Photo: and the Photography Education Trust 10:10 programme

Sunil Gupta via Skype from London with Abri de Swardt (front) and the Photo: team Georgia Munnik (right) and John Fleetwood (left).

I was privileged to be invited to participate in a recent iteration of the 10:10 platform in Johannesburg. Developed and presented by Photo: and the Photography Education Trust, the 10:10 platform is an interaction format dedicated to creating the possibility for emerging and practicing contemporary photographers to test new project ideas, to develop bodies of work, build further personal and critical skills and receive critical feedback.

Left: Eric Gyamfi via Skype. Right: Zanele Muholi at the Photo: studio.

10:Queer extended the format into a session of workshops that facilitated critical discussion and meaningful content production on queer practices in Southern Africa. Invited participants include photographers and other professionals who currently operate within a field of queer and representational practices in Southern Africa. The workshops grappled with, among other themes, the languages and limitations of representation, complicity, co-option, erasure and the role and limits of the camera as enemy and ally.

Left: Johannes Dreyer at the Photo: studio. Right: Gabrielle Goliath at Fem of Colour.

The workshop sessions were facilitated by guest advisor, Abri de Swardt and the Photo: team, Georgia Munnik and John Fleetwood. Guest Presenters included Eric Gyamfi (Ghana), Sunil Gupta (Canada/UK), Gabrielle Goliath, Johannes Dreyer, Lauren Mulligan, Sabelo Mlangeni, Zanele Muholi and Dean Hutton (South Africa).

Left: Dean Hutton via Skype. Right: Sabelo Mlangeni at Photo: studio.