VisualEyes Film Camp for Young Black Women : created by Ella Cooper in partnership with Reel Youth & the Nia Centre.

Video created by : Lekeeya Kinghorn

VisualEyes : Film Camp for Young Black Women

Summer film retreats are the bomb.

Guest Speaker : Audrey Dwyer talks about her work as an independent actor, director and script writer

Facilitators : Ella Cooper & Letecia Rose

Smiles over good food in the kitchen

Self Reflection, Poetry writing & journaling outdoors

Everyone all dressed up for the first day of filmming

Filming their video self portraits

Editing 101

Playful brainstorm sessions

In the month of August,  I was able to realize a long time dream of offering a 6-day film camp for young Black women in Toronto, in partnership with Reel Youth, the Nia Centre for the Arts, thanks to generous support from the Canada Council. Together we created a retreat style space at the Children’s Peace Theatre where we offered a film making intensive for an incredible group of young women age 17 - 29. 

The intention was to celebrate the diverse stories and diasporic perspectives of young Black women, a perspective that we still don’t see enough of in mainstream media.  

In six short days all participants wrote, storyboarded, filmed and edited a one minute autobiographical film (aka video self portrait).  Each day we taught basic filmmaking skills, facilitated playful creative activities to help generate ideas and provided time for group collaboration and connection.  We also learned from special guests who shared insights around their work in video art, documentary, script writing and narrative film. 

There was so much incredible inspiration to pull from each day and in just six days all ten participants completed their first films. Everyone surprised themselves with what they were able to create. Our closing circle was one filled with immense gratitude for the experience plus a whole bunch of happy tears. 

One of the things that was frequently brought up by the group was the fact that there are still so few spaces that exist to promote the development of Black female image makers.  I felt so honoured to work in collaboration with such an amazing group of talented young women and to have finally been given the opportunity to co-facilitate a space of this kind. 

I’m so excited that this is just the beginning! Stay tuned for more VisualEyes Film camps in the New Year and don’t miss our screening in October!

Coming up next : Black Men Loving : Documentary Film Screening at the Caribbean Film Festival Sept 16. 

Special thanks to: Michele Pearson Clarke, Audrey Dwyer, Nicole Franklin, Mark Vonesch, Mark Campbell, the Theatre Centre and Mixmotion