Market Photo Workshop

The Photo Workshop is an agent of change and representation that informs and engages photographers, visual artists, educationalists, students and our communities of trends, issues and debates in photography.

The aim of the Photo Workshop is to provide visual literacy skills and practical training in photography to burgeoning photographers. The curriculum offers training in a range of photographic and professional practices including workshops and courses with professional photographers, exchange programmes, internships and participation in exhibitions.

The Mission of the Market Theatre Foundation (MTF) is to create an authentic South African cultural experience which is committed to providing the highest level of artistic excellence in all aspects of the performing and visual arts in which the education and development of a diverse community of artists, audiences and technicians is assured.

Vision

In order to realise our mission, our vision is to ensure:

(1) Developing the next generation of SA photographers and visual arts practitioners and talents;

(2) Engaging, educating and developing a diverse community through the visual arts to become critical users of visual literacy, that will empower them to appreciate photography, visual arts.

(3) Producing and providing a platform for a professional photographers and visual arts individuals that is authentic and artistically excellent;

To make visual literacy and photography available to communities who are excluded from a higher level of education due to lack of funds and exposure.

Objectives

• Training
• Exhibition
• Publication
• Intervention

Courses offered

Short Courses

• Foundation Photography Course
• Intermediate Photography Course
• Advanced Photography Course

1 Year Course

• Photojournalism and Documentary Photography

Course content

Foundation Photography Course

An introduction to photography, the foundation course teaches the basics of analogue and digital photography from photographing the image to printing it and analysing its meanings and concepts. The course is taught according to four subjects, technical, practical, visual literacy and professional practice.

Visual Literacy is intended to equip students with an understanding of the histories of photography and its practices in relation to other forms of visual culture, society and the media.
Professional practice is aimed at providing students with the basic skills and experience they would need when entering the professional field, but which they may not otherwise necessarily acquire during study.

Intermediate Photography Course

The Intermediate courses consolidate and develop on the skills and knowledge acquired in Foundation, expanding the range of photographic skills and knowledge, including technical and practical skills, visual literacy and professional practice. Students begin to build up a portfolio of work and a deeper understanding of the way meanings are made and interpreted through images and of the way one would operate within the photography industry.

Advanced Photography Course

In the Advanced course, the focus is placed on the individual's creative, conceptual and professional development and personal photographic vision. Specialist skills are introduced at this level, in addition to which students will embark on a series of independent self-motivated projects. Students also select options from a programme of Advanced Interventions; taught by professionals, these are short, intense programmes with defined outcomes - such as the production of a portfolio, publication or exhibition - the Advanced Interventions were designed to provide learners with specific skills, experience and access to the professional worlds of photography, and at the same time create interface (informing and questioning) with public spheres (galleries and media) in order to define and establish new ideas around photography.

ACCREDITATION STATUS: Provisionally accredited with the MAPPPP-SETA. MAPPP-SETA to develop unit standards for photography to get accreditation in full.

Fees

• Foundation Course R4000
• Intermediate Course R7000
• Advanced Course R700

What we offer the industry

• Photography training services - at the school as well as in-house corporate training (but must be arranged specially)
• Photographic services - hire of photographers, photo documentary, press publicity images
• Picture and photograph sales - selling from a huge archive of student and professional material
• Exhibition - curation; installation and production
• Studio photography - portraits, packs
• Photo project management
• Publication production - design, photography and product

History

The Market Photo Workshop was established in the late eighties (1987/1989), at the time to support aspiring black photographers who were excluded from mainstream photography schools by the structures of Apartheid and lack of resources. It has since expanded and continued to champion non-racist South Africa photography.

The Market Photo Workshop has been in the forefront of establishing young photographers in the market; especially addressing historical disadvantaged individuals. The Photo Workshop brought the first South African World Press winners Themba Hadebe, in 1998 and Jodi Bieber 2000. This is ongoing. Photojournalists Sydney Seshibedi, World Press Winner 2006.

The Market Photo Workshop changed the landscape of South African photography re-negotiating trends. Young photographers that started to question identity after 1994, especially photographers like Nontsikelelo Veleko, Zanele Muholi, Sabelo Mlangeni, all internationally acclaimed. In most instances these photographers represent new identities in South African in international retrospectives.

The Market Photo Workshop is a Cultural Institution In terms of Cultural Institutions Act, 1998 (Act no 119 of 1998) A division of The Market Theatre Foundation

The organization was founded in the late eighties (1987/1989) and the founding members were David Goldblatt, primary, and Joyce Ozynski. Gillian Cargill was the first teacher and director

Additional info

100 students annually. Those who have acquired training are working in the industry in various capacities while others are coming back to MPW to advance their studies

Past students include Zanele Muholi, Lebohang Mashiloane, Alon Skuy, Jennifer Bruce, Lerato Maduna, Sydney Seshibedi, Jacklynne Hobbs, Lolo Veleko, Ingrid Masondo.

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