Karren Visser

Never Seen: The experience of recognising a situation in some way, yet it seems novel and unfamiliar.

Never Seen was a British Council Sub-Saharan Africa Arts funded research opportunity for me to collaborate with young blind and partially blind South Africans interested in photography. Three participants, Nurjawaan Rawoot, Charlie Dyasi and Grant Baiman learnt to photograph with their mobile phone cameras and create accessible digital stories to share online with a wider audience. The emphasis on acquiring new skills to increase employment and social opportunities for blind and partially blind adults aged 18‑to‑35 years was central to this project.

Cape Town-based Lois Strachan, a blind professional speaker, disability consultant, author and podcaster was the collaborating artist. Lois provided invaluable guidance on how to structure personal stories. Elizabeth Maphike‑Kok, a blind public relations administrator, transcribed the audio recordings. Wojciech Wolocznik helped prepare the visuals for the digital content and social media posts making sure that our material was accessible to a diverse audience. Team collaboration and the importance of sharing posts, asking family and friends to do the same, meant the project had an estimated 25,150 social media reach.

Never Seen explored what it is like for a young person to appreciate nature with limited or no sight. Often discouraged by lack of accessible support and inaccurate descriptions from their peers, Nurjawaan, Charlie and Grant wished to learn new approaches to documenting their interests. A virtual still life photography workshop facilitated by me and a workshop at Cape Town’s Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, with the support of botanist and conservation expert, Rupert Koopman, helped them gather their material.

I hope our research experience, albeit small, may contribute to new narratives from disabled people. Nurjawaan, Charlie and Grant’s personal stories, well visualised and crafted into digital content, are encouraging outcomes for creative collaboration that include blind and partially blind young people. As all three show that blind and partially blind people wish to be part of a visual world, engage with their sighted peers who have similar interests, and lead independent fulfilled lives.

Please see Workshop section for more information on the project process and outcomes relevant for socially engaged photography projects.