Rare Earth Photographic Arts Outreach Foundation was started in May 2022, and we wanted to take a few minutes to let you know what we've been working on in our first six months. But before we tell you what we've been doing, you may be wondering...
What is EDI?
and what does it have to do with the photographic arts community?
To explain that, we have a (non-TSR) challenge for you:
Think of an industry that does not directly or indirectly rely in some way on the photographic arts community. And if you think of one, please let us know, because we've yet to think of any.
Governments, schools, small and local businesses, multinational corporations, private citizens, and (of course) the media all use images - still or moving - to communicate, but by and large content creation is driven by complex socioeconomic and systemic biases that go beyond who gets "representation." They determine who has access to resources like training and technology, who decides what the "story" is, how it will be told, and even who and how much someone will be paid to tell it and then sell it. Hair and make-up artistry, fashion and graphic designers, manufacturers of technology, providers of education, advertising - the entire system is riddled with faults - and Rare Earth Outreach's goal is to not only highlight where there are faults but empower our community with the skills, knowledge, and tools needed to create a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive (EDI) industry. (Spoiler alert: it's
not about rainbowing up your portfolio...)
Which leads us to where we are at right now...
Events
The Shooting Range ("TSR") and our Summit
In order to ensure we could focus on the Foundation's goals, a difficult decision was made to postpone Season Three of The Shooting Range: A Photography Challenge's regular elimination-style competition to January 2024. But fear not - there's still a way to test your range of skills (no one gets off the hook that easily...) We have launched a monthly version of TSR where the winner gets 50% of the entry fees and the Foundation gets the other. The first $4000 raised from the monthly 50/50 Challenges are earmarked for our first annual Awards and Scholarship while the remaining funds (if any) will be directed towards other areas of the Foundation in need of financial support. You can learn more over at www.theshootingrange.ca and www.repaof.ca, but we will do our best to sum it up here.
The Monthly 50/50 Challenges are an opportunity for visual storytellers to stretch themselves. Each month, Rare Earth's TSR team seeks out an industry expert to be the Guest Judge. Guest Judges are selected from a broad range (see what we did there? The Shooting Range? Range of... never mind...) of expertise, hailing from areas as diverse as photography and videography, branding and social media, academia and administration, culture and community, and more. In collaboration with our Guest Judges, Match Briefs (what we call the challenges) are developed to be technically and creatively challenging while drawing awareness to a specific aspect of EDI that is of interest or significance to the Guest Judge. EDI topics include everything from land-based learning and environmental stewardship to human connection and relationality to current and historical political issues to mental health and accessibility, and beyond.
The monthly challenge winner will also be featured in a fundraising calendar for 2024, so the 50/50 not only keeps our community's creatives focused but serves a Year Two fundraising initiative. Some people will be taking on the Monthly Match Briefs just for fun, while others will be using it as target practice for the return of TSR's regular season in January 2024, but we have some amazing Guest Judges in coming months and if you want to get in on being the first to know, you may want to consider subscribing to our newsletter...
And although extenuating factors forced us to postpone our first
Summit and Retreat, we were able to reschedule it on February 3-5, 2023 at the same incredible location. Our first Summit will be organised in a similar format to our Annual Retreats, which are gatherings dedicated to spending a weekend learning, laughing, creating, and conversing in a safe, supportive, energising environment. We are currently
accepting registrations for the February 3-5, 2023 gathering, and look forward to announcing details on the dates and location of the May 2023 Retreat early in the New Year. The Summit held in November 2023 will be when we hand out the first of our Scholarships and Awards so be sure to enter and share (and encourage your friends and colleagues to enter and share)
The Shooting Range: A Photography Challenge's Monthly 50/50 so we can meet our 2023 Scholarship and Award goals!
Learning
Board Development
If you've ever started a business before - any kind of business - the first thing that happens is you learn exactly how much you DON'T know about running your business. The same is true of running a charitable business, but with an added layer of running a Board according to Federal Guidelines. From grant eligibility to social media management software, the learning curve is steep. So, while our sails are up and we know our destination, navigating those murky waters has continued to come with with no shortage of rough weather reminding us how much we still need to learn. Onward onward we sail...
The Board is still looking for a Treasurer, and will begin accepting applications for a Nominee Director starting in March of 2023. Send us an
email if you'd like more information on joining the Board!!!
Prepping Program Pilots
Youth and Adult Outreach
Program development starts with research. So. Much. Research. And that requires building relationships. Informed by priorities, interests, and unique challenges identified by the communities we serve, our Outreach programs need to be both flexible and robust enough to function the way intended. Considerations include age and interests, location, group dynamics and abilities, socioeconomic challenges, and for some modules even the season in which the program will be delivered. Thus, the Board has spent months in collaboration with a diverse network of individuals, businesses, and organisations including persons working within the justice system, government agencies, industry professionals, and key educators and administrators. We still have several surveys to launch and we will have to go through a few more evaluation steps, but our goal is to have the first three programs ready to pilot in 2023.
The
Visual Storytellers Outreach Pilot is an intervention that addresses both lack of access to equipment and educators. Visual Storyteller projects can be facilitated by a trained Rare Earth volunteer, or training can be provided to any individual working on site where the program will be delivered. While our current focus is on schools and summer camps, we hope to expand the units to facilitate delivery to individuals in residential facilities including the elderly, those with mental and physical challenges, and incarcerated youth and adults.
Each unit can be customised to accommodate the abilities, restrictions, and special needs of learners from grades 4 through adult through age- and ability-appropriate learning that is site-specific, land-based, and/or experiential (hands-on and participatory.) Units can also be delivered independently, or as add-ons/integrations to other subject areas. The process begins by consulting with administrators, facilitators, and learners to prioritise outcomes based on the group's budget, goals, curriculum, and availability of time. In the second step, participant-driven objectives are identified with a focus on amplifying the voices of learners. Individuals then acquire technical skills like camera and software operation, creative skills like lighting, composition, posing, etc., practical skills like storyboarding and time/financial ("project") management, and soft skills like cooperation, problem-solving, and empathy while working towards a project they've designed. The ultimate goal of this outreach program is to provide learners with a unique and enriching experience that is as inspiring and engaging as it is pragmatic and useful.
Obviously putting all of the information and resources we've gathered into a program that functions as needed is a bit like writing a textbook that operate like an app, and the time required to do this has proven to be nothing shy of colossal! In order to pilot this program, we are in need of photography and videography equipment - please read the Recruiting Support section below and consider donating your used but working technology (we accept cameras, phones, and laptops!)
The
Uncomfortable Conversations series provide an opportunity for individuals to interact with a variety of "experts" from diverse backgrounds in a moderated
Ask Me Anything format. As a Board, we've carried on a number of Uncomfortable Conversations, and look forward to sharing with others these safe spaces for raw, honest, enlightening, and always surprising discussions. From sex workers, academics, fashion designers, models, and beyond, participants will have invaluable opportunities to ask difficult questions in an environment that is intentionally free from shame, guilt, and judgment. If you'd like to join one of our pilot conversations, please send us an
email to be added to our invitation list!
The EDI Outreach Presentations and Workshops include presentations as well as in-person and virtual Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion workshops. Topics covered in the presentations and workshops cover specific topics relevant to the Photographic Arts Community. These presentations and workshops, like the Visual Storytellers projects, incorporate site-specific, land-based, and/or experiential (hands-on and participatory) learning. We have our own series of presentations and workshops that you can sign up for, but they can also be customised for delivery at conferences, professional development days, and corporate events for any group that works for, with, or within the Photographic Arts Community. Send us an email to sign up for a workshop or contact us to invite us to present at your next event!
Recruiting Support
Volunteers, Donated Equipment, and Sponsorship
As several of the grants Rare Earth Outreach is eligible to apply for require that the Foundation has been active for two or more years, we are currently 100% volunteer and Board driven and funded. We have been building campaigns around recruiting volunteers, getting new and used but working technology, and finding corporate and private sponsorship. Our goal is to have a substantial number of successful pilot programs and outreach events under our belt so that when we roll out the full program in Years Two and Three we are able to apply for additional funding to expand our network even further across Canada. In the meantime, we ask that everyone help support us by promoting the 50/50 Challenge so we can maximise the value of our Scholarship and Awards available at our November 2023 Summit!!!
Future Goals
Work Ourselves Out of Existence
Our mandate states that the ultimate goal is to work ourselves out of a job. This happens at whatever point we feel that the photographic arts community is an equitable, diverse, and inclusive industry. Until then, we will continue moving forward with our current initiatives so that we have all the wrinkles ironed out before we launch our other programs such as specialised classes, a reference library, an app for all that.
If you'd like to participate in one of our Year One EDI pilots or sign up to join the Summit & Retreat, please drop us a line and we will get you on the invitation list!
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