Noor. Za'tari Refugee Camp. Photography as therapy project with Martin James Foundation.

In June 2019, The Martin James Foundation invited Kate to visit Za’tari in Jordan – the world’s second largest refugee camp where 80,000 Syrian men, women and children have lived for the last seven years. 

Kate worked with the children and their psychosocial, physio, speech and occupational therapists to introduce ways in which cameras and creativity could be used to support their often painful and traumatic therapy sessions. 

The workshops took place at the camp’s Hope Centre – a comprehensive rehabilitation centre for children established by The Martin James Foundation in partnership with Arabian Medical Relief (AMR). 

The photos taken by the children and Kate will take pride of place in a dedicated exhibition located at Birmingham New Street and will be available for members of the public to view until 18th September 2019. 

Named Noor, meaning light in Arabic, the free-to-attend exhibition will give an honest and candid glimpse into life on the camp and the children of Za’tari.

Martin James Cockburn, founder of The Martin James Foundation, says: “Due to the ongoing conflict and destabilisation of the country, millions have fled Syria to find safety from the violence in neighbouring countries such as Jordan. Over 2.3 million people have left Syria and over half of these refugees are children.

“With many of these children having been displaced due to conflict, the Hope Centre plays a crucial role in providing psychological care, which is just as important as caring for immediate physical problems to ensure that children are able to move forward from this difficult start in life.

“Exhibitions like this are a great way of highlighting an issue that may otherwise go unnoticed and we really do hope members of the public will come and show their support.”

Kate Green comments about her involvement in the project: “ I’m passionate about the therapeutic benefits of photography and believe its no coincidence that it has become such a massive part of the fabric of our lives. The language of photography allows us to express ourselves, tell our stories and bridge divides. It is also the perfect medium for us to connect with ourselves, each other and our environment.

“It was my privilege to work with these families and to help the therapists at the Hope Centre to find new ways to conduct their sessions using creative learning, and to make the lives of these children just a little better.

“I was humbled by the children’s joy and thirst for life, despite the challenges they face.

When I asked one Mum how she manages in the camp with her son, five year old Muhammed, who has cancer, her response was “I am grateful for what God has given me.” The hardship I witnessed there was immeasurable. If we think Za’atari is an acceptable place to call home then we need think again.”

The Martin James Foundation is officially launching at the end of September. For more information please visit www.martinjames.foundation or www.kategreenphotog.com.

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Learning to use the camera with help from Mum and Sister.

Capturing the light of the moment.

Back in Jan 2015 I enrolled on a 10 wk practical philosophy course dragging my long suffering friend Grace along with me - I was having a tough time personally and was looking for something to support me with the challenges I was facing (link to free course below). Within weeks of starting the course I started to feel better and I began to notice a startling connection between my Photography and the Philosophy I was learning.

Some really key messages began to ring out each week at my class and they continue to do so. A specific one, very early on was ‘Anxiety is worrying about tomorrow, depression is worrying about yesterday - when we are truly in the moment, neither can exist’. Wow!! This one hit me right between the ears and I began to realise that when I am ‘properly’ taking pictures I am not worrying about any of the problems I might have that day. The camera helps me to be truly connected to that moment. During one of the early philosophy lessons we looked at levels of awareness and I realised I’d been in ‘waking sleep’ through times in my life. Kind of just going through the motions - wake, snooze, wake, dog walk, work, eat, drink, sleep, repeat. There have been many fantastic times along the way but I was beginning to realise these could be more regular and heartfelt with just a few simple changes and practice. 

‘When one realises one is asleep, at that moment one is already half awake’ P.D. Ouspensky

When talking to my tutor David Nock about the relationship I was seeing between photography and philosophy he wisely said ‘‘well they are both practices where we are simply seeking to capture the light of the moment’’

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With this in mind I have spent the last 3 years being more aware of how photography (and other creative practices) effect the people I work with and teach. I have talked to people about why they like taking pictures and how it makes them feel and the responses are only ever positive.  I have looked at how photography makes me feel and I have witnessed countless moments where photography and the use of cameras helps people from all walks of life, every age and every ability to feel better.  

I’ve seen how 2 year old children that are struggling to settle into a new care environment connect and build relationships with each other and the unfamiliar space around them when playing with a camera.

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I’ve had a blind student that took great portraits through his rapport with his subjects and knowing when the picture is sharp by listening to the camera.

I’ve worked with terminally ill adults in end of life care shooting positive self portraits and sharing memories of what photographs mean to them. 

I’ve worked with survivors of rape and sexual violence, looked after children, the recently bereaved, women on probation, teenagers with severe mental health issues and many more and seen how they are able to express positive emotions through the lens and to be in the moment.

‘That which is in front of you is your teacher’ author unknown.

American photographer Chase Jarvis says ‘The best camera is the one you have in your hand now.’  and I have to say I agree. Of course I need cameras with extra bells and whistles to do my job as a photographer but often my most enjoyable camera is in my pocket at all times - my phone camera. 

All too often the technology in our lives saps our time, attention, energy and happiness. Occasionally we are controlled by it - in fact one of my students is creating a fantastic body of work shooting just that at the moment -when reviewing her work we are repeatedly struck by the lack of smiles people show when consumed by their devices oh and there’s actually a health condition now called tech-neck. But there is a time when people do demonstrate obvious happiness when engaging with their device and that’s normally when they are taking a picture. 

There are normally 2 reasons for getting your phone out to take a picture:

1. To prove we’ve been somewhere, got something, ate something or met someone and to post on social media and get as many likes as possible or..

2. Because something stopped you in your tracks - pricked your consciousness and awareness and brought your attention to that beautiful, funny, emotional, never to be repeated present moment. 

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It’s the second one we should try to do more of and the first I now do much less. I’m 3.5 years ‘clean’ of Facebook now because it was sapping my energy but instead for my social media fix I do follow a lot of great and inspirational photographers on Instagram @kategreenphotog.

Through the philosophy school I have also been introduced to mantra based meditation and whilst I’m not the most disciplined of students I do have a new way to still those circling thoughts and see past the shadows. I’ve learned to connect with my senses so while pausing to make a picture I try to sense what I can hear, feel, taste and smell too. 

You can only connect with your senses in the present moment - try it now!

So I’m learning now to pause much more in my life - to be more still, to notice the light and to see the amazing things that are right in front of me. And where there is light there are shadows but learning to work with these is all part of it. Sometimes I’ll take a picture and sometimes I remember not to and just experience that moment. I’m learning to become a ‘human being’ not a ‘human doing’. I’m using my technology instead of it using me and expressing my emotions through the lens. I’ve developed a process I use for this called P.A.U.S.E. 

Here are a few tips if you fancy giving it a try:

P - Pause - Imagine you’re shooting with film so there is a perceived value and limit attached to pressing that button and pause to consider your composition.

A - Attention - Recognise what it is that caught your attention and think about how you can best represent that in the picture you make.

U - Unconscious - Creative ideas often come from the unconscious mind. Take the pressure off yourself. Forget about how many likes you might get for this picture. Reflect on how you are making (not taking) this picture purely for you, to celebrate this moment which, when passed, you will never retrieve. Tap into the unconscious that called for your attention.

S - Senses - Connect with your other senses and think about how you can communicate anything that arises through your picture.

E - Emotion - Think about how you feel e.g. calm, peaceful, happy, sad, angry and try to find a way to express this through your image. 

Why not have a go and if you do feel like sharing then let me know. You can find me on instagram @kategreenphotog and tag your pics #capturingthelightofthemoment.

If you are interested in attending a workshop then drop me a line.

Thanks for reading and please share if you know someone this might appeal to.

Kate x

links -

The Black Dog - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiCrniLQGYc

Midland school of Practical philosophy http://www.philosophymidlands.org/our-courses/introductory-philosophy-10w/

https://brokenlightcollective.com 

A Journey into Chaos: Creativity and the Unconscious https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3115302/

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Panic attacks were not part of the grand plan.

 I had always dreamed of being a photographer when I was at school but life, greed and sales targets got in the way for the first 15 years of my career. I had a succession of jobs I was good at and with that came the material rewards. It was only when my body and mind buckled under the stress that I was forced to rethink my future.

When you are losing sleep over Transport Ticketing Systems and Energy Efficient Boilers it's time to ask yourself where your dreams have disappeared to. Panic attacks and anxiety were not part of the grand plan.

This was back in Feb 2005, 10 years ago and at the time I had no idea what I would do with my future. I turned to my family for the love and support they had always shown me and then my sister, Sarah asked me to photograph the launch of her new business. I'd got a posh camera and always kept up with my photography since my days of being a photographers assistant back in 1987. The pictures were a success and so Kate Green Photography was born. 

It's a sad fact of life that while I was 'in between jobs' I lost my sense of purpose and my identity. It's hard making small talk without asking or being asked 'What do you do?' Whilst I had always been proud of the jobs I 'd had, as a photographer I was finally doing something I loved and cared about that made me feel healthy and fulfilled. I think it's no coincidence that many friends and acquaintances of my generation have suffered stress and anxiety and have eventually turned to self employment and to following their dreams. I heard recently that Birmingham has the highest number of newly self employed people in the UK and that the creative sector is the fastest growing sector in the city. Perhaps that's another blog post for another time. 

Over the past 10 years I have been privileged to work with some amazing people and have witnessed first hand the changes in people when they are allowed to be creative. Whether that is photography, film, dance, music, textiles, sculpture, ceramics or comedy I have seen the transformational shift in people's mood, health, energy and wellbeing and each time the results astound me. Quite often I witness these activities taking place in hospitals and care settings when health and well being is already challenged. My aim is to highlight the importance of practicing creativity both as a prevention and a cure.

I am grateful for the way photography transforms the way I feel. It makes me feel present and connected making my worries disappear while my camera is to my face. This is why I have decided to document the impact of arts and creativity on health and wellbeing. So who are these pictures for? Well first and foremost they're for me. Over the past couple of years life got in the way again and I forgot the words of my old friend and mentor Eric Lawe who always told me to 'look, look and look again'. This new body of work is a chance for me to be creative, to focus my camera and my mind again and take pictures for me. If along the way I can inspire creativity in someone else, perhaps motivate a care setting to invest in arts practitioners or help attract funding for the organisations I photograph then all the better. 

 'Every child is born an artist, the problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up' Pablo Picasso.

So for all people that say 'Oh I'm not artistic, it's not for me' just take a moment to think again. Join that choir, get that camera out, enquire about an evening class, sing in the shower or dust off your musical instruments. When was the last time you invested in you? Go on, feed your soul.