Kid Photographer - Photo Installation Exhibition - A Journey into a Child's World

About exhibition (有關展覽 )

The Society for Community Organization (SoCO) will be staging the Kid Photographer Photo Installation Exhibition – A Journey into a Child’s World from 22 August to 1 September 2011 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre at Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. The exhibition will feature photography taken by underprivileged children living in cubicle flats and inadequate housing in Sham Shui Po, telling their story through photography. SoCO will also be distributing the recently published photo collection book, Kid Photographer, at the exhibition.

With billions in reserve, the Hong Kong government extends only minimal help to the economically and socially marginalized groups in the territory. While the economy improves in general, an approximate 1.26 million grass root workers continue to struggle with mounting inflation and falling income . Among those affected are 300,000 underprivileged children who live below the poverty line with insufficient living and educational resources, and nearly 20,000 of whom live confined in cage dwellings and cubicle flats, robbed of their basic social, economic and cultural rights. As the cost of living continues to soar, life only becomes more challenging for those living in poverty.

The issue of child poverty has been widely discussed and well documented, but often obscured by the preconceptions from an adult’s perspective. The true extent of the impact, however, can only be understood when reflected through the eyes of a child. SoCO set up the Children Photography Workshop in the summer of 2009, allowing children to tell their stories through photographs, shared with the world through exhibitions and publishing their collections of work.

Studying the images taken by these young photographers, gives an insight into their lives – narrow rooms, mounds of cardboard, basic food and toys – interspersed with touching moments with their family. A child’s view of our world can be moving and transcend the limits of the lens. It gives us a vision into affection, social events and the community of these underprivileged neighborhoods, enhancing our understanding of a child’s participation in society.

SoCO also takes the opportunity of this exhibition to release the recently published photo collection book, Kid Photographer. This 144 page hardback documents the photographs and stories of 21 children living in poverty. Divided into 5 sections, the stories include reflections on the frugal lifestyle of the 300,000 poor, the hardship of collecting cardboard boxes for a living, life in a cage of 3 square meters, playtime for the poor, and their passion to fight for their rights. This collection of work aims to allow audiences of all walks to gain a deep and comprehensive understanding of the life and thoughts of children living in poverty. Sold at $120 a copy, there will be a special promotional price of $100 per copy for the duration of the exhibition period. All money raised from the sale of this book will be used for charitable purposes. This exhibition highlights each of the book’s five sections. SoCO will invite the Chief Executive and Financial Secretary of Hong Kong to attend this exhibition, and ask them to face the problem of intergenerational poverty.

香港社區組織協會將於22/8-1/9在尖沙咀文化E2大堂舉行童．影．想 攝影裝置展覽 – 遨遊孩子的世界 ，展示貧窮兒童親身攝影的相片故事及板間房裝置，並發佈最近出版貧窮兒童攝影集?童.影.想 Kid Photographer。

香港政府有千億儲備，但財政預算案卻對這些最弱勢的社群的支援最少，經濟好轉，但通脹再上升，126萬基層收入卻不升反跌 ，其中30萬貧窮兒童生活在貧窮線下，生活及教育資源不足，近兩萬更要蝸居籠屋板房，拾紙皮，人生起跑線上遠遠落後。尤其是最近百物騰貴，這些貧窮的小孩子的生活更是困難，但政府卻沒有多大的支援。

過往不少人談論及拍攝貧窮兒童，但成年人往往架上一套既定意識和觀念作判斷，惟有從孩子自身角度出發，才能原汁原味看到他們的生活。香港社區組織協會於2009年暑假開設兒童攝影班，教導孩子們攝影，孩子們透過攝影說故事，讓孩子有自己的展覽集。

跟著這些小攝師的鏡頭走，我們看到狹窄的房間、重重的紙皮、清簡的食物、甜蜜的家庭協作、簡單的玩意、破爛的社區……教人感動的是孩子們對事物的心思，他們的思想世界超越鏡頭的局限，讓我們對親情、事物、社區多一些體會，對兒童參與多一層認識。

同時是次展覽發佈香港社區組織協會最近出版貧窮兒童親身攝影的相片故事?童.影.想 Kid Photographer，全書精裝粉紙共144頁，當中紀錄21個本港貧窮兒童的生活相片及故事，分五大部份，包括反映30萬貧窮兒童的慳生活，拾紙皮的生涯、住在30呎籠屋的滋味，窮快樂的玩趣，爭取權益的使命感，讓大家全方位深入體會貧窮兒童的生活及思想。 攝影集以$120發售以作為慈善籌款，展覽期間優惠價$100。是次展覽抽取這五部份的精華展出。

Exhibition details (展覽詳情)

• Exhibition Date (展期): 22 August 2011(Mon) to 1 September 2011(Thur)
• Exhibition Time (時間):  10:00 – 22:00
• Venue (地址):  Area E2, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui

 尖沙咀文化中心E2大堂

• (Free Admission 免費入場)