‘Me, Myself and I’, Anna Sherbany

In 2005 HS Projects began an annual collaboration with Shacklewell Primary School that ran for four years bringing professional artists to run workshops in support of the school’s arts programme, contributing to the school being awarded an Arts Council Award.

Each project was focused at a specific age group. For the first project, Year 6 was identified in collaboration with the school and the selected artist, Anna Sherbany, to support the children’s impending transition from Primary School to Secondary School. For ‘Me, Myself and I’, Anna Sherbany used photography as a tool to encourage self-esteem, develop self-image and promote a sense of belonging. The project was both child and group centred, encouraging individuality and group interaction.

The children photographed each other using compact cameras and were encouraged to take photographs out of school exploring their own ideas and environment, with the outcome compiled into individual photograph albums. Identity and representation issues were explored through carefully staged studio self-portrait sessions in which the children chose a character, a part, perhaps a personal fantasy, whatever they wanted to be at that moment. The project aimed to empower the children to develop a ‘visual voice’ through photography and image production, as well as learn how to use a camera and frame a photograph.

‘Me, Myself and I’ was commissioned by HS Projects and funded by the Insight Community Arts Programme (2002 – 2015).

The project ran from July to December 2005.