Picture Balata 6 February 2007
Picture Balata, a photography workshop based in the West Bank Balata refugee camp, is currently in the process or organizing a touring exhibition of the work of its young photographers in April 2007. During the exhibition, four of the photographers will travel to the US to speak about their work and about their experience growing up in a West Bank refugee camp. The exhibition will be important for a number of reasons. Not only will it give people in the US a chance to see these kids’ amazing work and hear from them in person, but it’s also important for the photographers to see that there are people in the US who do want to hear what these young people who have always lived under occupation have to say about their experiences.
Another goal of the exhibition is to raise enough funds to make this project self-sustainable. In order to do that we hope to provide each photographer with a new camera, computer, internet access and other equipment they will need to be able to do everything from taking a photograph, editing it on their computer and then uploading it to a website for the entire world to see. We have also been providing the photographers with English lessons so that they will be able to give photographs a caption in both Arabic and English and communicate with English-speakers outside Palestine.
In order to make the Picture Balata dream a reality we are counting on your support. The project was started with only one digital camera and since then we have been able to provide the group with a few more to share between them. They have proved their eagerness to take photographs and share their story with the world with these limited resources but for the project to be fully realized, they require the necessary equipment.
The Picture Balata workshop participants (picturebalata.net)
Donations of any amount are accepted and appreciated, but for larger donations there is the following scale:
Platinum - $2500 (This amount will sponsor one child and provide them with a new camera, computer and internet access. Platinum donors will also receive a special gift book from Picture Balata.)
Gold - $1000
Silver - $500
Bronze - $250
All Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze donors will be recognized for their generosity during the exhibit and will also receive a free mounted print of their choosing.
Important information for sending checks:
All checks should be made out TO: “8th Day Center for Justice”, a local Chicago organization acting as fiscal agent for Picture Balata. It is very important that when writing a check you INCLUDE “Picture Balata” in the memo. Donations made in this way are tax deductible (in the U.S.).
Please send all checks to the following address:
Picture Balata
P.O. Box 1684
Chicago, IL
60690-1684
April 6
NEW YORK CITY, NY
Brecht Forum
451 West Street (West Side Highway)
7:00pm - 9:00pm
April 7
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Busboys and Poets
2021 14th St, NW DC
4:00pm - 7:00pm
April 9
PITTSBURGH, PA/YOUNGSTOWN, OH
The Arab American Community Center
15 Belgrade Ave
7:00pm - 9:00pm
April 11
BOSTON/CAMBRIDGE, MA
Harvard University
(Center for Government and International Studies)
Knafel Building, 1737 Cambridge Street
7:00pm - 9:00pm
April 13
CHICAGO, IL
ACME Art Works
1741 N Western Ave
6:00pm - 9:00pm
April 15
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Balazo Gallery
2183 Mission St
6:00pm - 9:00pm
For more information contact Matthew Cassel at picturebalata@gmail.com or at +1 312 656 8211