Students enrolled in SpiritWest Services FRESH Program at the LeasePlan Western Bulldogs have had a unique opportunity to explore and represent Footscray through the lens of a camera.
Through FRESH Eyes was launched at Footscray’s Dancing Dog Café by program ambassador Jason Akermanis and celebrates the work conducted by FRESH students over the past six weeks.
As part of their CGEA (Certificate in General Education for Adults) and VCAL (Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning) programs, students took photos that captured the diversity of Footscray and surrounding areas.
The collection has been curated by Visual Artist Robert Mangion, who also conducted the photography workshop with the students. He said the images produced are as much a portrayal of their individual experience as they are about the spaces and communities captured in the exhibition.
“Each student took to the course exceptionally well and displayed some colourful artistic talent. The results of that work and that enthusiasm are well represented tonight,” he said.
Akermanis, impressed by the photography on display, spoke at the launch about his own experiences and how images play a strong part in achieving your dreams.
“Everything I have achieved I have seen it in my mind. I see them as reference points or visions,” Akermanis said.
“These pictures are like looking into the past, much like a reference point. Hopefully the students of the FRESH program can begin to use their own mental pictures as reference points to achieve their dreams and goals too.”
To undertake these workshops and be able to publicly represent the work involved is another step in the process of believing in the potential of at risk youth through FRESH. Students Leonie Thomas and Paige Ward said that having their work displayed gave them a real sense of pride.
“We’ve been taught that photos are more than just a still picture. They can be a memory or they can be the future,” Paige, 17, said.
16 year old Leonie has had one of her pictures entered in to the Kodak Salon competition later this year. “The Kodak Salon is an open entry competition that provides a great opportunity to have my work shown with great artists from all around Australia. Being able to do this unit has been so much fun and I have learnt a lot.”
Through FRESH Eyes is on display at the Dancing Dog Café, Albert Street, Footscray until March 28. The exhibition then moves to Footscray Library until April 24.
