinsically linked to photography. We share the common faith in the ability of photography to capture the imagination of children, to empower them, build confidence and give them a voice. We believe that education is not limited to the learning of the letters. We are committed to furthering the cause of marginalised children, by taking the road less travelled.

“Lines of Grey” began as a photographic experiment with thirty street kids at the
CCF centre in Arusha, Tanzania. For six months, disposable cameras were handed out to the children to teach them photography and through this medium explore their world. Apart from acquainting them to the joy of artistic discovery, the experiment also became a private invitation into their life on the street. The children showed an extraordinary perception about their life and the way the world looked at them. The artistic venture resulted in a large body of photographic work by the children, that we believe are both social-cultural documentation and a platform to tell the world their stories.

The organisation is opening a Chennai Chapter on the 10th of this month, and it’s doing that with a photography exhibition at the British Council. I’ve been following Suchitra’s photos and I can tell you honestly, they are extremely good and jealousy inducing. And if you watched the youtube video and seen the photos, you’ll know that the photos the kids take are as good too.

The show’s on the 10th, 11th and 12th of January. Do come, if you can.