MASH

Manchester Action Street Health

 

When on my initial meeting with Cate at MASH, I explained my ambitions and was initially quite dissapointed as much of what I had aimed to achieve from the placement wasn't going to be achievable. 

I had in my head, planned to give the service users disposable cameras and ask them to photograph the streets where they work in their own way as to create a series of images presenting an unusual take on the way we percieve such work.

Cate explained that cameras on the street is a big no, whether it be the girls, punters, or other people taking images, it causes a lot of anxiety and is an area to avoid completely.

She explained they were in the process of having a new website built for which they would require lots of photographs. And that I would have free reign to capture these during my time at the center as well as helping with work shops, such as the art therapy and framing sessions. She mentioned that I would be able to do my own photographic sessions with the service users, however encouraging the girls to photograph whilst a work wasn't going to be appropriate.

Additional to this, I would have the opportunity to take responsibility for the graphic design of some elements (time tables, events lists, contact details) for the new website, using their colour schemes ect 

Another idea I had was to capture portraits, again Cate explained that the organization have no rights to publicly reveal the identity of the service users, so although portraits would be nice they would only be for use inside the center. She said if I could come up with some way of photographing the girls without revealing their identity then they would be fine to be viewed outside of the establishment and on the website ect.

As part of the new website, Cate explained that the staff and trustee page needed drastic updating as many of the images on the site were out of date, with current staff not featured and staff that no longer work their still being listed.

One of my tasks at MASH will be to update all of these images by photographing portraits of all members of staff. 

There will also be the opportunity for my to go out on 'outreach' with staff, capturing images documenting what this involves.

I am now to come up with an official proposal of how I plan to utilise my time at MASH.