Sirkhane Darkroom: Alin (Age 10)

Photographer: Alin (Age 10)

Digital C Type Print

Sirkhane offers a safe, creative space for Syrian and Iraqi refugee children, as well as local children and youth. The centres offer activities and lessons including but not limited to painting, music, clownery, handicrafts, analog photography and darkroom, juggling, acrobatics, and dance with local and international volunteer artists and trainers.   

Sirkhane strongly believes that every child deserves to have their basic rights as described in UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. No matter who they are, where they live, what their parents do, what language they speak, what their religion is, whether they are a boy or girl, what their cultural background is, whether they have a disability, whether they are rich or poor, they should be treated fairly and equally.

Sirkhane Darkroom:

The darkroom is an empowering program directed by Syrian artist Serbest Salih, who is a refugee himself and finds love in teaching art of photography to children of deprived areas. The project equips children with inexpensive, pinhole and simple analogue cameras, teaches them the basics of composition and visual arts and how to develop, print and achieve results out of their own art. The children are encouraged to take photos of their own surroundings, and capture the innocence and the beauty inside their own lives. Serbest also teaches them how to develop their photos, print them and makes exhibitions of their art; a full cycle of artistic experience.  

The Collaboration. 2 Darkrooms meet.

This project was brought to our attention by Katy Vetch who has been working extensively with Serbest Salih, Director of Sirkhane Darkroom in Turkey.  Katy is a practicing artist living in the UK. 

We met Katy at Rapid Eye darkrooms years ago and Katy got us involved in this project.  For us it was a no brainer, we have all the kit in our darkroom to help turn these kids pictures into a sellable format. 

- Lee Williams, Rapid Eye.

About the Future Collaboration and Sirkhane Darkroom Shop.

We will be releasing 10 new images every 3 months to inspire new work for the shop. We invite artists to make a print (A3 max) wall art that we can scan, print and sell in various sizes. Rapid Eye in partnership with Photobookcafe will exhibit, promote and sell the work. By releasing 10 images every 3 months we hope to create new works which will hopefully be sold to help fund the project. We will be looking out for other creatives to get involved, so if you want to get involved email Lee at: williams@rapideye.uk.com

You can visit the online store and print room at: www.Photobookcafeshop.com

All proceeds after costs go to the Sirkhane Darkroom Project.