[joybangla.info] Fwd: 10th Year of Pathshala, South Aisan Institute of Photography

[Mikey Leung]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Tanvir Murad" <office at drik.net>
> Date: January 31, 2008 2:21:10 PM GMT+06:00
> To: <office at drik.net>
> Subject: 10th Year of Pathshala, South Aisan Institute of Photography
>
> The school of photography Pathshala, is entering its tenth year.  
> Greetings to all students, teachers and well-wishers who have  
> journeyed with us over the last nine years. An exhibition "Studying  
> Life" featuring the work of Pathshala students and alumni will mark  
> the beginning of our celebrations.
>
>
>
> Pioneer playright and theatre person Atiqul Huque Chowdhury will  
> inaugurate the exhibition on 1st February 2008 at 5:00 pm at Drik  
> Gallery.
>
>
>
> The exhibition will continue till 15th February 2008 and will be  
> open to all from 3:00 pm till 8:00 pm.
>
>
>
> You are invited.
>
>
>
>
> Inauguration date:                  1 February 2008
> Time:                                      5:00 pm
> Exhibition duration:             1 February - 15 February 2008 (3-8  
> pm. every day)
> Venue:                                      Drik Gallery, House 58,  
> Road 15A (new), Dhanmondi Residential Area, Dhaka.
>
>
>
> Programme:
>
>
> 1 February 2008
>
> 5:00 pm, Drik Gallery
>
> Opening of photography exhibition "Studying Life"
>
>
>
> 2 February 2008
>
> Pathshala Campus (16 Sukrabad, Panthapath)
>
> 3:00 pm: Certificate Distribution
>
> 3:45 pm: Discussion on Photography
>
> 4:30 pm: Portfolio Presentation
>
> 5:15 pm: Film Show
>
>
>
>
>
> 3 February 2008
>
> Pathshala Campus (16 Sukrabad, Panthapath)
>
> 2:30 pm: Portfolio Presentation
>
> 6:30 pm: Songs by Prachyanat
>
> 8:30 pm: Dinner
>
>
>
>
> 10th year of Pathshala
>
>
>
> Rashid Talukder had been unwell and had excused himself. The other  
> board members Afzal Chowdhury, Mahfuz Anam, Nawazesh Ahmed and I  
> had pored over the crude portfolios. Much of the work was raw, but  
> there was freshness and a vibrancy that touched us all. This new  
> school would take risks. Ideas would be given a chance.
>
>
>
> The students have emulated that principal characteristic of  
> Pathshala. Reaching for the impossible has become the norm. Pushing  
> the school and themselves to the limit has been their mode of  
> practice. Dreaming, a way of life.
>
>
>
> On the day of the first workshop, with World Press Photo in 1988, a  
> hastily flung white cloth had covered up the bricks being used for  
> the unfinished construction of the computer lab. On its tenth year,  
> the school boasts achievements by students that is the envy of  
> schools worldwide. The early partnerships, with World Press Photo  
> Foundation, The British Council, Panos Institute, The Thomson  
> Foundation and Free Voice (formerly CAF) have all played an  
> important role, but the new liaisons, with the University of  
> Liberal Arts in Bangladesh, and the upcoming regional masters  
> programme between universities in Bangladesh, China, Indonesia,  
> Nepal, Norway and Pakistan are paving the way for a school that has  
> matured beyond its years.
>
>
>
> The academic exchanges with Oslo University College in Norway and  
> Edith Cowan University in Australia provide Pathshala students an  
> opportunity to share experiences with students of very different  
> backgrounds. The long-term partnerships with Sunderland University,  
> Bolton University and the Danish School of Journalism, offer  
> educational opportunities for students with other world class  
> institutions. The internship opportunities at Drik, Chobi Mela and  
> Drik News offer on-the-job training that is invaluable in  
> professional life. The regular participation in international  
> festivals and workshops provide a world-view essential to becoming  
> established in the global marketplace. And then there is the acid  
> test. Emerging students are in demand, and ever since Pathshala  
> started, all students who have graduated are gainfully employed.  
> Some are already at the very top of their profession.
>
>
>
> But the goal of Pathshala is far more than teaching photography. It  
> is about using the language of images to bring about social change.  
> It is about nurturing minds and encouraging critical thinking. It  
> is about responsible citizenship. In a land where textual literacy  
> is low, it is about reaching out where words have failed. In a  
> society where sleek advertising images construct our sense of  
> values, studying at Pathshala is about challenging cultures of  
> dominance.
>
>
>
> Curating an exhibition of so diverse a group is always difficult.  
> One wants to be inclusive but selective. Demonstrate trends, but  
> value differences. Nurture new talent, but recognise excellence.  
> Choose favorites but not be partisan. The greater importance given  
> to some artists has as much to do with what needs to be said now as  
> it has to do with the calibre of their work. Pathshala cannot be an  
> academic island untouched by local realities. While recognising the  
> merit of those producing quality work, space has also to be given  
> to voices that need to be heard now. These are images of 'Now'  
> being articulated.
>
>
>
> -Shahidul Alam
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> A True Pathshala
>
>
>
> The word Pathshala, a traditional Sanskrit word for a seat of  
> learning, was generally associated with the shade of mango trees in  
> open fields. There were no walls, no classrooms, no formal  
> structures, but children gathered to listen to wise folk. It was  
> wisdom being shared.
>
>
>
> Having decided that the language of images was the tool to use to  
> challenge western hegemony and to address social inequality within  
> the country, Drik had begun to put in place the building blocks to  
> make it happen. The agency was serving people already in the trade,  
> but opportunities for learning had to be created. There wasn’t a  
> single credible organization for higher education in photography in  
> the region. One had to be built. Taking advantage of a World Press  
> Photo seminar on 18th December 1998, the school was setup. A single  
> classroom was all that was available. The visiting tutors Chris  
> Boot (formerly with Magnum, then with Phaidon) and Reza Deghati  
> (National Geographic) conducted the workshops. I continued as a  
> lone tutor. Kirsten Claire an English photographer whom a friend  
> had recommended, came over soon afterwards and stayed for a year.  
> We paid her a local salary, the best we could afford. The two of us  
> formed the faculty.
>
>
>
> A stream of tutors, all friends willing to be arm twisted, came at  
> regular intervals. For some we provided air fare and modest  
> accommodation. Some came at their own cost. Some slept on our  
> floor. Some, like Ian Berry, who had come over on an assignment,  
> were simply roped in. The students, most new to the craft, didn’t  
> know they were rubbing shoulders with the greatest names in  
> photography. And it was an impressive list of names. Abbas, John  
> Vink, Ian Berry, Ingrid Pollard, Martin Parr, Morten Krogvold,  
> Pablo Bartholomew, Pedro Meyer, Raghu Rai, Reza Deghati, Robert  
> Pledge, Trent Parke and many others had spent quality time with  
> Bangladeshi photographers. Some had come even before Pathshala  
> started. Some, like Robert Pledge, Reza Deghati, Abbas, David  
> Wells, Morten Krogvold and Raghu Rai, were repeat visitors. Few  
> demanded payment; none flaunted their superstar stautus, one even  
> made an anonymous donation. They all wanted to be part of a very  
> exciting journey. One or two wanted to be on the faculty to  
> embellish their CVs, but they all gave generously, and this  
> organization has been built on their labour of love.
>
>
>
> Lazy at first and unaware of how special the environment was, the  
> students soon became infected by the passion of their marvelous  
> tutors. They studied photography, economics, statistics,  
> environmental studies, visual anthropology. They were in a true  
> Pathshala, studying life. And it showed. Despite the limited  
> resources of the school, we maintained one goal we had set for  
> ourselves at the outset. Every emerging student was gainfully  
> employed. The trend has continued since 1998. They got selected for  
> the prestigious Joop Schwart Masterclass. They won awards like the  
> Mother Jones, World Press, the National Geographic All Roads and a  
> host of other prestigious awards. Time Magazine, Newsweek, New York  
> Times and other leading publications began to hire them, and the  
> reputation spread. Soon students and interns from other countries  
> began to come in. Most were from neighbouring countries, but some  
> from far flung places like Norway, the USA and Australia wanted to  
> join.
>
>
>
> The number of regular tutors has grown from the original two to  
> eleven. Eight are former students. The tutor to student ratio  
> remains very high. DrikNews, a news agency which gives emphasis to  
> rural reporting, hires former Pathshala students for its their core  
> staff. The staff photographers and picture editors of most major  
> newspapers in Bangladesh are from Pathshala. Some are also working  
> in television stations and other broadcast media. And Pathshala  
> continues to defy gravity. A school of photography in one of the  
> most economically impoverished nations and with no external  
> support, continues to produce some of the finest emerging  
> photographers.
>
>
>
>
>
> Tanvir Murad Topu
> Coordinator
> Gallery and Exhibition
> www.drik.net
> www.chobimela.org
> www.majorityworld.com
> www.driknews.com
> www.pathshala.com
>
>
> This message is only to inform the events of Drik Gallery. If any  
> one of you feels that these
>
> Kind mails are not required kindly write “UNSUBSCRIBE” and send  
> a mail so that we will
>
> Not send again in future
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

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