DALIA SABLE

WHEN Emmanuel Santos entered Jewish Care’s Creative Arts Studio space to teach a photography workshop, he opened participants’ eyes and lenses to their creativity within.

As the acclaimed photographer led the eight budding snappers on excursions with different photographic themes each week, the participants in turn developed their skills.

The result: the Sandra Bardas Memorial Exhibition, which opened last week at the Jewish Museum of Australia.

Titled Point of View, the installation features photos from participants in Jewish Care’s Creative Arts Studio, all of whom have mental health issues.

Exhibitor Sylvia Zuzowska said: “I always wanted to do photography. As a young girl in Poland I did a photography course. When Jewish Care’s Creative Arts Studio offered the Point of View workshop with Emmanuel Santos, I jumped from happiness that I would be able to do it again in my new country, Australia. I have learnt to express myself through the camera lens.”

And it wasn’t only the participants who found the opportunity a positive experience.

Santos said: “The processes were conducted in the most positive and motivated manner with absolute respect and understanding for each individual.

“It helped me develop as a human being and humbled me as a person. In other words, I had a wonderful and spiritually nourishing time.”

Santos said he embraced the opportunity, believing it would be “worthwhile and stimulating”.

He said he was aware that over the course of the three-month collaboration, he “could gain an insight in another angle of creative process”.

“I have conducted a lot of photography-related workshops internationally. Personally working with the participants presented an inspirational challenge in creativity. I predicted a very unorthodox way of co-learning and artistic input and output, which we achieved … working together.”

While Zuzowska chose to photograph the beach and ocean, others selected subject matter according to their interests. Images depicting architecture, family and even religion are all represented in the exhibition.

“The most fulfilling time was when each participant spent a one-on-one workshop [with me at the] location that they chose and applied the techniques that we’ve been through during the process,” Santos said.

Techniques included composition, a broad range of camera methods, basic Photoshop practices, digital processing, as well as editing and print selection.

Supported by professional art facilitators as well as Jewish Care staff, including mental health coordinator Susan Wein, the Creative Arts Studio runs all year round, culminating in an annual exhibition.

The Point of View exhibition is at the Jewish Museum’s Gross Gallery until January 17, 2010.

Enquiries: Jewish Museum of Australia (03) 8534 3600; Jewish Care (03) 8517 5999.