In the dark February depths of lockdown, young people from our Teenvine Plus and Teenvine Plus Covid Next Steps projects began an online photography course with a difference.
Yes, they were learning compositional techniques and styles from the masters at Grain Photography Hub. All the while adding to their practical skillset.
But they also had a bigger aim – creating an exhibition about their home town of Coventry for UK City of Culture 2021!
Seen by thousands of shoppers and visitors to the city centre over coming weeks, the exhibition is a source of pride for the young people we work with who have learning disabilities or autism and have been through some of the toughest experiences of the pandemic.
But Teenvine Plus and Teenvine Plus Covid Next Steps have been alongside them since the beginning, delivering an intensive programme to 23 disadvantaged teenagers that increases their independence, self-esteem and positive self-image and develops greater social inclusion at a critical point in their lives.
Read what this has entailed here.
Thanks to Grain Photography Hub, Coventry City of Culture Trust and Coventry City Council for this amazing opportunity!
Coventry Visual Stories by Charlotte, Prash, Ellie, Sean, Jamie, Thomas and Janson. Funding for Teenvine Plus Covid Next Steps provided by BBC Children in Need.
From our #StrengtheningPeople action strand of work at Grapevine.