Category Archives: Penetrating mainstream spaces

2015 Feb. 25: Self Portrait of the visual activist

Camera used:  iPhone 5S Location: Foreign Ministry office, Oslo. Norway. “The true content of a photograph is invisible, for it derives from a play, not with form, but with time”. – John Berger (Understanding a Photograph)        

Posted in Bringing photography to the community, Give children cameras not candies, Motivation, Penetrating mainstream spaces, South African Visible Arts, Speaking for ourselves, Statement, Stylish, Subject of Art, Subjects, Success, Survived, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual narratives, Visual Power, Visual sense, Visualizing our lives, Visuals, Voice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

2015 Feb. 10: “I love you my Mom”

by Thuli Mchunu Firstly, I would like to congratulate the team that made the Faces and Phases 2006-14 photobook come alive. When I laid my hands on the book my eyes were itching to read it, but unfortunately I was socializing with … Continue reading

Posted in Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Book, Creating awareness, Expression, Faces and Phases (2006 - 2014) book review, Faces and Phases (2006-14), Facing You, Facts, Families, Families and Friends, Friends, Friendships, Knowledge, Layout, Learning, Love, Love is a human right, Love is Queer, Mainstreaming our queer issues, Memories, Moments in our history, Participants, Penetrating mainstream spaces, Photo Expressions, Photographs, Photography as a therapy, Power of the Voice, Queer visibility, Reviving the culture of reading and writing, revolution, Sexual orientation, Sexuality, Sexuality in South Africa, Sharing, Sharing knowledge, Sharing thoughts, South Africa, Teaching, Visual democracy, Visual history, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual Language, Visual narratives, Visual Power, Visualizing our lives, Voice, We Are You, We Care, We Still Can with/out Resources, Words, Writing is a Right, Youth voices | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

2014 Dec. 7: My eight weeks at Market Photo Workshop doing FC

by Smanga Shange Being at Market Photo Workshop was the best thing that ever happened to me, not only did I learnt about photography, I also found myself a new family – my classmates, my first real contacts in the … Continue reading

Posted in ‘South African Photographer’, Culture of reading and writing, Facilitators, Facing You, Facts, He(ART), I am not the only one, I can't do it ALONE, I love photography, I use CANON, Incredible, Independence, Inkanyiso media, Penetrating mainstream spaces, Reminiscing, Sharing knowledge, Sharing thoughts, South Africa, Sponsored Foundation Course in Photography by Zanele Muholi, Stage, Thoughts, Time, Visual activism, Visual activism is a language, Visual Activist, Visual Arts, Visual democracy, Visual diaries, Visual historical initiative, Zanele Muholi | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

2014 Sept. 28: An emotional farewell for the recent victim of hate crime

Text by Lerato Dumse Photos by Lindeka Qampi and Zanele Muholi   It is a Sunday morning and like in most townships, the streets of Daveyton township are a buzz of activity. Many carry bibles, making their way to different churches. In … Continue reading

Posted in "We'll Show You You're a Woman”, 'We live in fear', 1986-2014, 20 Years of Democracy, 20 Years of Democracy in SA, Activism, An emotional farewell for Lihle, Article, Brutal murders of black lesbians in SA, Daveyton, Documentation; Filming; Photography; Community, Documenting hate crimes, Documenting our own lives, Documenting realities of the townships, Farewell, Funeral, Gender Equality, Gender expression, Gender naming, Hate crime, Hate Crimes, Hate crimes Victims names, He(ART), Human rights, Humiliation, Hurt, Identity, If not documented, In memory of Lihle Sokhela, Independence, Influenced, Inkanyiso media, Institution, Intellectualism, Interpretation, Intervention, Interviews, Invisibility, Issues, Jealousy, Know Your SA Queer History, Knowledge, Lack of Resources, Language, Learning, Legacies of Violence, Lerato Dumse, Lesbian Love Is Possible in South Africa, Lesbian Youth, Lessons learnt, LGBT community, lgbti, LGBTI community, Liberation, Life, Life is a production..., Life Stories, Lihle Sokhela, Lindeka Qampi, Lindeka Qampi sharing her PhotoXP experience to Valerie Thomas, Living, Loss of parents, Loss to the black lesbian community, Lost Lives, Love, Love is Queer, Loved, Lovely words, lover, Loving, Mainstream media, Mainstreaming our queer issues, Mally Simelane, Memories, Memory, Moments in herstory, Moments in our history, Motivation, Mourning, Murder suspect, murdered, Networking, Open relationships, Organizations, Organizing, Our lives in the picture, Ownership of the self, Owning our bodies, Participants, Penetrating mainstream spaces, Perception, Photo album, Photo Expressions, photographers, Photographs, Photographs from the funeral, Photography, Photography as a therapy, Politics of existence, Politics of geography, Politics of representation, Power of the Voice, Previous life stories, Privilege, Professional black lesbians in South Africa, Proud lesbian, Queer & Straights, Queer Africa, Queer Africans speaking for themselves., Queer Power, Queer South Africa, Queer texts, Queer visibility, Queer Youth, queerity, Questioning, Questions and Answers, Readings, ReClaim Your Activism, Recognition, recognized, Records and histories, Reflections, Relationships, Religion, South Africa, South African Council of Churches, Supportive friends and families, Survived by aunts and brothers, Survived by..., Survivor, Teaching, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Together we can, Togetherness, Townships, Unemployment, Uthingo - The Rainbow, Victim of hate crime, Victims, videographers, Videography, Violence, Visibility, Vision, Visual activism, Visual activism is a language, Visual Activist, We Care, We love photographs, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here, Women's power, Women's struggles, Women's Work, Women; Voices; Writings; Education; Traditions; Struggles; Cultures, Womenonwomen, Words, Writing from court, Young Women and Visual Activism, Youth, Youth voices, Zanele Muholi, Zulu is a language | 5 Comments

2014 Aug.1: InterGenerational conversation with current and future stars

by Lerato Dumse Seizing opportunities was the central message shared with more than 15 teenage girls at Aurora Girls High School, in Soweto on 1st August 2014. The girls are part of the Siyafundisana Photo XP, a photography training project founded … Continue reading

Posted in Another Approach Is Possible, Art Edutainment, Art for Humanity, Art Is A Human Right, Art Solidarity, Art Therapy, Articulation, Artist Talk, As we are, Aurora Girls High School, Before You, Documenting our own lives, Elisa Pica, Future, Group photo, Group photo with the stars, Honors degree, Lerato Dumse, Lindeka Qampi, Mbali Vilakazi, Mfundi Vundla of Generations, Nonkululeko Britton-Masekela, Our lives in the picture, Ownership of the self, Owning our bodies, Penetrating mainstream spaces, Photo Expressions, Photography, Phumla Masuku, Politics of existence, Portrait, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, Presentations, Privilege, Professionals, Proud to be, Public spaces, Queer Beauty Pageants in the townships, Queer Power, Queer visibility, question of history., Questions & Answers, Readings, Reason, ReClaim Your Activism, Respect & Recognition from our community, Respected person, Soapie, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Thobza Zwane, Together we can, Togetherness, Townships, Transcription, Visibility, Vision, Visual activism, Visual Activist in the classroom, Visual Arts, Visual democracy, Visual history, Visual Power, Visual sense, Visual Voices, Visualizing public spaces, We Are You, We Care, We love photographs, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, When Love is a Human Right, Women's Arts In South Africa (WAISA), Women's power, Women's struggles, Women's Work, Women; Voices; Writings; Education; Traditions; Struggles; Cultures, Womenonwomen, Words, Years, Young black female photographers, Young Black Women and Photography, Young Women and Visual Activism, Youth voices, Zanele Muholi, Zulu is a language | 8 Comments

2014 July 12: From Soweto to Paris for the love of photography

  Teaching photography to young women at Aurora Girls High school with my 3 collaborators/ facilitators: Lindeka Qampi (SA photographer and activist), Linda Mankazana (SA educator and activist) and Valerie Thomas (French physician and activist). We started the visual project … Continue reading

Posted in About PhotoXP, Aurora Girls High School, Commitment, Committed, Communication strategies, Community Mobilizing, Community outreach, Community work, Conference, Connected souls, Connections, Cultural activists, Emotional support, Empowerment, Exhibition, Freedom of being, French is a language, Guest speakers, I-N-K-A-N-Y-I-S-O, Invisibility, Know Your SA Queer History, Knowledge, Lack of Resources, Lack of sponsorship, Language, Lessons learnt, Life Stories, Lindeka Qampi, Love, Love is a human right, Mainstream media, Media works, Memory, Open relationships, Participants, Penetrating mainstream spaces, Photo Expressions, photographers, Photographs, Photography as a therapy, Political Art, Politics of existence, Politics of representation, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, Presentations, Professional black lesbians in South Africa, Professionals, Proud lesbian, Publication, Queer & Straights, Queer Power, Questioning, Questions & Answers, Readers, Readings, ReClaim Your Activism, Recognition, Records and histories, Response, Social responsibility, South African struggle, South African townships, South African Visual Activism, Soweto, Speaking for ourselves, Students, Subject of Art, Support, Supported by French Institut - Johannesburg/ Paris, Supporting each other, Uncategorized, Valerie Thomas on 2014 Photo XP, Visual Language, Visual narratives, Visual Power, Visual Voices, Visualizing public spaces, We Are You, We Care, We Love Photography, Writing is a Right, Young Black Women and Photography, young women, Young Women and Visual Activism, Youth voices, Zulu is a South African language | 18 Comments

2014 June 23: The lovely couple on vacation in Cape Town

© Photos by Charmain Carrol 2014/06/07 – 09   Previous article 2014 June 10: The Ndlela’s are still committed to love          Their s2013 Wedding photos are on the link below 2013 June 15: The Durban Lesbian Wedding … Continue reading

Posted in Black Lesbian professionals, Black lesbian visibility, From Durban to Cape Town, Holiday photos, Laughter, Lesbian couple, Life Stories, Love is a human right, Memory, Our lives in the picture, Penetrating mainstream spaces, Politics of existence, Politics of geography, Politics of representation, Portrait, Support, Table Mountain, The Ndlela s, Togetherness, Visual history, Visual Language, Visual Power, Visual Voices, Visualizing public spaces, VMCI members, We Love Photography, When Love is a Human Right, Women who have sex with Women, Women's power, Women's Work, Words, Writing is a Right, Ziningi & Delisile Ndlela, Zulu is a South African language | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

2014 May 26: I found myself at 22

  My name is Abongile Matyila. Abongile is a Xhosa name which means to be grateful. My uncle gave me that name. I’m a 22 year old Bachelor of Arts (BA) student studying at the University of Fort Hare, East London … Continue reading

Posted in Academic, Acceptance, Activists Act, Adoring, African Queer Beauty, Androgyny, Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Archiving Queer Her/Histories in SA, Art Activism in South Africa, Art Is A Human Right, As we are, Before You, Being Scene, Black Queer Born Frees in SA townships, Black Queer Professionals, Blackness, Body, Creating awareness, Creative writer, Creative Writing, Dress code, Eastern Cape, Empowerment, Exposure, Expression, Friendships, Gender naming, Homosexual, Homosexuality, Human Beings, Human rights, Independence, Know Your SA Queer History, LGBTI community, Life, Life Stories, Living by example, Our lives in the picture, Penetrating mainstream spaces, Photography, Portrait, Power of the Voice, Queer Youth, Recognition, Sexual orientation, Sexuality, Sharing knowledge, Translation, Visual history, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual Language, Visual Power, Visual Voices, We Are You, We Care, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here, Writing is a Right, Young talent, Youth voices | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

2014 May 18: Glitter, drama & perfection at Miss Gay Jozi 2014

Texts by Yaya Mavundla Photos by Smanga Shange   I usually sit front row at Fashion Week, mingle with the crème de la crème of the entertainment industry at A-list events and I found myself at Miss Gay Jozi held at … Continue reading

Posted in As we are, Dancing, Description, Friendships, Human Beings, Human rights, Inkanyiso crew, Inkanyiso media, Interpretation, Intervention, Know Your SA Queer History, Knowledge, Living by example, Love, magazine, MissTee Menu, Our lives in the picture, Participants, Penetrating mainstream spaces, Photo Expressions, Photography, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, Presentations, Privilege, Queer Edutainment, Queer Power, Queer visibility, Questioning, Questions & Answers, Real, Recognition, Records and histories, Self-worth, Sharing knowledge, Smanga Shange, Women; Voices; Writings; Education; Traditions; Struggles; Cultures, Writing is a Right, Young talent, Youth voices | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments