We are in the middle of a very stimulating workshop with 14 Bangladeshi, Nepali and Norwegian students and award winning photographer Philip Blenkinsop. The workshop is the beginning of an extended exchange program where participating students will produce an in-depth photo reportage project.

Philip Blenkinsop has been described as “one of the most essential photographers of his generation” (Christian Caujolle). He is adamant that the photographer should never censor scenes through the camera. “Photographers are both witnesses and messengers. Our responsibility must always lie with the people we focus on, and with the accurate depiction of their plight, regardless of how unpalatable this might be for magazine readers.” His work, published in international arenas, has been the catalyst for much discussion and amongst other accolades was awarded Amnesty International’s Photojournalism prize for excellence in human rights journalism.

The 14 students participating in this workshop are; Arfun Ahmed Shawon, Benjamin Ward, Gyanendra Bhattarai, Ina Inglingstad, Labib Mohammad Sharfuddin, Md. Samsul Alam, Prakash KC, Prasiit Sthapit, Rajan Shrestha, Rajneesh Bhandari, Salma Abedin Prithi, Sapana Shah, Sindre Thoresen Lønnes and Tapash Paul.

It gives us great pleasure to invite you to join us for this special screening of the students’ and Philip’s works:

SATURDAY, 11th February @ Summit Hotel, Kupondol Heights

4:30 PM: My Asian Heart
My Asian Heart follows award winning photojournalist Philip Blenkinsop on assignment to China, setting up his next exhibition. Capturing Nepal during the pro democracy uprisings. And reflecting on the plight of the Hmong “survivors” who continue to haunt him. In Philip’s world there’s constant tension between his artistic commitments and the drive to report on world conflicts. The film is directed by David Bradbury.
[The Summit Hotel TV Room]

6:00 PM: Student Showcase
[The Summit Hotel Inner Courtyard]

7:00 PM: Philip Blenkinsop Showcase
[The Summit Hotel Inner Courtyard]

The workshop is part of an ongoing programme between Oslo University College in Norway and Pathshala. South Asian Media Academy in Bangladesh.
–
www.photocircle.com.np

Monday the 7th February 2012

No matter how poorly the countrymen mark Bangladesh’s sports, it has an admirer in Emily Dimozantos, an Australian freelance sports photographer who is in Dhaka now thanks to an exchange programme.

Although the Edith Cowan University, Perth student feels that poor infrastructure hardly helps the athletes to excel in the international level, she has fallen in love with the hosts’ sports, athletics being her most favourite one.

The smiling Aussie was speaking to this correspondent at the Bangabandhu National Stadium after the match between Dhaka Abahani and Rahmtaganj. She was also sharing her experience with the athletes who are undergoing a training programme for the upcoming Saff Games.

“My university and the Pathshala, a photography school, have an exchange programme. I have immense passion for sports photography and is enjoying my stay in Bangladesh. One of my pictures of hurdler Sumita Rani has been selected as a display banner of an exhibition hosted by the Drik Gallery,” said Emily.

Being a woman, it’s natural she keenly observes women’s participation in the sports of Bangladesh.

“Yes, I have seen the women’s football tournament. I understood that it has just started. However, I have spent a lot of time with the women athletes and found that they are very talented. At the same time I found that the infrastructure is very poor and there is lack of sufficient funds. In a country like Australia the training facilities are far far better,” said the Australian.

Emily is yet to go Mirpur, the hub of cricket. “I don’t have much passion for cricket. However, I will go there,” she said.

The dense population of Bangladesh has caught the eyes of the photographer. “People here always seem busy and the roads are always full of traffic. I don’t have many words to describe it,” said Emily.

Emily was amazed to see the Guinness World Records certificate of Abdul Halim who also entered the big bowl after the match.

“It is awesome and amazing. I am happy to see the venue and meet Halim. It is amazing to see the man who carried the ball for 15.2 kilometres and completed 38 laps. It’s a big honour for Bangladesh,” the Australian observed.

Pathshala, the South Asian Media Academy takes pleasure in inviting you to the presentation of Frank Fournier in Pathshala.

Frank Fournier is a French photographer. He originally studied medicine before becoming a photographer. He moved to New York and became a staff photographer at Contact Press Images in 1982 after joining the office staff in 1977. His portrait of Omayra Sanchez, a 13-year-old trapped under the debris of her home, won the 1986 World Press Photo award.

Frank is currently in Bangladesh to conduct a workshop on international reporting at Sylhet in the north east of Bangladesh. He is one of three international photographers, the others being Greg Marinovic (Kolkata), and Philip Blenkinsop (Kathmandu), who will be lead trainers in workshops involving photographers in Bangladesh (organised by Pathshala), India (organised by Drik India) and Nepal (organised by Photo Circle). Pathshala tutors Munem Wasif (India), Tanzim Ibne Wahab (Nepal) and Debashish Shom (Bangladesh) who along with Per Anders Rosenkvist of Oslo University College (OUC)  in Norway, will provide mentoring throught the workshop.

Pathshala has been actively collaborating with OUC for over six years, and students from Bangladesh, Nepal and Norway have been involved in exchanges supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Frank’s presentation follows talks by David Burnett (December 2011) and Pep Bonet (January 2012) and is part of the regular teaching programme at Pathshala.

The schedule of the presentation:

Date: February 04, 2012
Day: Saturday
Time: 6.00 pm
Venue: Pathshala (Room # 1)

Reportage on Wahid Adnan and Bangladeshi photojournalism on French Radio.

Le Bangladesh serait le pays où l’on trouve le plus de photojournalistes. Si c’est vrai, c’est en grande partie grâce à Shahidul Alam qui a lancé là-bas une école pour former les jeunes à la photographie. Pour que le Bangladesh se regarde dans les yeux, pour qu’on arrête de le regarder de loin, d’en haut. Pour ne pas laisser aux ONG le monopole de l’image. Rencontre avec Wahid Adnan, un jeune photojournaliste bangladais et avec son professeur, Shahidul Alam. Un reportage de Caroline Gillet

Pour voir les photos de Wahid Adnan – et sa série “Dhaka 9 to 5″:

Wahid Adnan © Wahid Adnan – 2012

Inauguration of Exhibitions – Pradyumna Vyas, Director, National Institute of Design

1700 hrs T S Satyan – Recorder of Life, Beauty and Truth, Aquarium | NID & Tasveer
1730 hrs Travelling Light, Foyer | Maria Kapajeva
1745 hrs ‘+91’ Graduate Students Exhibition, Old Canteen | Richa & Soumyadip

1st February 2012
0900 hrs Registration
0930 hrs Inauguration & opening address | Pradyumna Vyas, Director, NID

1000 hrs Session I Photography and Photography Education

Shahidul Alam Drik | Bangladesh
Nayland Blake International centre of Photography (ICP) | USA
Anna Fox University for Creative Arts (UCA) | UK
Annu Palakunnathu Matthew University of Rhode Island | USA
Pablo Barthelomeow Photographer | India

1130 hrs Tea Break
1145 hrs Session II Photography and Photography Education

Sunil Gupta Photographer, Curator | India
David Moore Central Saint Martin College of Art& Design | UK
Peter Sramek Ontario College of Art & Design University | Canada
Deepak John Mathew National Institute of Design Ahmedabad

1300 hrs Lunch Break
1400 hrs Session III Connecting the World – Collaborative Projects and Exchanges

Lucida Photographer’s Collective | India
Maria, Peter & Chinar Collaborative Project | India, UK, Canada, Brazil
& Finland
Andrew Bruce & Shilpa Gavane Academic Exchange | NID-UCA
Nayantara Photo Circle | Nepal
Maniyarasan R & Rahul SR History of Indian Photography | NID

1530 hrs Tea Break

1545 hrs Session IV Photography and Practice

Karen Knorr Photographer | UK
Vivek Vilasini Photographer | India
Nandini Valli Photographer | India
Magi Viljanen Photographer | Finland
Neeta Madahar Photographer | UK

2nd February, 2012
0930 hrs Session V Photography and Research

Esa Epstein Sepia Eye | USA
Sabeena Gadihoke Researcher, Jamia University | India
Anusha Yadav Photographer, Researcher | India
Johny ML Art Critic, Curator & Writer | India

1100 hrs Tea Break
1115 hrs Session VI Photography and Dissemination

Abhishek Poddar Gallerist | India
Aditya Arya Photographer, Researcher | India
Radhika Singh Gallerist | India
Prasant Panjiar Photojournalist | India

1300 hrs Lunch Break
1430 hrs City of Photos/Three Women and a Camera (Documentary @ Auditorium)

Inside Out III (Closed session at Board Room exclusively for delegates)
1400 hrs Photography Education in India, UK and USA- Perspectives

1700 hrs Tea Break
1715 hrs Concluding Session (Auditorium)

Speakers Profile

Nayland Blake
Nayland Blake is an artist whose mixed-media work has been variously described as disturbing, provocative, elusive, tormented, sinister, hysterical, brutal, and tender. Among his most famous pieces are a log cabin made of gingerbread squares fitted to a steel frame entitled Feeder 2 (1998). When it went on display at the Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery, visitors furtively nibbled off bits and pieces of the cabin’s interior walls, while the smell of the gingerbread filled the gallery.Another well-known work is Starting Over (2000), a video of the artist dancing with taps on his shoes in a bunny suit made to weigh the same as his lover, Philip Horvitz. The suit was so heavy that Blake could hardly move as he took choreographic directions from Horvitz offstage.Gorge (1998) is a video of the artist sitting shirtless being hand fed an enormous amount of food for an hour by a shirtless black man from behind. In 2009, a live version of Gorge was staged in which audience members fed Blake.

Dr. Deepak John Mathew
A design teacher and a practicing photographer lives and works in India. Deepak John Mathew is teaching at the National Institute of Design (NID). He has an experience spanning over 20 years in professional photography, painting and graphics.He holds a master’s degree in Fine Arts (Graphic Arts) from the M.S. University, Vadodara and has a PhD in Design Education from the Center for Advanced Studies in Education, M.S. University, Vadodara. He has been instrumental in designing and developing the dual postgraduate program in Photography Design. He also set up the Photography Design discipline and started an International Postgraduate Certificate Program in Photography at the institute in collaboration with University for the Creative Arts, Farnham, UK. Deepak has curated a number of exhibitions at NID, including those featuring the works of famed photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Anne Maniglier, and Raghu Rai. He has received many awards including the Commonwealth Fellowship for Photography (2011) and exhibited his works at many international and national exhibitions and has authored several papers. He has written a book called, Principles of Design through Photography. He has also been contributing to various NID publications. He has been invited as visiting faculty, lecturer, external evaluator, mentor, and advisor to various universities and institutes all over the world. Besides photography, Deepak’s interests include history of art, color&form, and illustration.

Sunil Gupta
Born in New Delhi, and growing up watching Bollywood films in all their glorious colour, Sunil Gupta moved to Montreal with his family in the late 1960s, where his interest in photography began to develop. From the mid-1970s he lived in New York, where he studied photography at the New School for Social Research under Lisette Model. At the end of the 1970s, he moved to London to continue his studies at the West Surrey College of Art and Design, Farnham, and the Royal College of Art, London. He was involved in the founding of Autograph (Association of Black Photographers) in London, and he also set up the Organization for Visual Arts (OVA) to promote a greater understanding of questions regarding cultural differences and their incorporation into the sphere of fine art. He works as a photographer, writer and curator out of London and Delhi

Sabeena Gadihoke

Sabeena Gadihoke is Associate Professor of Video and Television Production at the AJK Mass Communication Research Centre at Jamia University in New Delhi and is also an independent documentary filmmaker and cameraperson. Her book Camera Chronicles on India’s first woman press photographer, Homai Vyarawalla was published in 2006. She is currently working on her dissertation on a cultural history of photography in India during 1945-1970.

Radhika Singh
When Radhika Singh set up Fotomedia in 1988, it was the first photo-library in Delhi to store, promote and market photographs. Radhika Singh had no experience in running her own enterprise. What she did have were three degrees — a B.A. in English, an M.A. in Social Work, an M.Phil in Sociology — and stints in modelling and theatre.She has an M.Phil in Sociology, been a model, is active in theatre, has dabbled in social work and is a successful entrepreneur. But for someone with her range of interests, Radhika Singh is a remarkably focussed woman. In less than 10 years, 42-year-old Singh has taken her outfit, Fotomedia, from an oddball little venture to a still-unusual, but profit-making, enterprise.

Neeta Madahar
Neeta Madahar received her MFA from the Museum School at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts in 2003. As a British citizen of Indian descent who has lived and worked in the U.S., Madahar constantly refers to themes of migration and transition throughout her work. Madahar’s thesis project entitled Sustenance gained immediate interest and was shown at the Arles Festival curated by Martin Parr in 2005, followed by shows in Boston, London, and Germany. In this project, Madahar examines the complexities of the domestic environment through her exploration of the various bird species that gather to feed at her home in Framingham, Massachusetts. Using a large-format camera, Madahar juxtaposes contrasting ideas of familiarity and strangeness, belonging and migration, and prolonged routine and repetition.

Karen Knorr

Karen Knorr, an American was born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany and was raised in San Juan Puerto Rico in the 1960s. She finished her education in Paris and London graduating from the University of Westminster in 1980 with a first in Photography and Filmic Art. Karen has taught, and lectured internationally including The Sorbonne,Paris, Goldsmiths College, London,Harvard University and The Art Institute of Chicago in the U.S.After graduating from the University of Westminster in the mid 1970’s, Knorr exhibited photography that addressed debates in cultural studies and film theory concerning the “politics of representation” practices which emerged during the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. Karen Knorr is currently Professor of Photography at the University for the Creative Arts at Farnham, Surrey and lives in London.

Anna Fox
Anna Fox first gained attention for Work Stations: Office Life in London (1988), a study of office culture in Thatcher’s Britain, originally commissioned by Camerawork and The Museum of London. She is best known for Zwarte Piet (1993-8), a series of twenty portraits taken over a five-year period that explore Dutch ‘black-face’ folk traditions associated with Christmas. The images of costumed revellers, posed in the manner reminiscent of seventeenth-century Dutch portraiture, have been widely exhibited internationally. Other projects have included The Village (1992), a multi-media collaboration with the writer Val Williams, examining the experiences of rural women, Country Girls, a collaboration with singer/songwriter Alison Goldfrapp portraying a fairytale nightmare vision of life in the country for young women, and Friendly Fire, which records the leisure activity of paint-balling in the manner of war reportage. More recent publications include Cockroach Diary and My Mother’s Cupboards and My Father’s Words (2000), which deal with autobiographical narratives and were designed as miniature, limited edition books. Her work has been exhibited and published internationally and she is now Professor of Photography at the University College of the Creative Arts, Farnham and has been part of the UCA team who have worked with Dr Deepak John Mathew to develop the PG Diploma in Photography Design at NID.

Annu Palakunnathu Matthew
Annu Palakunnathu Matthew is Professor of Art (Photography) at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, Rhode Island. Matthew’s recent exhibitions include Sepia International, New York City, the RISD Museum, Newark Art Museum, Newark, NJ, 2009 Guangzhou Biennial of Photography, China, 2006 Noorderlicht Photo Festival in Netherlands and the 2005 Le Mois de la Photo à Montréal Photo Biennale in Canada.Among the list of grants recently supporting Matthew‘s work include the John Gutmann Fellowship, MacColl Johnson Fellowship, Rhode Island State Council of the Arts Fellowship and the American Institute of Indian Studies Creative Arts fellowship. Her work can be found in the collection of the George Eastman House, Fogg Museum, Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Center for Creative Photography and the RISD Museum among others. Matthew’s work is included in the book BLINK from Phaidon, that according to the publisher celebrates the quality and vision of today’s 100 most exciting international contemporary photographers and the upcoming books The Digital Eye by Sylvia Wolf and Self-Portraits by Susan Bright.

Pablo Bartholomew

Pablo Bartholomew is an independent photographer based in New Delhi, India Represented by Gamma Liaison for over 20 years, he worked as a photojournalist recording societies in conflict and transition. His works have been published in the New York Times, Newsweek, Time, Business Week, National Geographic and GEO, amongst other prestigious magazines and journals. Pablo Bartholomew at the age of 19 won the World Press Photo award for his series on Morphine Addicts in India (1975) and the World Press Photo of the Year for the Bhopal Gas Tragedy(1984).

David Moore
Based in London, David Moore has been a practicing photographer since 1989 after graduating from West Surrey College of Art and Design. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including group shows in 2010 at the Thessaloniki Photo-Biennale and Les Photaumnales in Beauvais, France. The Last Things, a publication and touring solo exhibition, travelled to Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Belfast Exposed, Impressions Gallery Bradford and UH Galleries, Hertfordshire, 2008-09. Moore’s work is held in public and private collections including Nuffield College Collection, Oxford University; the Ranstad Collection, The Netherlands; and, the Ministry of Defence Art Collection, London. David Moore is currently Senior Photography Lecturer at Central Saint Martins College, London.

Abhishek Poddar

Abhishek Poddar is the director of Bangalore based gallery, Tasveer. Dedicated to promoting and showcasing photography in all its forms, Tasveer has created a network of galleries between Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Ahmedabad. Since its inaugural show in October 2006, over 100 exhibitions have been held and the also gallery organizes lectures, workshops and other educational activities, both in India and abroad.
Nandini Valli

Born in 1976, Nandini Valli was raised in Chennai, India where she continues to live. She completed several degrees before entering the field of photography. After an 18 month apprenticeship with a leading commercial photographer in Chennai, Nandini decided to pursue a B.A Honours in Photography from the Arts Institute at Bournemouth, UK (now known as the Arts University College Bournemouth). This is where she realized she was more suited to producing art photography as opposed to commercial photography.

Anusha Yadav

Anusha S. Yadav, born in London, is a Mumbai based Urban Documentary Photographer. She was bought up London and later in Jaipur, Rajasthan India. She graduated in Communication Design from the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad in 1997. Anusha’s interest in photography began while still at design school. Subsequently, she attended University of Brighton to study photography for a semester.After thirteen years of a successful career in graphic design and advertising, Anusha began working as an independent editorial and documentary photographer in 2006 in India. Since then she has photographed several well known personalities and significant events all over the country.

Johny ML

Johny ML is a Delhi based art critic and curator. With twenty years of experience, JohnyML has done several national and international art projects successfully. Founding editor of www.mattersofart.com and www.artconcerns.com, JohnyML has initiated and executed projects like Finding a Lost Culture and Tradition (FALCAT 2009), Vibrant Gujarat (2009), Video Wednesdays@Gallery Espace (2009), Expressions at Tihar (2009). He has curated several shows and directed documentaries on contemporary artists.

Prasant Panjiar

Prashant Panjiar is a self-taught photographer. A post-graduate in Political Science from Pune University, India, he worked on photographic projects focusing on peasant movements and other social issues through his college and university days. His first self-financed project that received acclaim was his work for a book on banditry in the Chambal region of Central India. As one of India’s senior photojournalists and picture editors, Panjiar is actively involved in guiding young photographers. He is one of the three senior photographers who select and mentor young documentary photographers for National Foundation of India’s fellowship programme. Panjiar served on the jury of the World Press Photo Awards in Amsterdam in 2002, the China International Press Photo Competition in 2005 and the Indian Express Press Photo Awards.

Shahidul Alam

A photographer, writer, curator and activist, Shahidul Alam obtained a PhD in chemistry at London University before switching to photography. He returned to his hometown Dhaka in 1984, where he photographed the democratic struggle to remove General Ershad. A former president of the Bangladesh Photographic Society, Alam set up the award winning Drik agency, the Bangladesh Photographic Institute and Pathshala, the South Asian Institute of Photography, considered one of the finest schools of photography in the world. Director of the Chobi Mela festival and chairman of Majority World agency, Alam’s work has been exhibited in galleries such as MOMA in New York, the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, the Royal Albert Hall in London and The Museum of Contemporary Arts in Tehran. He has been a jury member in prestigious international contests, including World Press Photo, which he chaired. An Honorary Fellow of the Bangladesh Photographic Society and the Royal Photographic Society Alam is a visiting professor of Sunderland University in the UK. He recently set up a media academy in Bangladesh.

Vivek Vilasini

Born in 1964, in Trishur, Kerala, Vivek Vilasini trained as a Marine Radio Officer at the All India Marine College in Kochi, and then obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Kerala University in 1987 before turning to art and studying sculpture from traditional Indian craftspeople. Vilasini’s work has been exhibited in several solo shows including several editions of ‘Between One Shore and Several Others’ at Birds Gallery, Trivandrum, Arushi Arts, New Delhi, Sumukha Gallery, Bangalore, and the Visual Arts Gallery, ‘In Focus: Contemporary Indian Photography’ at Crimson – The Art Resource, Bangalore, in 2009; ‘Re-Claim/ Re-Cite/ Re-Cycle’ presented by Latitude 28 at Travancore Art Gallery, New Delhi, in 2009; ‘Metamorphosis: Change and Continuity in Indian Contemporary Art’ at PAC Gallery, Phyllis Weston-Annie Bolling Gallery and the Krohn Conservatory, Cincinnati, in 2009; ‘Bapu’ at Saffronart, Mumbai, in 2009; and ‘Who Knew Mr. Gandhi?’ at Aicon Gallery, London, in 2008. The artist lives and works in Bangalore.

Peter Sramek

Peter Sramek studied photography at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under Minor White and has taught at the Ontario College of Art & Design University in Toronto since 1976, currently serving as Chair of Photography. In 1978, he became a founding member of Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography in Toronto, one of Canada’s leading artist-run centres. His work incorporates silver photography, digital imaging, handmade books and video installation. Represented by the Stephen Bulger Gallery, he is included in collections such as the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography, National Library of Canada, Musée Carnavalet (Paris), MOMA (NYC), Art Gallery of Hamilton, Toronto Archives and Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. Recent solo exhibitions include the French Institute of Prague and Gallery 345 (Toronto). Sramek’s black and white silver photography currently explores European historical sites and incorporates rephotographic strategies, working from historical archives. His handbound artist’s books are in various collections, notably the National Library of Canada and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. He is currently recipient of a Google Research Award to develop an online/mobile presentation of his rephotographs of Paris street views made after photographs by Charles Marville between 1865 and 1877.

Magi Viljanen

Artist and photographer Magi Viljanen has created a long and respective career as an art and commercial photographer. Her photography original and stand out from the mainstream in a refreshing way. As a photographer Viljanen is unprejudiced and has chosen challenging themes many times during her career. Bravely she has tried different methods and materials in her works. “I think art is meant to move something in a person, and at its best art affects those things that people may have become numb to. I don’t see myself as a subjective artist but as a part of something common, and that is way I work. I am a documentary photographer and I think that art that makes a statement is important.” The work of Magi Viljanen is easy to approach and touching in its way to show the truth and representation of life. All the viewers can integrate with some aspect in her pictures. Her works brings the reality of others in front of us allowing us to see true stories from this world.

Lucida

Lucida is an independent photographers’ collective based out of New Delhi. It aims to develop and support a range of independent and critical photographic practices that focus on research and education. Lucida endeavors to influence photographic thinking through a design oriented approach in photography services.

Esa Epstein

Esa Epstein established sepia EYE in September 2009 which is dedicated to showing a spectrum of modern and contemporary photography and video work from Asia., During her tenure as the Executive Director and Curator of SEPIA International and The Alkazi Collection (1995-2009), Esa Epstein has published eight titles on modern and contemporary photography including: Atul Bhalla: Yamuna Walk (sepiaEYE & UW Press, 2011), Jungjin Lee: Wind, essays by Eugenia Parry and Vicki Goldberg (Aperture/SEPIA, 2009); Ketaki Sheth: Bombay Mix, preface by Suketu Mehta (Dewi Lewis/SEPIA, 2007); and Vivan Sundaram: Re-take of Amrita, essays by Vivan Sundaram and Wu Hung (SEPIA, 2006). In her former position, Esa Epstein has helped build an impressive collection of Indian photography and, along the way, has offered her expertise to both private and public collections. Esa Epstein continues to offer institutional planning and arts management through sepia EYE.

Maniyarasan R

He is a freelance professional photographer with a Bachelors degree in Architecture from the SPA New Delhi, and a Masters in Photography Design from NID Ahmedabad, where he worked as an Associate Faculty after his post graduation. He strongly believes that every challenge presents itself with a bundle of opportunities, if only we have the creativity, innovation and an eye for detail. His main inter­est apart from architectural and heritage documentation lies in capturing the essence of pure human emotions, and the sanctity and joy of weddings- moments that bind people together. Through his visual documentation, he has been on a constant endeavour to capture the context of ‘life’ in relationship to time, space and emotions. Besides, he was nominated as the ‘Wedding photographer of the year’ for two consecutive years, conducted by Better Photography and Kodak for the years 2010 and 2011.

Rahul S Ravi

Rahul S Ravi completed his Master’s in Photography Design from the National Institute of Design (NID), which is internationally acclaimed as one of the foremost multi-disciplinary institutions in the field of design education and research. A literature graduate and a graphic designer by profession, he was a passionate practicing photographer before joining the course at NID. A humanist eye drives his photography and his documentation has a conceptual approach to it. His photographic projects try to bring in focus socio-cultural issues that have been at times overlooked by the mass media. These very qualities in his work “Indian Jewish identity” made him the Second Indian to win the prestigious Tierney fellowship. He is currently working as a Teaching Associate in Photography Design at National Institute of Design (NID) Ahmedabad.

Maria Kapajeva

First time Maria visited India as an exchange student coming to NID and returned later as a visiting lecturer and coordinator. Together with her personal project about Indian young women, Maria will present the results of two collaborative international projects such as Collective Body and Travelling Light show. Maria Kapajeva is Estonian photographer based in the UK who works for Photography course of University for the Creative Arts (Farnham, UK) and at the same time studies at University of Westminster (MA Photographic Studies course).

NayanTara Gurung Kakshapati

NayanTara Gurung Kakshapati graduated from Mt Holyoke College, Massachusetts with a degree in International Relations and Studio Art. She went on to the SALT Institute of Documentary Studies, Portland, ME to study Documentary Photography.

NayanTara came back home to Nepal in 2006 and began working as a freelance photographer and multimedia producer. Her work focuses on intimately documenting her country- ‘the New Nepal’- and its dynamic transformation from the world’s last Hindu monarchy to a new democratic republic.

In 2007, NayanTara co founded photo.circle; a photography collective that has created a platform for emerging and professional photographers in Nepal.

Pathshala South Asian Media Academy is an internationally reputed institute. The Broadcast and Multimedia Department of Pathshala provides short courses to those who are looking for a job in the electronic media or have just started their career in the broadcast industry. At the moment Pathshala is working on a MA programme in Broadcast Journalism that will be offered from September 2012.

For the Broadcast and Multimedia Department, Pathshala is looking for a ‘Faculty Moderator/Tutor’

Key responsibilities:

Operate as full time tutor
Coordinate the work of other tutors
Coach students and trainees
Ensure the continuity and quality of classes

Requirements:

MA (preferably in journalism) with at least 5 years experience in Broadcast Journalism
Affinity with teaching and with Pathshala
Communicative

Salary:

Negotiable

Send your CV to:

Shah Sazzad Hossain
Manager (Admin & Finance)

Last date for submission: 16^st December 2011

The programme is being streamed online and viewable at www.drik.tv andwww.comjagat.com

All other activities including five seminars running in parallel will also be viewable in these sites as well as in all major social networks like BCC Blog, Facebook, Twitter, bdnews24.com blog, Prothom Alo blog and Somewhere in Net blog. Photographs of the entire programme will be uploaded by DrikNewsat flickr.com and available for instant download. The entire programme will be digitally archived and available through video on demand.

Book launch at Rizzoli Book Store

Talk at Busboys & Poets

Skira, Bengal Foundation and Busboys & Poets cordially invite you to a book signing for: Shahidul Alam “My Journey as a Witness” edited by Rosa Maria Falvo

Friday, November 11, 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Busboys & Poets
1025 5th Street Northwest
Washington D.C. 20001
+1(202)789-2227

Dr. Alam will be delighted to sign copies purchased during the event

——————————————————————————

Lecture at Georgetown University

Cultural Diplomacy

Monday November 14th 11:30 am

St.  Mary’s  120.  Best  access is  Reservoir  Road,  hospital  entrance  #1.  St. Mary’s is on the left.  You  can  park on the street,  or  go to the  Georgetown  parking lot in the Leavey Center.  Just  keep  going  from  entrance  one to  the  garage.

Interview at NPR:

Every weekday for over three decades, NPR’s Morning Edition has taken listeners around the country and the world with two hours of multi-faceted stories and commentaries that inform, challenge and occasionally amuse. stories and commentaries that inform, challenge and occasionally amuse. Morning Edition is the most listened-to news radio program in the USA. Shahidul Alam will be interviewed by Morning Edition. Contact Salma Hasan Ali for details:

Pathshala – South Asian Media Academy was established in Dhaka in 1998 to fulfill the long felt need for providing institutional education in photography in Bangladesh. Today Pathshala is one of the premier institutes of photography in Asia. With a visiting faculty consisting of the finest professionals in the world, the school boasts a teaching programme that is second to none. Students have won major international awards (World Press Photo, Asahi Shimbun, National Geographic All Roads Contest etc.) and take on assignments for the most prestigious international publications (Time Magazine, Newsweek). Within a short period, Pathshala has established itself as a regional centre for excellence in photography, attracting students from India, Nepal, Norway, Denmark, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, the UK and Zimbabwe. Pathshala is affiliated to Bolton University (UK), the Danish School of Journalism and Sunderland University (UK).

Pathshala invites application and portfolio from interested students for enrollment in the

Three years professional course on photography.

Eligibility/ Admission Requirement:

- HSC / A level (Minimum Second class / GPA 2.5)
- Fluent in spoken and written English
- Completion of basic or foundation course in photography
- Portfolio with ten photographs (Size: 8″x10″)
- Curriculum vita with two referees
- Two passport and two stamp size photographs
- Brief written explanation justifying interest in the programme

Important Dates:

Portfolio Submission deadline: 25th September, 2011

Interview: 27th September 2011

Interview Result: 27th September 2011

Admission deadline: 29th September 2011

Class starts: 9th October 2011
For more information please see, www.pathshala.net.

Hasib Zakaria
Vice Principal
Pathshala South Asian Media Academy

PhD Researcher
Archeology & Art
Vrije University Brussels
Belgium

15 August, 2011

For Immediate Use

UQ to host international photojournalist advocate’s public discussion

Internationally renowned Bangladeshi photographer, writer and activist Dr Shahidul Alam will lead a free public discussion next week, hosted by The University of Queensland’s Centre of Communication and Social Change, School of Journalism and Communication.

Dr Alam will discuss the role of ‘the visual’ in communication for social change at the James Birrell Room of the UQ Staff Club on Tuesday August 23 at 5.30pm.

Presentation at Museum of Brisbane Amnesty Press Release

Kelly Higgins-Devine interviews Shahidul Alam

The Audio file of the ABC Radio interview