Refugee Storyteller Workshop

Background

Witness Change, an NGO specializing in amplifying the stories of marginalized groups, is looking for refugee storytellers for their project 1000 Dreams. A host country’s understanding of the refugee experience most often comes from stories told by journalists, aid workers, or politicians; rarely does it come from refugees themselves.

With 1000 Dreams, we share the complex and diverse lives of refugees so that people in the United States, and around the world, can gain a better understanding of who refugees are; their challenges, their strengths, and their dreams.

The Workshop

The project will start with a workshop in Detroit, led by National Geographic photographer Robin Hammond. The workshop will teach photography and interview techniques so that refugee storytellers can become the authors of their own communities’ stories. The work you create will be used in our project, 1000 Dreams, to bring global exposure to the lives of refugees, as told by refugees.

A group of ten refugees will attend a twelve-day storytelling workshop. The first four days will focus on theory and technique in a classroom setting. You will be given a camera to practice and will learn from Witness Change staff. The following eight days will be your time to practice. You will collect stories (photographs and interviews) while being mentored by Robin Hammond and Witness Change staff.

At the end of the workshop, those who complete the training will be awarded a certificate of achievement. If you complete the entire 12-day program successfully, you will be given the camera equipment to keep.

Included in the workshop:

• Lunch & snacks
• Camera and interview equipment for those who do not have their own
• Stipend ($50 per workshop day, $40 per story collected)
• Live translation (if needed)

Mentored Storytelling

Workshop participants who collect a minimum of five stories during the workshop period will become a 1000 Dreams Storyteller. You will receive continued, online mentorship from Robin Hammond, a Sony camera, professional flash equipment, and global exposure through 1000 Dreams.

Commitment

Storytellers will be expected to contribute 10-20 stories over three months, spending about 2-5 hours per week on the project.

Who Can Apply?

Anyone who has a “refugee experience” may apply. This includes refugees, former refugees, asylum seekers, TPS holders, or others who left their home country due to violence/persecution.