Carlton singers turn photographers in the name of human rights

07/11/2007

Carlton Neighbourhood Learning Centre’s (CNLC) singing group is developing photographic artwork that illustrates human rights. The “Thursday Singing Group” is made up of people aged 30 – 70 years with disabilities who meet on Thursdays at the CNLC. For the past month, they have been working with community artist Marion Singer on a human rights arts project.

Ms Singer has been contracted by the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission to work with different community groups to produce artwork that depicts the human rights contained in the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities, which came into effect this year.

Human rights themes have been explored by each community group and represented in a series of photographs and collages that will be on display at the Commission’s “chARTing rights” art exhibition at the Old Melbourne Gaol in early December.

“The participants have developed an understanding of the basic principles of human rights and have taken photographs to express the human rights principles of freedom, respect, equality and dignity,” Ms Singer said.

Carlton Neighbourhood Learning Centre Manager Ms. Mary Parfrey welcomed the opportunity to work collaboratively with the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission on such a creative and developmental project.

“The Thursday Singing group’ has a great capacity to explore new mediums and interpret conceptual ideas” she said. “They have enjoyed this positive opportunity to learn about working with cameras and have surprised us with their eagerness to create profound and beautiful photos for display.”

Commission Chief Executive Officer Dr Helen Szoke said the project was an innovative way of building awareness of the Charter of Human Rights in the community.

“We hope that human rights awareness within the community will grow as it is passed on from participants in the workshops to their peers and families,” she said.

Marion Singer is an experienced community artist with a strong history of working with people from a diverse range of backgrounds to create meaningful art.

Ms Singer and the Commission have also completed arts projects with ORYGEN youth health service clients, a group of older community gardeners, and year 9 students from Northland Secondary College.

Media contact: Jessica Ardley, (03) 9281 7133 or 04288 81254