Foundation Initiatives

​​Imagining Narratives
A Photography Workshop

Key information

Course Facilitator: Srinivas Kuruganti
 
Format: Online / Remote
Duration: 3 months (12 weeks)
Intake: 12 participants
Commencement date: August 10, 2023
Application deadline: July 31, 2023

About

An Open Call for photographers who will be mentored and guided on individual projects of their choice. It’s a remote-workshop. Participants will work remotely from their locations on a photo project for 3 months.
 
The focus will be on exploring their own streets, neighborhoods, and cities, allowing them to develop deeper connections with their subjects. By following their instincts, participants will learn how to create meaningful and impactful images. They can choose to either start new projects or continue working on existing ones.
 
To ensure regular progress, participants will work daily on their projects, and their work will be reviewed during our online meetings twice a week. The participants will engage in insightful discussions with their mentor, and they will receive constructive feedback during closed-group critiques. Additionally, we will discuss various photographic styles, invite guest speakers for lectures, and provide references to noteworthy photography projects, books, and films to enhance the learning process.
 
By following this comprehensive format, our aim is to help participants develop a deeper understanding of the language of photography. This understanding will help them to align their photography practice with their unique ideas and goals, ultimately allowing them to interpret and visualize in their own personal and compelling artistic ways.

Eligibility

Submissions are open to all South Asian photography practitioners from India. Aspiring photographers from smaller towns and non-metropolitan regions, who do not have access to opportunities and resources are encouraged to apply!
 
In this limited-capacity workshop, following an inclusive and accessible process, 12 participants will be selected based on the quality of their existing work. Submissions are open to photographers who would like to propose a new project or continue on an existing one.
 
Age 18 years and above as of the Open Call date.
 
Early career photographers are encouraged to apply.
Apply Here

Submission Guidelines

1. Image Submission:
  • Up to 20 images uploaded in a Google-Drive folder link / WeTransfer folder
  • Submission may include a selection of images that are your best shots (not necessarily related) or a photo-series, either of which may highlight your artistic vision and technical proficiency.
  •  Images should be resized to 1500px on the longer side, with 72dpi density for manageable file sizes.
  • Please name the files accordingly in the order that you wish the jury to view them.
 
2. Statement of Interest:
Statement of Interest (max. 300 words) outlining your motivation and interest of joining the workshop.
  • SOI should include your motivations, goals and your vision of how this workshop will contribute to your artistic growth. Additionally, you can outline what you think you could bring into the workshop community.
 
Self-Declaration form of authorship of the proposed work. (OPTIONAL)
  •  A simple self-declaration form signed and attested by the photographer that specifies that the work they submit is owned by them intellectually. In terms of a collaborative body, please specify it clearly, with clear mentioning and acknowledgement of the collaborator.
 
3. CV and Bio:
Combine your Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a brief biography (max. 200 words) into a single PDF not exceeding 2MB.
  • Your CV should highlight your relevant education, training, exhibitions, awards, and any other pertinent professional experience.
  • Your biography should provide a concise overview of your background and artistic journey.
 
Please ensure that all PDFs are easily readable and well-organized. Clearly label each document with your name following the specified format – JohnDoe_Statement.pdf, JohnDoe_CV_Bio.pdf.
 
Once you have compiled all the required documents in a Google Drive folder, please submit the link to the folder in the designated field below. The application deadline is July 31, Monday.

Selection Process and Timeline

  • Last date of submission: July 31, 2023.
  • The selected participants will be informed by August 7, 2023.
  • The selections will be made by an independent and non-biased jury. 
 
We appreciate your interest in this workshop and look forward to reviewing your submission. If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected]

Terms and Conditions

  • Project should be feasible in terms of scale and logistics, and should be completed within the deadline set in the proposed timeline.
  • All participants will own the absolute rights to their work.
  • Participants own the copyright of all their work.
  • We prioritize a respectful, transparent and inclusive environment in the workshop. Instances of misconduct are strongly discouraged and will be strictly addressed.
  • All work produced in the workshop framework will have to be completed, edited and compiled within the given time frame.

About the
Facilitator

Srinivas Kuruganti is a photographer currently based in Delhi. He has lived in New York and London. His work tackles environmental and health issues, as well as personal essays.
 
Between 2013 and 2017, he was the photo editor at The Caravan magazine, India’s foremost magazine for long- form journalism, on politics and culture.
 
Since then, he has worked on archiving his photographs of three decades, which document his life and travels in India, America and Europe. He plans to develop photo books rooted in his archives.

Subash Sagar

Where the Water Flows
I spent my early years on the Vaigai River in Madurai, where my friends and I played hide and seek around the majestic neem trees on the riverbank. Eventually, my family moved away, severing my connection with the river.

When I returned, the altered state of the river brought a flood of memories. It instantly took me back to the time we played gilli danda, and goli gundu. The changes in the landscape made me reflect on my lost connection. I am now on a journey to reconcile my relationship with this transformed river.

Subash Sagar lives and works in Madurai, India. He focusses on moments that provoke questions about life and its constant occurrence. Through his photographs, Subash aims to fill the void between him and the outside world.

Instagram: subashphoto
Email: [email protected]

Fatima Juned

I was there, but now I’m here.
In a relentless world of perpetual motion, the desire for the softness of home consumes us. The longing of memories we hold within, a place we yearn to return to. As we grow older and distance ourselves from home, these memories become a cherished reservoir of our past. They shape our anticipation for that defining place, a home we eagerly await, where our essence and memories find a lasting embrace. Yet in the midst, we forget, home is within.

Fatima Juned is a documentary photographer, researcher, and writer from Lucknow. Her work explores the themes of gender, human rights, labour, culture, and moments that evoke emotions. As a photographer, she captures the essence of her subjects with care and admiration.

Instagram: fatimajuned
Email: [email protected]

Meera K M

And as we breathed,
The dust and dots collided.
From then on, they knew each other, So they gathered in different spaces,
At different times to form unique dimensions,
Eventually, where some of them held each other to create,

Where everything in the universe evolved violently by growing itself to death.
Meera K M is a practitioner from Kerala. Her inspirations and interest revolve around her immediate surroundings, where all lives are dust in motion.

Instagram: Meera_kavallur
Email: [email protected]

Benthunglo Patton

Cherry Pit
Peeling back the layers of Dimapur’s vibrant youth culture, we uncover a Nagaland that’s more than just picturesque hills and a clichéd notion of what is traditional.

Our shape-shifting city of hotspots, shitty roads, and reasonably priced booze defies logic even for a local like me. My friends and I immerse ourselves in a mix of intimate gatherings that are hardly glamorous but where connections are laid bare, honest, and real.

Benthunglo Patton is a writer and photographer from Nagaland. As a storyteller, she is drawn to the nuances and subtleties of the places she calls home, with a willingness to challenge conventional and stereotypical portrayals of a region she is most familiar with.

Instagram: all_hail_mr_bubz Email: [email protected]

Ayan Farooqui

Scapegoat
“Coming from a marginalised community, I often feel like I am nothing more than a scapegoat.”
Through my photographs, I am posing a fundamental question: Does society truly require a scapegoat to redirect its aggression?

These images in Scapegoat emphasise and highlight the resilience, strength, and determination of goats, prompting the viewers to reflect on the complexities of blame and its far-reaching consequences.

Ayan Farooqui is a photographer from Aurangabad. He produces compelling stories that raise crucial questions about the role of scapegoating in society.

Instagram: ayan farooqui_
Email: [email protected]

Bhumika Saraswati

The Unequal Heat
Dalit women in whom I recognise my kin, who are hardly ever thought of as being at the forefront of the climate crisis, are harvesting your food. The temperatures are soaring above 45 degrees Celsius. The sweltering heat distorts my camera’s field of vision. This is a story of resilience persisting at the cusp of multiple vulnerabilities.

Bhumika Saraswati tells stories of people who have been generationally underrepresented. She loves to write and film and was awarded the UNFPA-Laadli Media Award for gender sensitive reporting. Her latest film on the lives of sex workers and their children was awarded the Human Rights Press Award 2023.

Instagram: bhumikasaraswati
Email: [email protected]

Adil Manzoor

Hawhukh Matsar
Ghar’e wandhai ghar’e saasa
Barr’e nearhai ne zahn (Sheikh-ul-Alam)

Home, I will sacrifice a thousand houses for you, I don’t want to go beyond your threshold.

I dreamt of reading under the shades of the Chinar trees in Naseem Bagh, of love shared behind the bright flowers, moving in unison with the Dal breeze.

Like many, I tried to escape conflict, yet it clung to me. Wherever we go, we carry its weight.

Verandas pyath bihith, hawhukh matsar
wuchan wuchan, pyov chehli chehli Myun makaan

While sitting on the veranda, I watched maddened winds ravaging my house, piece by piece.

Adil Manzoor is a documentary photographer and filmmaker. He is interested in intertwining personal stories with the political issues, bridging the gap between individual experiences and broader societal issues.

Instagram: _thepotbellied Email: [email protected]

ArunkumarMarimuthu

Replica Artist
Everyone likes cinema, and many people are madly in love with heroes. Some people are inspired by movies, do makeup like idols, and perform on local stage shows and TV channel shows. In this field, some people succeed in their careers, and some people fail and struggle. This story belongs to them.

Arunkumar is from Perambalur, Tamil Nadu. He likes to photograph people, the environment, and the culture around his place.
Instagram: arun_kumar_marimuthu

Email: [email protected]

Muskan Chauhan

The Grey
The complex interplay between my thoughts, emotions, and the external world, has led to uncertainty, and anxiety. I sought to unravel these changes in my life through the contested grey, in the black and white.

Muskan Chauhan is a contemporary artist from Himachal Pradesh passionate about photography and curating. She has a keen interest in art and uses image-making as a way of expression.

Instagram: muscan.chauhan
Email: [email protected]

Leena Sharma

Camaraderie
The synergy of hip-hop and skateboarding in Delhi fosters a unique blend of self-expression, where skateboarders and artists unite to turn the city streets into vibrant platforms for creativity and camaraderie.

Leena is a PhD researcher in the Comparative Literature and Translation Studies Department at the Central University of Gujarat. Her work, majorly anthropological, circumnavigates the discourse related to history and orature amongst communities.

Instagram: leina_sharma
Email: [email protected]

Ayush Goyal

Night Haul
Illegal riverbed sand miners work under cover of the night, relying solely on the headlights of their Bolero pickup trucks. While those involved are
aware of the environmental damage, economic necessity drives them to continue this risky work.

Despite trying other jobs, they find more personal satisfaction in sand mining and value the flexibility to return home to their villages in Nepal. The
clandestine nature of their work exposes them to legal and safety risks.

Ayush’s work looks at the environmental fragility of the Himalayas and the long-term effects of rampant unregulated development.

By focussing on the beauty and vulnerability of the region, he encourages a reevaluation of our priorities and the adoption of sustainable practices that can ensure the longevity of these landscapes.

Instagram: mirrorslaps
Email: [email protected]