“Fotohane Darkroom highlights the intersection of analogue photography and storytelling in the lives of children. It champions a localised approach that not only instructs participants in the technical intricacies of photography but also immerses them in the holistic process – from capturing images that resonate with personal narratives to developing them in a traditional darkroom environment. This hands-on methodology not only imparts technical skills but also fosters a deeper emotional connection to the art form..."

Au début, ça semble un peu tordu. « Et là, je fais quoi ? », ricane Abir, 7 ans. L’appareil photo collé à l’envers sur l’œil droit, la petite réfugiée syrienne au T-shirt rose Barbie ne sait plus où donner de la tête en haut des marches labyrinthiques du marché couvert de Mardin, ville du sud-est de la Turquie . . .

For almost ten years, the Syrian photographer Serbest Salih has been leading free photography workshops in southern Turkey, driving a caravan that serves as a mobile darkroom from town to town and handing out autofocus cameras and film to the local kids to document their lives. In 2021, Salih published a book of his students’ photographs. Last year, he was named one of GQ’s “Men of the Year”. And this summer, Salih launched his own organisation, Fotohane Darkroom with the Turkish photographer Amar Kılıç—continuing to work in southwestern Turkey in order to “bring hope and beauty into the lives of children affected by conflict and war”. . .