Date: 16 August, 13:00 (opening) – 16:00
Venue: Mbekweni Community Hall, Paarl
RSVP: Photovoice Exhibition

 

The University of Cape Town, in collaboration with Triangle Project, has been working with a group of 15 young women who identify as lesbian or bisexual from Zonwabele LGBTI Organisation in Mbekweni, Paarl. The aim of this project is to use photography as an empowering method through which lesbian and bisexual youth can tell their stories and express their joys, challenges and aspirations.

 

The young women, between the ages of 14-18, were trained in photography and tasked with documenting different aspects of their lives as lesbian and bisexual youth.

This exhibition is the culmination of their project, and will take place at the Mbekweni Community Hall, Mbekweni, Paarl on Saturday 16 August.

 

The programme will begin at 13:00 with an opening address, a short performance by some of the young women in the group, a poetry reading, and a speech by one of the participants about her story and her experience of taking part in the project. There will then be time until 16:00 to look at participants’ photographs and stories. Some of the themes that the exhibition highlights include experiences of homophobia in school and in the community, dreams and aspirations, ‘coming out’ stories, living in poverty, and how they navigate their everyday lives as lesbian and bisexual teenagers.

 

The exhibition, hosted during Women’s Month, celebrates the stories of young lesbian and bisexual women whose voices are not typically included in debates about gender equality and women’s rights. Through their images and stories, this group is powerfully claiming their space in their community, raising the issues that are important to them and broadening the narrow way in which the category “women” is often defined.

 

For enquiries please contact Maia Zway at photovoice.exhibition@gmail.com or Ingrid Lynch at advocacy@triangle.org.
za.

 

Triangle Project is a human rights organisation advocating for the rights and wellbeing of LGBTI persons by working towards a society free of discrimination, prejudice, victimisation, heterosexist violence and the oppression of gender and sexual minorities. More information at www.thetriangleproject.org or info@triangle.org.za