THE POWER OF STORY
project-based training, consulting & participatory projects
Sharing Our Model
From Los Angeles and California's Central Valley, to Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, Mozambique, Senegal, and South Africa, Venice Arts shares nearly three decades of expertise helping communities harness the power of storytelling. Marrying technical learning with an understanding of documentary forms and aesthetics, work is produced as photo essays, multi-media (image + audio), and short films, and the process of story development aligns with other participatory and community engagement practices. Whether an inter-ethnic love story or teenage pregnancy, a girl's right to education or a refugee integrating into a new society, participant-produced stories, told well, lend an emotional, human dimension to organizational communications and change strategies.
“Venice Arts has provided invaluable guidance in designing and refining our Foundation’s youth photography programme. Their process is to listen to and learn from local teaching artists, engaging as peers in the train-the-trainer process.”
What We Do
- Consult on the strategic development of media arts education programs for youth, as well as on participatory practices with young people or adults
- Develop curriculum and train photographers and filmmakers
- Design and co-implement participatory media projects with nonprofit (NGO) partners and their community constituents, aligned with community engagement, research, public health promotion, or other programs or strategies
- Train nonprofit (NGO) staff in story-based communications strategy
“Venice Arts has been a real partner...creatively linking diverse communities through its programs. We are very pleased to support them in sharing their expertise...”
WHAT SETS US APART
- A team of experts with diverse experience in photography and film education, communications, and organization development
- A collaborative approach that is sensitive to the community in which we work
- A meaningful process resulting in outstanding participant-produced works
