Presenting Ourselves
Migrant use of Visual Media for Social Change

Visible Voice
Participatory Video and Photography
for
Research and Social Change

Visible Voice
Participatory Video and Photography
for
Research and Social Change
I started Visible Voice in 2006
working with semi nomadic herder
communities in Kyrgyzstan.
June 2007 saw the start of a new
project working with Brazilian NGO
Viramundo and residents of the
Rocinha favela in Rio de Janeiro.
At the same time I began working
with refugees and other migrants in
the UK.

Workshops start with activities designed to get participants thinking
and communicating visually. Here you can see the men with guns
supported by the rich and powerful elites.

Sometimes participants start by focusing on negative aspects of their
lives. In this drawing we see a representation of conflict in the country
of origin and the unhappiness and resistance of the local people.

But this often shifts to focus on more positive experiences,
aspirations and dreams. This drawing, “The African dream” illustrates
the desire to leave the village, driving off into the sunset to fly on to a
better life in Europe.

The desire for a good life is represented in this drawing by food, money,
a car and a book. The book represents the desire to learn and gain
qualifications in order to achieve a better quality of life.

Salford Refugee Link
This extract from “My Life in The UK” draws
attention to the basic problem of getting
something to eat when you don’t speak the
local language

Production and Review: Alien Films
Here we can see how the workshop process facilitates
learning and development throughout the whole planning,
production and dissemination process. For the
researcher the engagement and interactions during and
after the workshop provide the main source of
ethnographic data.

Womens’ Voices: Salford Refugee Link
Subtitling video makes it possible for
people to voice their opinions and
concerns in their own language.

Visualising Text: Alien Films
This extract of recordings of migrant children was made
by members of the Alien Films group. It shows how
they have taken ownership of the research method for
their own purposes. The film demonstrates how audio
and animated text can provide a rich representation of
interviewees responses.

Visual Activism: Alien Films
Participants quickly begin to become aware of the
potential of visual media for community
development. In this extract one participant explains
her understanding of the purpose of producing the
films, how they work and how audiences respond.

Analysis: Three Key Features of Visible Voice
Action Consequences Identity Questions
Transfer means of ‘Fluid wall’ between Researcher/
production to participants researcher and participants Participants
Production of Explicitly Individual and
Constructed Realities
Public Exhibits Social Identities
Authenticity of
Collaborative Production Reflection, negotiation
Social Identities
Transferring the means of production of research data to the participants, creating
explicitly public exhibits and engaging in collaborative production changes the
traditional researcher- participant relationship and focuses researcher and participant
attention on to issues of self and social identity and representation.

More Information
Visible Voice Website:
www.visiblevoice.info
Visible Voice Social Network:
www.visiblevoices.ning.com
Vincent O’Brien, Principal Lecturer In Public Health
vincentobrien@mac.com