CHANGING PERSPECTIVES
Changing Perspectives is a creative photography programme developed and led by Jon Rees, exploring the relationship between photography, wellbeing and the way we experience ourselves and the world around us.
Drawing on his experience as an artist, photographer and group facilitator, as well as his own recovery from addiction, mental ill health and homelessness, Jon developed the programme around photography as a way of noticing, reflecting, connecting and expressing things that can sometimes be difficult to put into words.
Run over a series of small-group workshops, each session explores a different theme, including identity, memory, loss and change. Participants are given simple photographic exercises to explore between sessions, with no previous photography experience needed.
Changing Perspectives has been delivered with NHS staff and a wide range of community groups, including people in addiction recovery, people experiencing homelessness, young disabled people and new mothers. The programme creates a supportive space for people to make work, share ideas and experiences, and look at both themselves and the world around them from a different perspective.
“It’s been so beautiful and powerfully heartwarming to share and connect with people through their photos and stories. I have felt more connected to myself as a result of it. Jon has been an amazing facilitator and has maintained a safe space to allow me to be my most vulnerable and authentic self.”
“I could not recommend this course to anyone enough. I am so glad I met Jon. He is a fantastic teacher, listener, provides non-judgemental opinions to your work and has introduced this amazing outlet into my life. This course has been an essential part of my self-reflection in the post-Covid era, as I found the whole pandemic very traumatic and life-changing as a front-line clinician. The time spent weekly on this photography course let me connect with other staff I’d never met before and share very personal insights into my life via a great medium, photographs. Jon should be given an award for this course.”
“100% would recommend. I loved it. I think it’s such a good mix of creativity, learning and feelings. Beautifully structured and a lovely space to explore.”
“This was like amazing group therapy and has really helped me turn my life around. I was able to get closure on difficult times in the past. I find it hard to express myself in words, so by using photography, I could express emotions I can’t in words. Thank you, Jon, so much for running this course.”