School of Photography
Blind With Camera project goes beyond physical workshops and geographical boundaries by launching a virtual school of photography. The schools helps the visually impaired to get started with photography by using tutorials. It also offers training to the sighted photographs and encourages them to conduct photographic workshops with the local visually impaired people.
Blind With Camera School of Photography aims to create a global community where people with visual impairment can learn, enjoy the art of photography and provide a platform to showcase their “inner galley” of images to the sighted community, and inspire change in the society.
Click here to visit the site.
Our Team
The Beyond Sight Foundation working in the domain as complex as the Art by the Blind, needs to draw upon a wide range of perspectives, experiences and requires expert and professional attention. Team of the Beyond Sight Foundation comprises people from different cultural environments and disciplinary backgrounds.
Advisory Panel
Dr. Simon Hayhoe (Leicester, UK) is a researcher, educator and writer of international repute on social and cultural factors affecting the arts education of the blind. He worked on research projects on subjects as diverse as perceptual psychology to human geography, he developed the BART (Blindness in Art) project and Four Senses project in conjunction with the Royal London School for the Blind and Victoria & Albert Museum. His work on the history and the epistemology of blindness is the subject of the course on Cognition and Representation at the University of Toronto, Canada. He has been invited to many international guest lectures and seminars, and his articles appear in specialised publications, such as the American Foundation for the Blind’s Art Beyond Sight and the Encyclopaedia of American Disability History. Simon is perhaps best known for being the first to write a book entitled Arts, Culture and Blindness. His most recent book titled God, Money and Politics has been the topic of discussion on BBC Radio in the UK. In addition, he is a consultant and chair of the Educational Psychology Research Group for the Art Beyond Sight (New York, USA), and the editor of the on-line academic resource ECO: On Blindness and the Arts.
Astad Deboo (Mumbai, India) is a pioneer of modern dance in India, who employs his training in Indian classical dance forms of Kathak, Kathakali and western dance techniques to create a dance form that is unique to him - an amalgamation of Indian classical dance and western group dance techniques. Through his long and illustrious career, he has worked with various prominent performers such as Pina Bausch, Alison Chase and Pink Floyd, and performed in many parts of the world. Since 1990, Astad has been working with the deaf teaching them dance forms. Performance titled - Contraposition choreographed by Astad Deboo for 12 deaf girls from the Clarke School for the Deaf, Chennai has been travelling across India and abroad and was part of the opening ceremony and cultural program of the 20th Deaf Olympics in Melbourne, Australia in January 2005. He has also trained street children from Salaam Baalak Trust along with his troupe and had performed under the titled - Breaking Boundaries. Astad has been awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1996 and Padma Shri in 2007 by the Government of India.
Arundhati Ghosh (Bangalore, India) is a domain expert on art philanthropy currently she is working as Deputy Director at the India Foundation for the Arts. She has post graduate from Mudra Institute of Communications Ahmedabad (MICA) and has worked earlier with Ogilvy and Mather Advertising and Birla 3M Ltd. In 2008, Arundhati was selected as one of the top three leaders in the city of Bangalore under the “Lead India” campaign of The Times of India. She is a recipient of the prestigious Chevening Gurukul Scholarship for Leadership and Excellence at the London School of Economics, London. She is also guest lecturer at IIM Bangalore, MICA and London School of Economics and has attended several international workshops in Europe and USA.
Giri Giridhar (Mumbai, India) is an experienced finance professional with international experience, an IIMA alumnus and is member of the advisory Board of the CFO Institute. He currently works for the Aditya Birla Group and has worked earlier in Diageo plc, ITC Ltd and IL&FS. He has worked and lived in India, Singapore and London.Currently, he lives in Mumbai with his wife Laxmi and two children. Both Giri and Laxmi has a developing interest in non-profits and wish to do meaningful work in the long term.
Trustees
Partho Bhowmick (Mumbai, India) started the Blind With Camera project in 2006 and successfully driven the project into a national exhibition travelling across India. He is the recipient of the Karmaveer Purakaraar 2009 - National Award for Social Justice and Citizen Action given by the Indian Confederation of NGOs. Partho has master degree in business management and passion for photography, his work is exhibited at several art galleries in India. Early 2009, he founded the Beyond Sight Foundation.
Kanchan Pamnani (Mumbai, India) is a lawyer cum solicitor specialised in corporate affair, intellectual prosperity and disability law. Her clientele ranges from Indian business house, corporate, multinationals and NGOs. Her advocacy work for the visually challenged has been very useful for the community. In 2005, Kanchan was selected among the top forty blind achiever of India and December 2009 she received the President’s Gold medal in the Role Model category of the National Award for Empowerment of Persons with Disability. She is the co-founder of the Beyond Sight Foundation.
Events & News
News
A painting by artist Subrata Chowdhury is adapted as logo of the Beyond Sight Foundation. Raised version of the logo is used on printed material of the foundation for the visually impaired to touch and feel it.
Launch of “Blind With Camera School of Photography” a web based virtual school of photography for the visually impaired. The school provides step-by-step tutorials to get started with photography and also offer guidence to sighted photographers (train the trainer) to start photograhic workshops with local visually impaired people. Click here to visit the school.
Upcoming Events
Nov 26th - Presenation on making of Blind With Camera project at the Nehru Centre, London. The centre is the cultural wing of the High Commission of India.
Nov 18th to Dec 3rd - Exhibition at the DaDa International Disability Art Festival, Liverpool UK. Venue of the exhibition is the Liverpool Cathedral, the largest cathedral in Britain and fifth largest in the world.
Oct 16th - Exhibition and sensitization workshop (simulation of blindness) at HVB School, Mumbai. The show will include photographs resulting from the workshops where visually impaired photographers work together with “blindfolded” sighted students from the school.
Sept 26th to Oct 3rd - Exhibition at the Indian Express building, Nariman Point Mumbai as part of “Joy of Giving Week” by GiveIndia.
Sept 9th & 10th - Exhibition cum sensitization workshop (simulation of blindness) at the Xavier’s College Mumbai in collaboration with XRCVC.
Aug 20th to 22nd - Exhibition at the Kala Academy Panjim Goa. The show includes photographs taken by visually impaired from Goa during the workshop conducted by Blind With Camera in Goa between May and July 2010.
Past Events
10th & 11th July 2010 - Photographic workshop was conducted at Goa in asscocation with NAB Goa and with support from Heritage Jazz, Goa. Twenty six visually impaired from Goa participated in the workshop, age ranging from 12 to 40 years and with visual impairment - born blind, late blind and low vision. Workshop started with indoor session, participants learn how to handle a camera, and they took pictures of each other. The young ones were asked to take picture of design on their dress. The older people were asked to take picture of unused typewriter. Next day was a outdoor session, younger group was taken to old Goa and beach in Panjim. All enjoy the new experience of taken pictures – union of fun & creation. Click here to view the work
27th - 30th May 2010 - Workshop on pinhole camera was conducted at the Centre for Alternative Photography in Goa and supported by Heritage Jazz, Goa. It was attended by Kanchan Pamnani from Mumbai and Pranav Lal from New Delhi. They used pinhole camera made of matchbox, beer can and pvc pipes, pictures were taken directly on photographic paper and films, they also worked in the darkroom. Use of 180 year old photographic practices resulted in images that most of us rarely get to see. Click here to view the worK.
February 20, 2010: Work from Blind With Camera was display at HUB Bandra, Mumbai. Adding flavour to the event Mahesh Umrannia, a visually impaired sitar player and photographer perfomed evening Ragas from Indian classical music. The show ended by screening of films on blindness.
February 6 - 14, 2010: Work from Blind With Camera was exhibited at the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival Mumbai and viewed by over 3000 people and several visually impaired people. Raised touchable images fascinated most viewers. Renowned Indian photographer Pablo Batholomew and Actress cum Social Activist Shabana Azimi visit the exhibition.
January 12-13, 2010: Partho Bhowmick presented the making of Blind With Camera project at the Enterpreneurship Summit at the the Indian Insititute of Management, Ahmedabad. Photographs by the visually impaired were also on display at the venue and a workshop was conducted to give sighted auidence an insight into the creative process of visually impaired photographers.
January 11, 2010: Screening of unique Iranian film SEVEN BLIND FEMALE FILM MAKERS at the Alliance Franciaise, Mumbai on The screen of the film was part of THE VIEW FROM HERE, an exhibition of photographs by the visually impaired from Mumbai and Paris at the Alliance Franciaise, Mumbai from January 11-29, 2010. The show is curated by Partho Bhowmick and screening of the film was made possible with the support of Mohammed Atebbai from Iran.
Seven Blind Female Filmmakers is an extraordinary omnibus film presents seven shorts made by a group of blind women who each participated in a yearlong filmmaking workshop initiated by Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Shirvani. They learnt how to portray their surroundings with small digital cameras and without getting help from the sighted people. Each short opens an intensely intimate window on the everyday experience of the blind, while the collection as a whole raises fascinating questions about the nature of cinema itself.
Awards
Copyright & Privacy Policy
Copyright Policy
Beyond Sight Foundation own all photographs, information, materials, artwork, performances, and other content contained in this website. Along with Beyond Sight Founadtion, photographers own their respective photographs taken by them. This website contains original works of authorship that are the proprietary property of Beyond Sight Foundation and its contributors, protected under international copyright laws.
It is prohibited to copy, reproduce, modify, display, republish, upload, post, transmit, distribute, alter, prepare any derivative works of, or otherwise use any material from this website, photographs and images, without obtaining the express prior written consent of the Beyond Sight Foundation.
Privacy Policy
Thank you for your interest in Blind with Camera. When you use the site, we may ask you to provide personal information like your name, email address, etc. We understand your desire and importance to protect your personal information, so will only use this information to keep our databases updated and send you e-newsletter, invite and other information from time time to time. We do not intend to share the information you provide with anyone outside the Beyond Sight Foundation.
Resource Links
Below are links of blind artists, groups, events, books, videos & films and resource on visual art and blindness, and organizations promoting art by the blind -
ARTIST / GROUP
Elizabeth Goldring
Emu Namae
Helen Fukuhara
Eric Brun Sanglard
Esref Armagan
Evgan Bavcar
John Brambitt
Kurt Weston
Michael Richard
Alice Wingwall
Sujit Bhattacharjee
Tara Arlene Innmon
Traci Parks
Robert Koval
John Dugdale & Flo Fox
Seeing With Photography Collective
TACTILE ART
James Patten
Ann Cunningham
VIRTUAL RESOURCE
Blindness & Arts
EVENT
Blind at the Museum
Sight Unseen
Through the Looking Glass
The View From Here
Lighthouse’s Insight Exhibition
BOOK
Shooting Blind
Seeing Beyond Sight
Invisible Power
VIDEO & FILM
Discovery Channel
Inner Eye
ORGANISATION
Art Beyond Sight
Very Special Arts
Blind Art
Gallery
Rahul Shirsat
Rahul was born blind, he is educated in a normal school. He had learned foreign language and currently he is studying computer science. He wants to work in a BPO.
Our Supporters
Our journey till here would not have been possible without the support from our collaborative and project partners like schools, institutes for the visually impaired, organizations from social sector and business corporate.
Click on the links highlight below to visit respective website of our supporters.
The Victoria Memorial School for the Blind is a charitable institution dedicated to the education and rehabilitation of the blind. Founded in 1902, to commemorate the memory of Queen Victoria, the school has not just been offering free education to children with visual impairment for over 100 years, but also nurturing them to grow up to be responsible and self-supporting citizens. The Victoria Memorial School for the Blind was first to come forward in support to start Blind With Camera project in 2006. We are grateful to Late Ms. Radha Subrahmanian and Ms. Mala Goenka for their support.
The Xavier’s Resource Centre for the Visually Challenged (XRCVC) work towards creating an enabling environment to facilitate the development of an inclusive society both at the micro as well as the macro levels thereby providing equal opportunities for holistic growth for the visually challenged. In 2007, XRCVC collaborated with Blind With Camera project to include the photo exhibition in Antarchakshu (The Eye Within), a sensitization workshop. Our synergy provides an unique way to advocate for social inclusion and equal rights for people who are visually impaired.
Kodak India was established in 1913. Since then it has continued to grow and develop. Today it is strongly established as the leader in imaging industry. It offers a range of digital products and services for both commercial and consumer uses. Kodak is the founding supporter & sponsor of Blind With Camera project. Kodak provides us film cameras, digital cameras, films, takes care of image processing and prints for photo exhibitions.
Spenta Multimedia is a leading publisher in India, providing all publishing services with a fully integrated infrastructure, including a state-of-the-art printing facility. We are grateful to Mr. Maneck Davar owner of Spenta Multimedia for his generous support.
UnLtd India finds, funds and supports start-up social entrepreneurs - individuals with the ideas, passion and entrepreneurial skills to bring about long-lasting solutions to the social problems around them. Blind With Camera project is selected as investee for the year 2008-09 & 2009-2010.
SocialSync is a platform for organizations working for positive social change. We provide tools to establish your web-identity, showcase your initiatives and connect with your constituencies. We aim to enable sustainable organizations through online fund raising, donations and resource networking. SocialSync handles our website and support all our web based initiatives.
Heritage Jazz was conceptualized by Armando Gonsalves with the sole aim of providing a platform for jazz music and fusion music as well as creating the awareness of the rich heritage of Goan homes. Heritage Jazz was an unplanned birth at the large Gonsalves Mansion in Campal, on the heritage area to the west of Panjim. It started off as a number of fun shows which turned into jazz events. Gonsalves Mansion then became the birth place of Jazz in Goa and jazz concerts have become synonymous with this majestic house, smilingly holding to its heart music and song of decades gone by. Heritage Jazz is media partner of Blind With Camera project for all its activities in Goa. We are grateful to Mr. Armando Gonsalves for his generous support.
Impacts
Impacts on visually impaired photographers
- Trigger an insightful journey in visually impaired to bring out their potential strengths. Stimulate and develop their emotional, intellectual and creative expressions, and inspire what still can be achieved
- Uninhibited process of creation - translating mental images into physical photographs demands focus of mind, senses, insightful, judgmental, and intuitive. Combination of these factors helps in developing key skills in visually impaired required in workspace such as problem solving, perseverance, flexibility, team / collaborative work and time-management, and social competence.
- Visually impaired photographers have a feeling of belonging in their accomplishment of seemingly impossible task. This elevates their self-esteem, develops personality and increase confidence to take challenges and makes them more employable, and financial independence. It helps to transform them from passive welfare recipients to active shapers of their own lives.
- Proceeds from sales of photographs and / or royalty from use of photographs will go to the visually impaired photographers. As the project is open to visually impaired people with various economical backgrounds, additional income gives them more financial independence and inspires to earn more.
- Empowerment of visually impaired through photography helps them to be part, and contribute in several mainstream activities, facilitate their social inclusion.
Impacts on blind community
- Inspire peer to take new challenges and “over protected” visually impaired to comer out of their home and explore the world.
- Provide opportunities for visually impaired to earn living by pursuing a career in creative profession.
- Visually impaired will have more access to art in galleries and museums.
Impacts on Society
Work “by” the blind has to be “for” the blind. Beyond Sight is an inclusive exhibition that provides a combination of touchable raised images, Braille footnotes, visual aids and descriptive tour for the visually impaired visitors to access the photographs. It redefines the notion “to see is to photograph and to photograph is to see.” Inclusiveness encourages visually impaired to visit the exhibition (most are first time visitor to an art gallery). The exhibition provides a platform for interaction between sighted and visually impaired people. Demystify the polarity between blindness and visual expression, helps to sensitize people, correct public perception of visual impairment and disability in general. Bridge the gap between “Us” and “Them” and increase tolerance in society.
Impacts on approach to Photography
The experience of being a blind photographer is a small slice of the bigger experience of being blind human being. Their work is the reunion of both these experiences and that makes it thoughtfully different and makes us recall what photography is all about – creating a picture. Blind photographers gift us with a new visual language, free from the influence of visual history and modern visual culture, free from the conscious struggle for control, free from formalistic rules of perfection and away from intellect of visual literacy. Demands active mental participation of the sighted viewers to understand the experience of expressing a world that is not seen or partially seen. Demonstration of new understanding makes the work of blind photographer much truer to photography, and much closer to life.
Support Us
There are many ways to support Blind With Camera, whether you’re on your own or part of an organisation. Below are few ways you can support us.
Buy Photographs
Each print is limited to 30 edition. Pricing is uniform across all photographs and all countries including India.
20″ x 24″ print is price at $150 or INR 7500
20″ x 30″ print is price at $200 or INR 10000
24″ x 36″ print is price at $250 or INR 12500
Packaging & Post per print is $25 across all countries except India. Delivery is free in India.
All print are archival quality and come with a certificate of authenticity, profile and statement of the photographer, and information about the project.
To buy a print send a mail to parthobhowmick@gmail.com In the mail please write the “Pic No” (mention at bottom of each picture under Gallery), name of the photographer, print size, print quantity, delivery address and contact details. Prints will be dispatched within a week of receiving an order.
Payment to be made in favour of Beyond Sight Foundation payable at Mumbai. Part of the money raised through print purchases goes directly to the photographer and balance is used for funding the existing and new photo centric projects with visually impired.
Use of Photographs
Photographs from Blind With Camera projects can be used for commercial and non commercial purpose. If you are interested in using Blind With Camera images please email to parthobhowmick@gmail.com and explain how you wish to use the images, including the “Pic No” (mention at bottom of each picture under Gallery)
We will get in touch with you to discuss terms and conditions of use.
Make a Donation
Blind With Camera is part a charity organization Beyond Sight Foundation (Reg.No. E25791,19-06-2009). Your donation is a valuable contribution to fund the existing and new projects. Donation can be made on-line (click on DONATE icon on the left of the screen) or off-line by sending a mail to parthobhowmick@gmail.com
All donation to be made in favour of Beyond Sight Foundation payable at Mumbai.
Every donor or buyer by default becomes a “Friend of Blind With Camera” and gets half yearly e-newsletter, to keep them updated on new projects, workshops and events.
Camera for Cause
You may donate any working camera or useful piece of photographic equipment you no longer need. Since different projects has varying demand of camera and photo equipments, we are looking for still cameras (film or digital), video cameras, lenses, filters, tripods, flashs, films, memory card and anything else related to photography. You may share studio space, resource and digital labs on temporary basis. To donate camera / equipments please email to parthobhowmick@gmail.com
We will get back to you to make arrangements for collecting cameras you want to donate.
Work with Us
We offer individual volunteer opportunities and project partnership. If you are interested in becoming involved with Blind With Camera project in any capacity we would love to hear from you. Along with volunteer opportunities, we will be pleased to hear from organisations who feel to work with us as Project Partners. All we need in you is desire to work on new ideas and sharing your passion and skills.
Please email your profile to parthobhowmick@gmail.com
About Us
Vision
Social inclusion of the visually impaired through imagery.
Mission
To create a community where people with visual disabilities can learn, participate, enjoy and practice the art of photography, and reduce the gap between visually impaired and sighted people.
Value Statement
Art opens our minds to unexpected ways of viewing ourselves and the world. No less vital is its function as an instrument of change, a reminder of diversity, a source of healing and development. Potential for creativity lies within all of us to express our feeling and ideas. Art programs can help individual express themselves, develop their confidence, use their imagination and inspire their creativity. Art education, art practices and art access should be widely avaiable without prejudice to class, language, religion, gender or limitation.
Belief Statement
Disability is a diverse human condition, people with disability are “differently able” and art by them is an invaluable form of expressions; prove that they have interesting way to perceive and lead life. Art “by” and “for” all can lead to an equitable society.
Objectives
- Training and develop skills in photography.
- Opportunities to showcase photo artworks.
- Accessibility of art and culture.
- Livelihood and financial support.
- Opportunities to interact with ‘able’ people on an equal platform.
- Spread awareness and increase tolerance in society.
Background
Blind With Camera project was started by Partho Bhowmick in Mumbai, India. Early 2004, accidentally he picked up an old issue of a photo magazine from a pavement vendor in Mumbai, India to come across an article on Evgen Bavcar, an accomplished blind photographer based in Paris. His passion for photography made him contact Evgen Bavcar over the Internet and got profoundly influenced by his work and philosophy. He engaged himself in self-study on blindness and visual art, and in the process, came in touch with several blind photographers and blind artists around the world and people working towards giving new insight to the blind and their artistic expression.
Picture by Evgen Bavcar
After two years of independent research on blindness and visual art, he decided to start a workshop on photography for the blind, but it was not easy to get around endless queries, questions and doubts. Finally, after months of trying to get participants, in January 2006, he started the workshop with just one student. Several visually impaired jointed later. Workshop was fee of cost, it was funded from his savings and later well-wishers and business corporate came forward to support it.
As the workshop evolved with time, Partho could see the illuminated new world of the Blind photographer’s inner gallery. These inner galleries where translated into an “inclusive” exhibition - Beyond Sight. Since the first show in 2007, the exhibition has been traveling across India, presented and discussed at several social conferences, and viewed by over 15,000 people. Blind With Camera project is the first of its kind in India.
Early 2009, the Beyond Sight Foundation was founded to widen the scope and deepen social deliverables of Blind With Camera project.
Partho has been awared the Karmaveer Puraskaar 2009, National Award for Social Justice and Citizen Action by the Indian Confederation of NGO (ICOGNO).
Contact Us
Partho Bhowmick
Founder
BEYOND SIGHT FOUNDATION
A 403 Vasant Sarita, 90 Feet Road
Thakur Complex, Kandivali East
Mumbai - 400101
Maharashtra, India
Mobile: +91- 9821474731
E-mail: parthobhowmick@gmail.com
Above logo of the Beyond Sight Foundation is adapted from a painting by artist Subrata Chowdhury
Press Room
Blind With Camera project and Beyond Sight exhibition have phenomenon media coverage. Click the links below to read the press reviews and view TV coverage
THE TIMES OF INDIA
Sunday Review
Bomday Times
TEHELKA
Photo Feature (Part-1)
Photo Feature (Part-2)
Photo Feature (Part-3)
THE HINDUSTAN TIME
Gray Matter - Art & Culture
THE HINDU
Sunday Magazine
Metro Plus
THE INDIAN EXPRESS
Art Talks
DNA
After Hrs - Opening of Show
After HRS
DECCAN HERALD
Sunday Art & Culture Review
Panorama
BUSINESS WORLD
In Vogue
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL & REFRACTIVE OPTOMETRY
Guest Editorial
Exhibitions
June 07 - Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore
October 07 - India Habitat Centre, New Delhi
February 08 - Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, Mumbai
March 09 - Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata
January 10 - Alliance Franciaise, Mumbai
Beyond Sight and its making, and its role for inclusive society was presented and discussed at several art and social forums.
May 07 - Industrial Design Centre, IIT Mumbai
June 07 - Annual National Conference, Azim Premji Foundation, Bangalore
August 07 & 08 - Malhar Festival, Xavier’s Collage Mumbai
August 08 – Conference on Gender, Disability & Society at Delhi University
January 10 - Indian Institure of Management, Ahmedabad
Our Programs
- Conduct workshops on photography with visually impaired to create photo artworks using still camera, video camera and mobile phone camera.
- Promote photography as a vocational curriculum and provide training on photography at schools and institutes for the visually impaired.
- Run a virtual school of photography for the visually impaired on Intranet.
- Exhibit photo artworks by the visually impaired through ”inclusive” photo exhibitions and film shows.
- Organise photo competitions of the visually impaired.
- Generate income for the visually impaired through sale and use of their photo artworks
- Provide support by all possible charitable means for education and welfare of the visually impaired.
- Organise awareness and sensitization workshops to offer an experience of disable way of life.
- Promote access of art for the visually impaired in gallery and museum environment by a combination of touchable raised images, Braille notes, large prints, visual aids and audio descriptive tours.
- Organise workshops to encourage artists in all media to produce and exhibit artworks specially created for visually impaired audience.
- Provide fellowship to visually impaired pursing education or career in arts, cultural practices and literature.
- Research and documentation for better understanding of vision, blindness and visual arts.
Home
Blind With Camera is an initiative of the Beyond Sight Foundation, a not-for-profit organization prompting the art of photography in people with visual impairment. It provides a platform for the visually impaired to share their imagination and their point-of-view of the visual world, and speak out about their unique experience, feelings, challenges, concerns and hopes.
Photographs by the visually impaired helps to empower them, provide them earning opportunities and facilitate their social inclusion. It demystify the polarity between blindness and visual expression, helps to sensitize people, spread awareness and correct public perception of visual impairment.
Along with promotion of Disability Art culture, the foundation organizes events that bring the visually impaired and sighted people on equal platforms, bridge the gap between them and increase tolerance in society.
Copyright © 2009 Beyond Sight Foundation. All rights reserved.