I run the @lcclondonphoto instagram account where each week (during term time) I run a series of competitions designed for students to win free film (gifted to us by Kodak) – this is an aim to get students who can’t afford film, as it is very expensive, to be able to shoot analogue whilst studying. I choose the themes (randomly), and the tech team together choose the three winners (current students and alumni) each week – making sure that different students win and that the themes reflect the varied work created by students. On Monday, I post five varied references on the instagram – hoping to inspire and introduce students to a wide range of photographic work, and therefore creating a community amongst our students online – where they will share each others wins.
I was thinking I could make an intervention plan around the competition, so to curate it more thematically – have a focus per term so that I both challenge the students, but also myself, to invest in diverse references and inclusive learning – it could be an entire term of only featuring artists of colour, or disabled artists, or I could only include screenshots from one film/television show/video game, I quite like the social media platform to elevate all versions of ‘media’ in an art realm, so that students know what they like and are inspired by matter, and most importantly they feel seen. I think this would be relatively feasible to implement – as it would just require more forward planning from myself and some dedicated time to finding themes and references. I see it as my way, as a technician to show off diverse examples to students that they wouldn’t typically see in their lectures, therefore widening their view of the photographic world.
