WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO
UK & IRELAND
Between Pictures Project is an ART HUB founded by visual storyteller and portraitist Mariusz Smiejek and is located in Belfast.
We are teaching workshops since 2012 and our tutor has a lot of experience in education with beginners, intermediate and advanced camera users.
Our 1G1 Studio in Belfast is available to hire for any kind of artist working on small or large project.
Additionally we are offer our space for art exhibitions and live music performances.
GHANA
BPP was established in the UK in 2019 to support underprivileged children and families from underprivileged families of Accra and villages in Ghana. Between 2019 - 2021 we supported many underprivileged children at The Street Academy in Accra and provide them with essential school supplies as well as daily meals.
Ghana Through Children's Eyes
Because we believe in power of visual storytelling, we are also running photography workshops for Ghanaian children from disadvantaged backgrounds: orphanages and shelters run by local NGO's. Those are children rescued from human traffickers as well as liberated child slaves who previously had worked in Volta Lake Region, a "home" to thousands of abused and beaten child slaves. We think that by teaching those kids visual storytelling, we are giving them an opportunity to talk about their issues, get them heard, empower them to drive a change in their lives.
It is non-profit initiative, and didn't receive any government or non government grants. For every pound donated, 90 pence goes into our programmes, and 10 pence goes to the administrative costs of running Ghana Through Children's Eyes and compliant non-profit project.
Irene is 9 years old and she is deaf. She lives with her mum in slums of Accra, her dad left her as soon as he realized that she is deaf - she was only 2 years old then. She has never been to school, so she cannot communicate with anybody.
George* is around 6 y/o and he has been force to work at the lake for more than one year now.
Lake Volta in Ghana, is home to thousands of child slaves. Children as young as five (5) are sold to human traffickers. Fisherman buy these children and pay very little money for them (a cost of a cow) turning them into slaves. They are beaten and abused, eating only once a day and working 7 days a week for 10-12 hours, starting very early in the morning.
*name changed
OUR MISSION AND VISION
Between 2019 - 2021 our Mission was to support vulnerable children, let them grow and learn. We do that by sending them to schools, so they can learn how to write and read.
Since 2019 during photography workshops we teach them how to use the power of visual voice, so their stories can be SEEN and HEARD.
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."
- Nelson Mandela
We are convinced that with your help and support we can change the future of underprivileged families and children. We hope that the more children we send to schools, the greater are the chances for them securing a decent employment when they grow up. We are hoping that our initiative will raise the awareness among people about issues such as: child labour, slavery, sexual abuse, abandonment,
poverty and lack of education.
WHY WE DO IT
Ghana is a young nation, 40% of people (11.5million) are children under the age of 15.
In Accra, the capital of Ghana, thousands of young children live on the streets. Their lives consist of begging for money, selling merchandise and sadly also engaging in crimes. Most of them are child labourers who do not go to school, therefore 7 in 10 Ghanaian street children are illiterate.
There are regions in this country, like Volta Lake, where child slavery is still practiced - young children are sold to fishermen, whom they call "masters". They are forced to work long hours in dangerous conditions, they cannot go to school...
We believe that it is very unfair. No child should be forced to work, all children should have a childhood, go to school and flourish in safety...
1 900 000
Ghanaian children between 5 and 17 years old are forced to work
7 in 10
Ghanaian street kids are
illiterate
5 years old
Is the age at which Ghanaian children are forced to work in dangerous conditions
Meet The Team
MARIUSZ SMIEJEK
Founder - Project Manager - Volunteer
Documentary and portrait photographer, researcher, lecturer, media and social media administrator and workshop tutor.
Belfast, UK/North of Ireland.
JULIA PAWLIKOWSKA
Team Member - Volunteer
Visual media editor.
Belfast, UK/North of Ireland.
RÉGINA MONFORT
Exhibition Curator and Photo Editor
- Volunteer
Independent photography and visual book editor.
Brittany, France.
ATAA LARTEY
Former Team Member
Founder and Director at The Street Academy
Accra, Ghana.
MELANI MENNELLA
Project Coordinator - Volunteer
Human Rights Research Fellow at The Legal Resources Centre in Ghana, Associate Director at The Street Academy in Accra.
Accra, Ghana.
EWELINA RUMINSKA
Team Member - Volunteer
Events and media coordinator.
London, United Kingdom.
ORLA WALLACE
Team Member - Volunteer
Events coordinator
Belfast, UK/North of Ireland.
GOSIA GOŁYGOWSKA
Team Member - Volunteer
Volounteer
Belfast, UK/North of Ireland.
Interview with Ataa Lartey from The Street Academy
Who We Work With
We are collaborating with a few primary schools in Accra and shelters in Volta Region in Ghana.
We are also promoting our project through All Media Academy in Europe
(private Academy of Photography run by Mariusz Smiejek).
As we grow, we would like to expand our reach and support more schools and shelters,
we hope you can contribute to making it happen.
We are looking for any kind of support, from the media to help us to promote the project:
- private sponsors, philanthropists, businesses,
- print shops to print the exhibition and photo book's,
- cameras making companies to use the cameras during the project,
- galleries, cafe shops, cultural, community and art centres, NGO’s, schools for exhibition space and lecturing.
If you are interested to support and join us, please contact us
Media Support and Publications
Project sponsors
