Animateur Mona Filip's discoveries with the group

One of the first discoveries we made among our group was the incredible variety of backgrounds and stories carried by each participant. Few had lived in Oakville all their lives, one had only recently moved there and others had already been halfway around the world. Their interests and passions ranged from soccer, Web design and the supernatural, to environmental politics and social justice.

Jeff and Sara's openness encouraged everyone to talk about their own experiences. All participants were looking at their personal histories from very different perspectives. Some took a critical stand, severely judging their community; others expressed nostalgic regret for past times and places or had not formed yet their opinion about Oakville.

After Jeff Thomas introduced them to the basic aspects of photography, from familiarization with the camera to composition, lighting and shooting, participants eagerly set out to explore Oakville through the lens. On the first day, we started the programme following Jeff's clues and directions through the main commercial area, the lakeshore, the harbor and the ravine, gradually shifting focus towards personal investigations.

Jahfer, who had just moved to Oakville and never yet explored the downtown, was surprised and delighted to discover the lakeshore. His photographs revealed a poetic gaze, shifting at times from melancholy to humor. Jenny and Jane, the socially conscious investigators, were interested in staged photographs integrating role-playing and political stance. Staging Jenny in the landscape to underline symbolic connotations, Jane found original ways to comment on Oakville life. Meanwhile, Jenny discovered her own metaphors to speak about confinement and boundaries within the urban tissue by focusing on margins, fences and chain links found in the landscape.

Starting from a perspective more akin to Sara's explorations of family history and migrant destiny, Ashleigh and Nicola turned their gaze affectionately to their past. A collage of old snapshots and new photographs picturing their life in Oakville created a revealing tapestry of nostalgia and hope. Rebecca's images of crossroads and horizons stood as metaphors of the many possible roads life can open in front of us. Intensely fond of fantasy and alternative realities, she populated her Web site with stars and imaginary characters.

Using film cameras and traditional processing was fascinating for teens accustomed to use digital cameras and new media technologies. Their excitement and sense of empowerment was noticeable as soon as they were handed the individual cameras. Pointing their viewfinders with a fresh look, they scrutinized the town, appropriating it as their personal stage. They even played games with fellow Oakvillians, experimenting with the power of the camera to draw attention and turn heads.

Later on in the darkroom, printing their own photographs, they relished in the hands-on process that allowed them an intimate control over their medium. The following Web design workshops gave them the tools to bring together their images and thoughts into a coherent body of work.

Now, after the quest reached its end and the thoughts ripened, the findings are ready to be shared. The participants open their welcoming home pages, inviting you to explore with them the places they call home.

Mona Filip
Animateur

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